President Michael D Higgins urged Irish people to have the courage to act on climate change before the launch of an environmental film featuring the Pope.
It comes seven years after Pope Francis wrote to Catholics around the world about the seriousness of the climate crisis.
His Holiness’s letter, Laudato Si’, was a ‘message for the Earth’ and has since given rise to a movement involving organisations like Trocaire.
Its aim is to inspire and mobilise the Catholic community to care for our common home and achieve climate and ecological justice.
“The cries of the Earth and the cries of the poor cannot go on,” his Holiness says in the ‘The Letter’.
Ahead of Ireland’s first official screening, President Higgins said Pope Francis has spoken of a ‘culture of indifference’ and has challenged us all not to avert our gaze or to turn away from those who suffer on our shared planet.
“As a society, we must regain our resonance with the world – with nature and each other – if we are to have any hope of avoiding the bequeathment to the next generations of a hostile and volatile Planet Earth,” he added.
“This film, ‘The Letter - A Message for our Earth’, is based on Pope Francis’ ground breaking encyclical ‘Laudato Si – on care for our common home’ and its contribution to the debate on the importance of connecting ecology, economics, social justice and ethics is an important one. It calls for urgent collective action to address the climate crisis and provide a sustainable future for all lifeforms on our planet.
“We must all have the courage to speak out and work to transform, replace what has brought us to the point of destruction in social and ecological terms and work collectively for the human alternative that is possible, Pope Francis’ call is for all the life on Mother Earth.”
The film, which has been viewed over 8 million times on YouTube, highlights the plight of those forced from their homes because of climate change.
In it, the Pope critiques consumerism and irresponsible development, laments environmental degradation and global warming and calls all people of the world to take “swift and unified global action”.
The movie tells the moving story of five people deeply impacted by climate change but far from the power centres of decision-making as they travel to meet Pope Francis in Rome and discover the roots of Laudato Si in Assisi.
Ireland’s official launch of The Letter at Arás an Uachtarain last night kicks off a nationwide campaign of community screenings of The Letter, supported by Trócaire.
Lorna Gold, Chair of the Laudo si Movement, said: “This film really brings home the present reality of climate change and how it is affecting so many in different ways.
“Through telling stories about real people from around the world, the film taps into our deepest humanity. Despite telling hard truths, it motivates us to act decisively together to build a better future.’
Director Nicolas Brown said: “After making “The Letter” I now believe that the greatest existential threats we’ve ever faced as a species - biodiversity loss and climate change - will only be solved once the human race unites behind a cause greater than ourselves and we respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor all at once.
“Pope Francis, along with the protagonists in the film, have shown us how that journey can begin.”
The Letter Film can be viewed free online at theletterfilm.org. The website also provides details on forthcoming local screenings and further information on how to organise community screenings.
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