giovedì 29 settembre 2016

World Day of Social Communications: FEAR NOT - NO TEMAS - NON TEMERE - PAS PEUR - NICHT ANGST - GEEN ANGST

«Fear not, for I am with you» (Is 43:5).
Communicating hope and trust in our time
            Numbness of conscience or letting desperation get the better of us are two possible “diseases” that our current communication system can cause.It is possible that our conscience is cauterised, as Pope Francis comments in Laudato si’, as a result of the fact that often professionals, opinion leaders and means of communication work in urban areas distant from places of poverty and need, and their physical distance often leads them to ignore the complexity of the dramas faced by men and women.Desperation is possible, instead, when communication is emphasised and transformed into spectacle, at times becoming a genuine strategy for constructing present dangers and looming fears.
But in the midst of this tumult a whisper is heard: “Fear not, for I am with you”. In His Son, God expresses his solidarity with every human situation and revealed that we are not alone, because we have a Father Who does not forget His children. Those who live united with Christ discover that even darkness and death become, for those who so wish, a place for communion with Light and Life. In every event, they try to discover what is happening between God and humanity, to recognise how He too, through the dramatic scenario of this world, is writing the history of salvation. We Christians have “good news” to tell, because we contemplate trustfully the prospect of the Kingdom.
The Theme of the next World Day of Social Communications is an invitation to tell the history of the world and the histories of men and women in accordance with the logic of the “good news” that reminds us that God never ceases to be a Father in any situation or with regard to any man. Let us learn to communicate trust and hope for history.

«No temas, porque yo estoy contigo» (Is 43,5).
Comunicar esperanza y confianza en nuestro tiempo
Anestesiar la conciencia o dejarse llevar por la desesperación son dos posibles enfermedades a las que puede llevar el sistema de comunicación actual.
Es posible que la conciencia se cauterice, como recuerda el Papa Francisco en la Laudato si’ debido al hecho de que a menudo los profesionales, los líderes de opinión y los medios de comunicación, desarrollando su actividad en zonas urbanas distantes de los lugares de la pobreza y de las necesidades, vivan una distancia física que, a menudo, desemboca en la ignorancia de la complejidad de los dramas de los hombres y de las mujeres.
La desesperación es posible, en cambio, cuando la comunicación se enfatiza y se vuelve espectáculo, hasta convertirse a veces en una estrategia de construcción verdadera y propia de acechanzas y peligros inminentes.
Pero en medio de este estruendo se oye un susurro: "No temas, porque yo estoy contigo". En su Hijo, Dios se ha hecho solidario con cada situación humana y ha revelado que no estamos solos, porque tenemos un Padre que no se olvida de sus hijos. El que vive unido a Cristo descubre que incluso la oscuridad y la muerte se convierten, para todo el que lo quiera, en lugar de comunión con la Luz y la Vida. En cualquier acontecimiento intenta descubrir lo que sucede entre Dios y la humanidad, para reconocer como Dios mismo, a través del escenario dramático de este mundo, esté escribiendo la historia de la salvación. Nosotros, los cristianos, tenemos una "buena noticia" que contar porque contemplamos confiados el horizonte del Reino.
El Tema de la próxima Jornada Mundial de las Comunicaciones Sociales es una invitación a contar la historia del mundo y las historias de los hombres y de las mujeres, según la lógica de la "buena noticia" que nos recuerda que Dios nunca renuncia a ser Padre, en cualquier situación y con cada ser humano. Aprendamos a comunicar confianza y esperanza para la historia.

