Spanish-American meeting of the chapter coordinators of the Laudato Si’ Movement and JPIC Animators. LSM and Franciscans walking together
During the Laudato Si’ Week celebration, the Laudato Si’ Movement, in collaboration with the General JPIC Office of the Order, launched a new initiative. A first meeting was held for the coordinators of the national chapters of the LSM and the provincial JPIC Animators present in Latin America to get to know each other and exchange programmes and initiatives.
The meeting, whose objective was to strengthen and expand the relationship between LSM and JPIC in Latin America, satisfied both the organisers and the participants. Furthermore, different experiences were shared among the representatives of the countries convened, making it possible to think of more organised and collaborative work in each country where we are present. This was based on the path travelled together globally between LSM and JPIC since 2017 – including the collaboration agreement signed in 2021 – and the objectives of each organisation.
In the opinion of Antonio Garrido, responsible for relations with Latin America for the LSM: “The Laudato Si’ Movement was born to bring Laudato Si’ to life, to make us understand that everything is connected, as members of our common home. To understand its importance beyond ecology and to know how to respond to the cry of the Earth and the poorest through the three guidelines of seeing, judging and acting. May this journey that we begin together with the Franciscan family of JPIC be the first step in caring for Creation with the values of goodness, truth, justice and love”.
For the JPIC Animators of the Order, reinforcing and strengthening relations with the LSM Animators puts us on the path of the Order’s choices in the area of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation. The last International Council of JPIC, held in Jerusalem in 2019, taking up the voice of the Plenary Council of the Order, decided to prioritise integral ecology conversion in three critical areas of our time: the climate crisis, the migration crisis and the socio-environmental crisis. The proposed initiatives are along the lines of collaboration with the LSM.
Over the next few months, meetings will be held at the level of each Latin American country represented at this meeting to discern the possible lines of joint action in each context. We hope and trust we will meet again during the Time of Creation 2022.
Br. Jaime Campos, OFM
JPIC Office – Rome
Cover photo: LSM and JPIC participation at WYD-2019
