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Hexham: Laudato si' at St Mary's

  • Deb Buchan

Hexham Abbey

Hexham Abbey

'We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters'. From 'Laudato si' On Care For Our Common Home'.

On 12th September the Justice and Peace group of St Mary's, Hexham opened its doors to people of all faiths and none. It was offering the opportunity to study over a period of 10 weeks the encyclical or 'teaching letter' written by Pope Francis entitled 'Laudato si' in a programme they named Climate Change and the Common Good. I'd seen a poster in the town library and asked if I could join, reading the opening pages of Laudato si' beforehand online and ordering a copy on the basis of the profound and moving commentary I found there.

The title of the encyclical caught my attention at a time when I was seeking to be more active and informed in relation to the concerns the letter addresses. For a long time, I have not been in a position to travel regularly to the Climate Change days of action in further cities or towns and had begun to feel stuck in terms of how I account for our shared future and that of the planet. Straight away I was struck by the relevance and the accessibility of the encyclical which spoke directly and with passion on the subject of Climate Change and (our) Common Good.

Early in the group discussions it was clear that the encyclical was framing and developing the commentary around climate change from a greater perspective than environmental and scientific issues alone by linking it from the outset to 'the common good' in far-reaching and profound ethical, moral, cultural, economic and spiritual terms. The letter addresses us directly and its scope is global.

We began our meeting with a canticle written by St Francis, reminding us that although we are being called to account at a unique point in history we are not travelling this terrain for the first time,

'Praise to you, my lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs'.

From Canticle of the Creatures, by Francis of Assisi.

During the opening meetings, our chosen way forward has been to read together paragraphs from the encyclical and then give people time to respond. Discussions have by no means been 'a done deal' and certainly the relationship between the document and the group is not a one way or easily traversed street. People from various backgrounds and sensibilities have gathered, bringing contrasting and sometimes contesting viewpoints to our shared discussion and the energies in the room run hot and cold accordingly. Throughout these discussions and readings, the spiritual values of the encyclical come through powerfully and clearly, calling us to account and at the same time, holding us together by reminding us of our true nature and our collective responsibility. These group meetings represent a tiny part of the greater struggle taking place all over the world, as we attempt to evolve our own sense of what is important and how it then falls upon us to acknowledge, reflect and act. The encyclical gives us a fluent, detailed and far-reaching map and we are able to use it to travel collectively to find our common ground.

On the 20th September, the day after the second session of the course, Hexham Climate Action held a Climate Change Strike Day of Action in solidarity with the schoolchildren and students who were leaving their classrooms to protest the future and continue with their efforts to hold politicians and industry to account. I saw other people from our course there - adults and seniors citizens from my own and other faiths, or from other circles - political, family, educational, who were taking their place alongside the young people, making it 'a story of us', not just 'them', a matter for the many, not just the few.

Outside one of the shops we passed by, a woman in her shop uniform came out and was applauding the children. I felt the power of the words in Laudato Si spring to life, knowing that in small towns like this and in towns and cities all over the world there were others like myself who were waking to the need to take responsibility for the future of these children and the global community by recognising our collective nature and the Common Good and finding our way forward from there.

Deb Buchan is a member of the Hexham Abbey community and a member of the WCCM.





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