“Non temere, perché sono con te” (Is 43,5).
Comunicare speranza e fiducia nel nostro tempo
Anestetizzare la coscienza o farsi prendere dalla disperazione sono due possibili malattie alle quali può condurre l’attuale sistema comunicativo.
È possibile che la coscienza si cauterizzi, come ricorda Papa Francesco nella Laudato si’, a causa del fatto che spesso professionisti, opinionisti e mezzi di comunicazione operando in aree urbane distanti dai luoghi delle povertà e dei bisogni, vivono una distanza fisica che spesso conduce a ignorare la complessità dei drammi degli uomini e delle donne.
È possibile la disperazione, invece, quando la comunicazione viene enfatizzata e spettacolarizzata, diventando talvolta vera e propria strategia di costruzione di pericoli vicini e paure incombenti.
Ma in mezzo a tale frastuono si ode un sussurro: “Non temere, perché sono con te.” Nel suo Figlio, Dio si è reso solidale con ogni situazione umana e ha rivelato che non siamo soli, perché abbiamo un Padre che non dimentica i propri figli. Chi vive unito a Cristo, scopre che anche le tenebre e la morte diventano, per chiunque lo voglia, luogo di comunione con la Luce e la Vita. In ogni avvenimento cerca di scoprire cosa succede tra Dio e l’umanità, per riconoscere come Egli stesso, attraverso lo scenario drammatico di questo mondo, stia scrivendo la storia di salvezza. Noi cristiani abbiamo una “buona notizia” da raccontare, perché contempliamo fiduciosi l’orizzonte del Regno.
Il Tema della prossima Giornata Mondiale delle Comunicazioni Sociali è un invito a raccontare la storia del mondo e le storie degli uomini e delle donne, secondo la logica della “buona notizia” che ricorda che Dio mai rinuncia ad essere Padre, in nessuna situazione e rispetto ad ogni uomo. Impariamo a comunicare fiducia e speranza per la storia.



CALAIS: ENSEIGNER DANS LA "JUNGLE" DES REFUGES



Ecole du provisoire






À Calais, les deux enseignants nommés au centre Jules Ferry, qui jouxte la "jungle" et reçoit des mineurs étrangers isolés, ne peuvent guère fonctionner avec un programme au quart d'heure près comme au temps de ce Jules Ferry-là. C'est une école du provisoire, qu'ils racontent au journaliste du  Monde le 11 juillet dernier.

Provisoire 
En effet tout y est provisoire : les effectifs et la présence des élèves, qui tentent tous les jours de franchir le Channel, les apprentissages à privilégier, selon l'âge, les langues parlées et celle à apprendre (français ? anglais ?), les relations à instaurer selon les histoires individuelles, les traumatismes vécus, les communautés originelles, etc. Il faut donc inventer une pédagogie provisoire qui fait progresser au jour le jour, ici et maintenant, pierre après pierre. Oubliés les parcours soigneusement élaborés, les cours collectifs identiques pour tous et toutes, les évaluations formalistes, etc. Si on veut que ce provisoire dure, il faut faire du sur mesure, adapté aux individualités, aux besoins, aux circonstances, aux moyens…

         ECOLE DU PROVISOIRE

mercoledì 28 settembre 2016

MIGRANTS- THE GIFT OF HOSPITALITY - Redescubrir el don de la hospitalidad - Das Geschenk der Gastfreundschaft wiederentdecken - Redécouvrir le don de l’hospitalité - Riscoprire il dono dell’ospitalità

Rediscovering the Gift of Hospitality
Meeting of bishops and delegates responsible for the pastoral care of migrants of the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Europe

