- 19 July, 2025
Mumbai, July 19, 2025: The Archdiocesan Office for Environment (AOE) of the Archdiocese of Bombay held a wide-ranging consultative event titled An Evening with Nature on July 6 at Salvation Kendra, Dadar. Marking the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’s encyclical 'Laudato Si' and the 800th year of St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of Creatures, the event gathered over 115 participants—including clergy, religious, lay Eco Ambassadors, Green Cell members, and diocesan ministry heads—to discuss the implementation of 'Laudato Si' goals across all parishes of the archdiocese by 2030.
The consultation formally introduced the Archdiocese’s vision aligned with the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, a Vatican-led initiative rooted in seven core goals: responding to the cry of the earth and the poor, promoting ecological economics, embracing sustainable lifestyles, deepening ecological spirituality, advancing ecological education, and fostering community resilience.
The Archdiocesan Office for Environment presented a structured action plan, dividing proposed measures into Priority and Suggestive Actions. Priority Actions are urgent, non-negotiable measures that every parish is expected to adopt. Suggestive Actions, on the other hand, offer flexibility, allowing individual parishes to tailor their environmental activities based on their local context and capabilities.
Targets and timelines were laid out to ensure accountability. By 2026, every parish must draft its local Laudato Si implementation plan and establish a functioning Green Cell. By 2027, parishes are expected to transition to renewable energy, install rainwater harvesting systems, conduct energy audits, adopt 100% shroud burials, and eliminate flower bouquets in religious services. Interfaith dialogue on environmental concerns and the incorporation of ecological themes into worship were also emphasised.
The event highlighted several long-term sustainability practices, including organising biannual thrift sales, creating directories of eco-conscious vendors, and developing local disaster response plans.
Dr. Jean D'cunha delivered the keynote address, connecting local efforts with global climate policy and the forthcoming COP30 Summit in Brazil. She urged faith communities to participate actively in climate action.
Archbishop John Rodrigues shared personal reflections on nature and cited the Borgo Laudato Si’ project in Italy as a guiding action model for the implementation of the Laudato Si’ goals. He stressed the Church’s responsibility to care for the environment and encouraged cooperation between clergy and laity in realising the 'Laudato Si' goals.
Bishop Allwyn D'Silva and Fr. Luke Rodrigues emphasised the strategy of creating “model parishes” within deaneries to mentor other parishes in adopting sustainable practices.
Interactive group discussions and a Q&A session fostered dialogue and collective feedback, strengthening communal ownership of the initiative.
The event marked a turning point in the archdiocese’s ecological mission, affirming its resolve to lead by example in Catholic environmental action. The strong turnout, enthusiastic participation, and collective commitment witnessed during the event reaffirmed the Church’s capacity to lead by example in addressing the environmental crisis.
By Jasmine Nair
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