On Friday, May 30, the Order of Friars Minor and the PUA, represented by Fr. Massimo Fusarelli, Minister General of the OFM and Grand Chancellor of the PUA, awarded recognition to individuals and institutions that have distinguished themselves for their commitment to integral ecology. They were: Patriarch Bartholomew I, Leonardo Boff, the Pan-Amazon Ecclesial Network, and the Laudato Si’ Movement.
“Dear award recipients, today you are not only receiving recognition, but if I may say so. An even greater responsibility, to continue to be a prophetic voice. In a world that often, too often, prefers profit to the common good. I therefore address this final invitation to all of you, please return to your communities, bringing with you the seed of integral ecological conversion. May the Canticle of the Creatures resonate in our homes, may “Laudato si” inspire our daily choices, even small ones. The future of the earth, a gift from God, is also in our hands, but above all in our hearts.” Said Fr. Massimo at the end of the award ceremony.
Motivation of the awards
Patriarch Bartholomew I is a Christian leader who insisted on the care of creation from a Christian ethical and moral perspective: he often stated that “Committing a crime against nature is a sin”, he constantly promoted ecological conversion, he promoted ecumenical, interreligious and intercultural dialogue to address the challenges of our common home.
Leonardo Boff is one of the pioneers of ecotheology worldwide. In his 1996 book “Ecology: cry of the earth, cry of the poor”, he justifies the commitment of the Christian faith in the care of our common home. Furthermore, he was one of the drafters of the Earth Charter, adopted by the United Nations in 2003. Boff was able to update the message of Francis of Assisi to the current ecological crisis, offering paths based on the spirituality of the Italian saint.
The Laudato Si’ Movement is a global Catholic movement born under the inspiration of the Encyclical Laudato Si’, which seeks to implement its principles centered on ecological sustainability, climate justice and ecological conversion. Therefore, thanks to its commitment to these values ??and the different strategies promoted throughout its ten years of existence, it has been possible to achieve a change of mentality within and outside the Church. The award was presented to Lorna Gold. Executive Director of the Laudato Si’ Movement.
The Pan-Amazon Ecclesial Network aims to raise awareness in the Americas of the importance of the Amazon for all humanity, to establish, among the local Churches of different South American countries located in the Amazon basin, a joint pastoral care with differentiated priorities, to create a development model that favors the poor and serves the common good. This ecclesial model has allowed the voices of the peoples and communities of the territory to be heard, especially the indigenous peoples, to protect their life and that of the Amazonian ecosystems (Amazon biome) through a socio-ecclesial action articulated in a network. The award was given to Monsignor Rafael Cob García, president of REPAM.
Source: https://www.ofm.org/corso-di-giustizia-pace-e-integrita-del-creato-2025.html