Madrid, Spain, 26-27 September 2016

If it is true that people know more and more about the tragedy of thousands of migrants who every day try the challenge of reaching Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea on dilapidated boats and the desert in long marches of death, less known are the stories of generosity, sharing, and genuine reception that accompany the migration flow of recent times. After the urgency of their reception, the Catholic Church is in the front line in emergency related to the integration of thousands of migrants. In Madrid, the bishops and delegates responsible for the pastoral care of migrants in Europe have been discussing on 'models' of integration, best practices, and challenges to European society.
After dealing with the issue of reception in 2015, the national directors for the pastoral care of migrants have focused - in the Year of Mercy - on the challenge of integration. The meeting took place in Madrid on September 26-27 at the invitation of the Bishop of Albacete, Mgr. Ciriaco Benavente Mateos, President of the Commission for Migration of the Spanish Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
The integration of migrants and refugees is a complex and multi-faceted phenomenon for which no single model applies, but different experiences related to the needs and possibilities of the receiving territory. The Catholic Church, as participants witnessed, is engaged in all countries with various activities and programs. However, both reception and integration are not prerogatives of a particular sector of civil society and/or Church institutions, but of the whole society because it is the whole person, in his/her wholeness - that is, the person in need of a job and a house, but also of the love of a family and a spiritual support – who needs to be welcomed. Neither is it an issue which concerns only individual migrants or asylum seekers but it runs on a parallel track that also involves the responsibility and capacity of the receiving community, which is called to make room for diversity.
In her approach, the Church always seeks to promote this two-fold dimension by carrying out a work that takes into account both the needs of immigrants, in their integrity and dignity as persons, and those of the receiving community. Before becoming physical realities, walls rise within human hearts. Ignorance and fear are in fact the first obstacles to overcome. People must be able to understand what it means to be a refugee, what it means to have one's life contained in a simple backpack. It is clear therefore that the real challenge of integration begins with an educational work addressing the whole society. It is necessary to educate people to dialogue and encounter. In fact, the encounter with those who are different than us, if we approach it with the proper disposition, is always enriching and follows the pattern of the sharing of gifts.
This accompaniment of the receiving communities must be carried out in agreement by all the social and Church bodies working on their territory. Only an education to encounter and dialogue will make it possible to uproot unjustified fears, often based on stereotypes and clichés, which are increasingly feeding xenophobic feelings in Europe.
Among the various experiences shared by the participants, the privileged educational-pastoral tool in promoting real integration seemed to be the "working together" style. It is by carrying out together concrete actions and activities that the migrant and the receiving community can be perceived as only one thing. In the spirit of the Year of Mercy, the national directors have also recalled the need to rediscover the meaning and the value of hospitality that helps Christians to better respond to the challenge of integration. In this perspective, the parish is undoubtedly a privileged space in which a true pedagogy of encounter and dialogue can be enacted. In various ways, the parish community can become a place to put into practice our hospitality, a place to perform the exchange of experiences and gifts, the breeding ground for peaceful coexistence that we all desire.
In Madrid, the national directors also discussed some issues which had already been the object of their discussions in the past and are still topical, such as the trafficking in human beings (the work of the Santa Marta Group), the presence of Chinese immigrants in Europe, and the evangelization of Chinese Catholics in Europe.
In the "Holy Mary of Silence" Parish along with a delegation from the local diocese for the pastoral care of migrants, the participants lived a Eucharistic celebration animated by an African choir and presided over by the Archbishop of Madrid, H. Ex. Mgr. Carlos Osoro Sierra. Later on, at the Reception Centre 'San Ignacio' run by the Jesuits they met a large group of young Africans, and they had the opportunity to appreciate the various initiatives undertaken by the Centre for promoting integration, particularly through work and education.
The Conference closed with a meeting with the President of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Ricardo Blázquez Pérez, at the headquarters of the Catholic Bishops' Conference in Madrid, and a meeting in Toledo – a town which is particularly committed to working with migrants - with the local archbishop, Mgr. Braulio Rodríguez Plaza.

  DeutschEnglishEspañolFrançais and Italiano press release

 

martedì 27 settembre 2016

BOGOTA' - LA JUVENTUD, LA EDUCACION Y LO EMPRENDIMIENTO - LA XXV CUMBRE IBEROAMERICANA


El V Encuentro Interreligioso Iberoamericano, cuyo tema era “Líderes religiosos y jóvenes en la implementación de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible dedicados a la juventud, el emprendimiento y la educación, se celebrò en Bogotá, los días 26 y 27 de septiembre de 2016, como evento previo a la XXV Cumbre Iberoamericana, con la organización de Religiones por la Paz América Latina y el Caribe, y el GTER y la cooperación de la SEGIB, la Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (OEI), el Consejo Interreligioso de Colombia, el CELAM y el Gobierno de Colombia.

 Objetivos

a)      Proporcionar una plataforma para un diálogo entre líderes juveniles religiosos, líderes de las comunidades de fe, representantes de organizaciones educativas religiosas y funcionarios nacionales e internacionales sobre acciones concretas para la implementación de los ODS dedicados a la juventud, el emprendimiento y la educación, exponiendo ejemplos y proyectos que ya están haciendo una diferencia.

b)      Identificar las posibles vías para que los jóvenes religiosos contribuyan al proceso de seguimiento y examen de los ODS dedicados a la juventud, incluidas formas de asociación con los organismos iberoamericanos, los gobiernos y las organizaciones juveniles de la sociedad civil......   





