The Letter, Pope Francis in a film on Laudato Si, readily available on Youtube.

As the Chevalier Family, we are committed to ecological action and spirituality. See below some points from the document sent out by Andre Classens MSC. 

THE LETTER, A MESSAGE FOR THE EARTH

In 2015,  Pope Francis issued an encyclical letter on ecology and the environment, using the title of his now a-namesake, Francis of Assisi, his Canticle of the Sun, Praise be. The significant thing was that it was addressed to readers beyond the church, to people of all faiths, secular and none. (At the opening of the film, we can hear some dissenting voices, that the Pope should not be political, that he was doing a disservice to theology.)

How to communicate, publicise, this letter and its message? A film, Youtube, stories, visuals, and Pope Francis himself.

The Letter is a film for all audiences, telling the story of Francis and his writing Laudato Si, but the writer-director, Nicolas Brown (noting that he is agnostic but was impressed by Francis and his encyclical) takes his audience into a meeting, what might seem an ordinary day for the Pope, but he has filmed it to make this day and the meeting readily available for the whole world.

The occasion is an encounter with Pope Francis with chosen representatives coming to the Vatican to discuss environmental issues and commitments.

The film introduces us to the representatives, introducing them, Aroune Kande from Senegal, Ridhima Pandey from India, Chief Cacique Odair from Amazon, Greg Asner and Robin Martin from Hawaii. They tell the audience their stories and commitment. We see letters from Rome, written, posted, stamped, received - and the surprise of each of them to get a letter from the Vatican. And the group are representatives chosen to represent refugees, environment, youth, wildlife. We see lives and issues through stories and images.

Araone thinks of leaving Senegal, a refugee, but, as we see, flimsy boats, full, capsising and refugees drowning. He decides to be active in his home country. Ridhima Pandey is 13, confident, outspoken. In the Amazon, the chief explains the destruction of the forests and the dire consequences. (He is striking in his large feathered headgear, which he wears around Rome and for the papal meeting). Greg and Robin work in Hawaii with technology, gauging wildlife, especially underwater.

We sit in on the meeting with Francis (close-ups to see his emotional facial expressions, speaking in Spanish to express himself personally). He bonds with the delegates as they speak to him, as they commit themselves to the causes.

We also join the group as they visit Assisi, join in the spirit of Francis, suddenly interrupted as Aroune receives text and video from Senegal, his friend’s school completely flooded and the children having nowhere to stay. Some comfort for him from the group who have now bonded as a family.

The Letter is very easy to access and free. Go online, Google The Letter Pope Francis Movie – click and the film will come up. (An indication for a short Google clip appears at the end – worth having a look at, what the representatives have been doing since their meeting.)

 In his Encyclical Laudato Si, Pope Francis calls us to an Ecological Conversion.

“Your unique culture, experience, involvements, and talents are needed on our journey towards greater love for our Creator, each other, and the home we share”, writes the Pope (LS 14).

He encourages us not to stay aside but to act, together with others.

As members and friends of the Chevalier Family, we don’t want to stay behind. We are not alone. Within the Church we are part of a religious family, founded by Father Jules Chevalier MSC, who in his time already combatted indifference. He knew that fear paralyses, while love conquers all. Therefore, he gave us our motto:

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved.

As an International and Intercultural Family we realize that:

• world solidarity is the radical alternative to the globalisation of self-interest and indifference.
• our choices show where our heart lies and that we, who live the Spirituality of the Heart, are called to adopt an attitude of love and care for Creation.
• the abstract disables people, while the concrete opens new possibilities.