10th Anniversary of Pope Francis’s Elevation
Beloved Santa Clara Community,
Today we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis as head of the Catholic Church. By any measure his influence on the Church and the world has been momentous. Elected at the age of 76 in 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the first Latin American pope. He is beloved for his genial ways and simple demeanor, which rest on a foundation of fierce care for the poor and marginalized, and for our common home, the earth. |
 |
Pope Francis has authored two groundbreaking letters to the world urging all humanity to come together, using SCU’s vision language, “to build a more humane, just and sustainable world.”
- Laudato Sí: Care For Our Common Home (2015), in the starkest possible terms, describes climate degradation as integrally entwined with suffering of the poorest among us and, in the future, our children and grandchildren. Through the campus-wide Sustainable SCU: Leading with Laudato Sí, SCU has joined hundreds of universities in nations around the world to address the root causes of climate change and its impact on our human communities.
- Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship (2020), written during the COVID pandemic, urges nations, communities, and all people to return to friendship and kinship to care for one another as a global society. The letter pays particular attention to migration, whether caused by violence, economic inequality, or climate crisis.
In the weeks and months ahead, many Catholic communities across the globe will celebrate Pope Francis and recommit themselves to these two priorities - caring for our common home, and fostering social friendship among all people. As a campus community, we will also celebrate Pope Francis and continue to respond to his call for an integral ecology where all life can thrive. You are invited to:
- Join the VIEWING PARTY and DISCUSSION for the film:
 |
The Letter by Pope Francis
Tuesday, April 25th 6:00 - 7:40 PM
Daly Science Amphitheater
This is a tUrn Week event co-sponsored by tUrn, the Center for Sustainability, and the Division of Mission and Ministry.
|
In closing, let us pray with Francis’s words from Laudato Sí:
God of love, show us our place in this world
as channels of your love
for all the creatures of this earth,
for not one of them is forgotten in your sight.
Enlighten those who possess power and money
that they may avoid the sin of indifference,
that they may love the common good, advance the weak,
and care for this world in which we live.
The poor and the earth are crying out.
O Lord, seize us with your power and light,
help us to protect all life,
to prepare for a better future,
for the coming of your Kingdom
of justice, peace, love and beauty.
Praise be to you!
Amen.
Alison M. Benders
Vice President for Mission and Ministry
|
|