LA EDUCACIÓN DE CALIDAD COMO PRIORIDAD PARA EL DESARROLLO DE LOS JÓVENES



GLASGOW - RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN THE CATHOLIC TRADITION - New book by Leonardo Franchi



 Shared Mission: Religious Education in the Catholic Tradition                                                                                

Abstract: 
Catholic schools exist in a state of uncertainty between their double identity as Church and civic institutions. Political pressure to conform to the prevailing cultural climate can be a source of tension between Catholic school leaders and the educational establishment. 
The source of this tension often lies in the degree of ‘hostility’ shown towards religious ideas more broadly. 
A recent report in the United Kingdom on the place of religion in public life, while reflecting much of the prevailing secular ways of thinking, recognised that religious beliefs have an important role to play in society. 
This welcome commitment to religious freedom can be aligned to recent developments in Catholic educational thought towards the need for intercultural dialogue in Catholic schools. This move is not without its conceptual challenges: there remain important questions to be addressed regarding the interplay between intercultural dialogue and the mission to evangelise.
Key Words:  Catholic school, openness, intercultural dialogue, evangelisation, catholic intellectual tradition
Article
EducA - International Journal of Catholic Education: Being Open to Others in Catholic Schools (Online, March 2016)

To see more of my publications please click here.


lunedì 26 settembre 2016

LONDON - THE UMEC-WUCT: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE



September 21 to 23: The Executive Committee met in London at the St Marys University  to prepare the Council meeting which will take place November 18 to 20.
You should book as soon as possible.
Read the program and information:

Septiembre de 21 de a 23: El Comité Ejecutivo se reunió en Londres en el Uminersità St Mary para preparar la reunión del Consejo que tendrá lugar el 18 de noviembre al 20.
Usted debe reservar lo antes posible.
Leer el programa y la información:

21 au 23 septembre: Le Comité exécutif réuni à Londres à l'Université  St Mary pour préparer la réunion du Conseil qui aura lieu le 18 Novembre à 20.
Svp, Vous devez réserver le plus tôt possible.
Lire le programme et les informations:

COUNCIL PROGRAM AND INFORMATION








CONGO: LES JUNES ETUDIANTS, MISSIONAIRES!




MISSION DANS LA VALLEE DE LA KAFUBU-RD CONGO  

Sous la protection de Marie Auxiliatrice, nous prions pour nos confrères missionnaires de la Vallée qui sont allés à la rencontre des jeunes et nous les accompagnons avec les jeunes. Que Dieu bénisse notre mission et courage! Merci pour tout!





venerdì 23 settembre 2016

CCEE - THE CHALLENGES OF INTEGRATING REFUGEES - Los desafíos de la integración de los refugiados - Die Herausforderungen bei der Integration der Flüchtlinge - Les défis posés par l’intégration des réfugiés - Le sfide dell’integrazione dei rifugiati

After the welcome: the challenges of integrating refugees
Meeting of bishops and delegates from Europe’s
 Bishops’ Conferences with responsibility 
for the pastoral care of migrants
Madrid, Spain, 26-27 September 2016

It is in the light of the reflection begun in recent years along with various church bodies on the Church’s response to the intense wave of migrations towards Europe, and seeking to integrate that response into the Church’s reflection in the Year of Mercy, that the work of the annual meeting of those responsible for the pastoral care of migrants will begin in Madrid on Monday 26 September.
In the Spanish capital, with the help of Comece, participants will receive updates on European policies about integration and will focus on the various dimensions of integration, especially the pastoral dimension, both from the perspective of those arriving and those welcoming: from looking for work and accommodation, to education of children and the personal and community experience of one’s own religion, but also the relationship between immigrants already integrated and new arrivals.
“In Madrid, the participants will speak about integration in their own countries, sharing the difficulties encountered and good practice”, said Mgr Duarte da Cunha, CCEE Geneal Secretary. “In tackling the phenomenon of migration”, he continued, “it is necessary not just to respond at the level of charity to the challenges placed by those fleeing from war regions or from situations of complete political and social instability, but also to the different stages of integration: from humanitarian assistance to resettlement in a foreign land. Increasingly, Europe is becoming a mutlicultural space where people from different origins integrate. It is part of Europe’s DNA, shaped by its Christian roots, to have an open cultural identity, neither indifferent nor syncretist, but in dialogue, conscious that not only does it have a lot to offer but also to receive”.
The first day of the meeting will end with the celebration of Mass in the parish of “Our Lady of Silence”, along with a diocesan delegation for the pastoral care of migrants, with as main celebrant His Grace Mgr Carlos Osoro Sierra.
The meeting will end on the morning of Tuesday 27 September with the celebration of Mass at the headquarters of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, with its President, Cardinal Ricardo Blázquez Pérez, as main celebrant. Prior to this there will be discussion of both current and previously tackled issues, such as: human trafficking (the work of the Santa Marta Group) and the presence of Chinese immigrants in Europe. It will also be an opportunity for an exchange about experiences and difficulties encountered in the social and pastoral accompaniment of immigrants and in the pastoral care of those who decide to migrate.

DeutschEnglishEspañolFrançais and Italiano press release


domenica 11 settembre 2016

University: KNOWLEDGE AND MERCY - ROME'S CHARTER 2016 - DIE CHARTA VON ROM - CARTA DE ROMA - LA CHARTE DE ROME - CARTA DI ROMA - Instrumentum Laboris

ROME's CHARTER 2016
  IN ROME THE JUBILEE OF UNIVERSITIES, 
AND OF RESEARCH CENTRES
“Knowledge, Erudition and Education” 

   The “Science of Education”, session of the International Symposium for University teachers, aims at thinking in an interdisciplinary way over the themes of Knowledge, wisdom and education, in the years of instrumental rationality, of technological development, of mass media and globalization, in which the above mentioned issues have become particularly complex.  
       Education in fact seems to face those peculiar aspects unknown even in a recent past: the teenagers’ open-mindedness towards contingency, variety of experiences and of new social relations made possible by the new media. Basically young people tend to educate themselves and to build their own identity through a “mosaic of behaviours”, using a new experiential flexibility and different communicative opportunities. On the other hand a “light socialization” is produced and there is a certain difficulty in defining in a unitary sense one’s own biography. 
     For this reason the idea of formation in the contemporary society shouldn’t be separated from those of knowledge and learning, because in the educational process you cannot give importance only to the transfer of notions, of data, of rules and of a “cold” teaching. 
     In the post modern era, University cannot be anchored to a reductionist, utilitarian vision of knowledge and be limited to a simple formal logic, but it should be the place of information and education where it is possible to ask a question “ on man’s truth” on the relation between ideals and utilities, between a general sense of knowledge and specialization, a place in which we can pursue, as Pope Francesco stated, “knowledge in the deepest sense of the word”. 
Representing UMEC-WUCT took part, the secretary general, Giovanni Perrone

THE FINAL DOCUMENT:

CONOSCENZA E MISERICORDIA
la terza missione dell'università
“Conoscenza, sapienza e formazione” 
     La Sessione “Scienze educative” del Simposio Internazionale dei Docenti Universitari (al quale hanno partecipato oltre mille rettori e docenti provenienti da tutto il mondo) è stata una significativa occasione per riflettere interdisciplinarmente sui temi della Conoscenza, sapienza e formazione, negli anni delle razionalità strumentale, dello sviluppo tecnologico, mass mediatico e della globalizzazione, nei quali tali questioni sono diventate particolarmente complesse. 
    Infatti, l’educazione sembra misurarsi con aspetti singolari ed inediti rispetto anche al passato prossimo, a cominciare da un’apertura degli adolescenti alla contingenza, alla molteplicità di esperienze e di nuove relazioni sociali rese possibili dai new media. In sostanza, il giovane tende a formarsi e a costruire la propria identità all’insegna di un “mosaico di comportamenti”, volgendo a proprio favore le nuove flessibilità esperienziali e opportunità comunicative: di contro, però, così si produce una “socializzazione leggera” e una certa difficoltà a definire un senso unitario della propria biografia. 
     A maggior ragione, l’idea di formazione, nella contemporaneità, non dovrebbe essere separata da quelle di conoscenza e di sapienza, perché non si può dare rilievo nel processo educativo solo al trasferimento di nozioni, di dati, di norme e di una “fredda” istruzione. 
    Nell’epoca postmoderna, l’Università non può essere ancorata a una visione riduzionistica, utilitaristica, della conoscenza e limitarsi soltanto ad una logica formale, ma dovrebbe essere lo spazio informativo e formativo in cui porsi la domanda “sulla verità dell’uomo”, sul rapporto tra idealità e utilità, tra senso generale del sapere e specializzazione, nel quale perseguire, come ha affermato Papa Francesco, “la sapienza nel senso più profondo del termine”.



MADRE TERESA DE CALCUTA y GANDHI

Madre Teresa 
de Calcuta
La santa 
de los pobres
 en la India 
de Gandhi

Sandra Chistolini *

La estricta celebración en latin dio el sentido de una distancia inusual a la estrella de la jornada dedicada no sólo a la elevación a la santidad, pero casi, aún más, para recordar a aquellos que han sido Madre Teresa por todo el mundo. Un testimonio de la misericordia encarnada en el ser humano, una prueba constante de amor, amor, amor, ahimsa, por los que sufren, para los desesperados, para los pobres. Ahimsa significa "amor" en el sentido práctico que Pablo atribuye a la palabra, "no violencia" en sánscrito.
       En la plaza de San Pedro el domingo 4 de septiembre, el año 2016 se sintió sola voz ejecutar a muchos idiomas: la santa de los pobres!
Recordarla como una gran mujer no es suficiente. Era mucho más y cuando en un momento me pasó a sentarme en el suelo, hablando con un reportero que hizo un viaje especial de Calcuta a permanecer allí en el calor del sol para pedir a todos los que no eran como él, por ella la Madre Teresa, no lo creia y no podía dejar de mencionar la presencia de la Madre Teresa en los libros de texto en Gran Bretaña, Bélgica, Alemania, Italia y yo no podía dejar de llevarme, durante unos minutos, el lugar del que pregunta. Precisamente en ese momento pensé en Gandhi, Ramakrishna, en Vivekanda, Aurobindo y pregunte si estas grandes almas no estaban básicamente unidas en la misma misión de salvación de la humanidad. Empujé alrededor de la casa de la Madre Teresa en Calcuta para ver cuántos estaban siguiendo de lejos eran cientos de miles y tal vez más.
El ejemplo de la Madre Teresa ha llegado a todo el mundo


MADRE TERESA DE CALCUTA

MADRE TERESA LA SANTA DEI POVERI

giovedì 1 settembre 2016

SHOW MERCY TO OUR COMMON HOME - Message of pope Francis - Mensaje del Santo Padre - Message du Pape François -Paus boodschap van Francis - Mensagem de sua Santidade - Przeslanie Ojca - اليوم العالميّ للصلاة من أجل العناية بالخليقة

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE FRANCIS
FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE CARE OF CREATION
1 SEPTEMBER 2016

Show Mercy to our Common Home

       United with our Orthodox brothers and sisters, and with the support of other Churches and Christian communities, the Catholic Church today marks the “World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation”. This Day offers “individual believers and communities a fitting opportunity to reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which he has entrusted to our care, and to implore his help for the protection of creation as well as his pardon for the sins committed against the world in which we live.” [1]
     It is most encouraging that concern for the future of our planet is shared by the Churches and Christian communities, together with other religions. Indeed, in past decades numerous efforts have been made by religious leaders and organizations to call public attention to the dangers of an irresponsible exploitation of our planet. Here I would mention Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople who, like his predecessor Patriarch Dimitrios, has long spoken out against the sin of harming creation and has drawn attention to the moral and spiritual crisis at the root of environmental problems. 
      In response to a growing concern for the integrity of creation, the Third European Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu in 2007 proposed celebrating a “Time for Creation” during the five weeks between 1 September (the Orthodox commemoration of God’s creation) and 4 October (the commemoration of Francis of Assisi in the Catholic Church and some other Western traditions). This initiative, supported by the World Council of Churches, has since inspired many ecumenical activities in different parts of the world. 
     It is also encouraging that throughout the world similar initiatives promoting environmental justice, concern for the poor and responsible social commitment have been bringing together people, especially young people, from diverse religious backgrounds. Christians or not, as people of faith and goodwill, we should be united in showing mercy to the earth as our common home and cherishing the world in which we live as a place for sharing and communion........