The Quotation of the Week (July 12 - 18, 2015)

A quotation of Flannery O'Connor on 'religion,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (Three condominium buildings at Village Green Square of Scarborough, Toronto, as seen from Sheppard Avenue East: Nov. 11, 2014) © Jerome D'Costa

Pope Stunned by Leftist Bolivian President's Gift of 'Communist' Crucifix

Pope Francis looks bewildered as Bolivian President Evo Morales presents him with a crucifix in the shape of a sickle and hammer -- symbols of the working class or communism that supports atheism

Photo courtesy: AP through BBC

As Pope Francis was on a visit to Bolivia on July 10, President Evo Morales, a leftist politician, presented him with a hammer-and-sickle shaped wooden crucifix, reports BBC. When the President was presenting him this official gift, Pope Francis looked wondering at its implication!

This crucifix is based on the original design of Luis Espinal, a left-leaning Jesuit priest, who was assassinated in 1980 by the then right-wing militia.

Some local Bishops and Church leaders abroad condemned the President's gift.

For more on this, please read the following: 

• Morales Crucifix gift to Pope Francis causes stir
• Bemused or Irritated? Pope Reacts to Gift of 'Communist Crucifix'
• Pope Francis apparently not amused by 'Communist Crucifix'

The Quotation of the Week (July 5 - 11, 2015)

A quotation of Lord Acton on 'minorities,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (Bicycles at rest in College Park, Toronto: May 29, 2015) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (June 28 - July 4, 2015)

A quotation of Samuel Goldwyn on 'speaking the truth,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A self-silhouette photo, Toronto: May 19, 2015) © Jerome D'Costa

Pope Francis Launches His Environment-Friendly Encyclical 'Laudato si'

Laudato si' -- Pope Francis' new encyclical letter to the whole world

Book image courtesy: AP photo via National Catholic Register

Cartoon courtesy: The Toronto Star (June 20, 2015)

Pope Francis, on June 18, launched his first encyclical letter, Laudato si' (Praise be to you) not only for the Catholics but also for the whole world. This 82-page letter, originally written in Italian and translated into Arabic, English, French, German, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish, has six chapters. 

The titles of the chapters are: What is Happening to Our Common Home, The Gospel of Creation,The Human Roots of the Ecological Crisis, Integral Ecology, Lines of Approach and Action, and Ecological Education and Spirituality.

For reading of the full encyclical and deeper understanding of it, please visit the following:

• Text of the Encyclical, Laudato si', & Tips for Easy Understanding of It:

Encyclical Letter 'Laudato si' of the Holy Father Francis on Care for Our Common Home (Official document in English from the Vatican website)

Laudato si' encyclical letter of Pope Francis in PDF Format (in English)

Laudato si' encyclical letter of Pope Francis (in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish)

Overview of the Encyclical Laudato si' (Vatican Press Office)

Laudato si': A "Map" (An guide for an initial reading of the encyclical) (Archdiocese of Toronto) 

A Guide to Laudato Si: A Section-by-Section Summary of Pope Francis' Encyclical on the Environment (Acton Institute)

A reader's guide to Laudato Si' (by Father Thomas Reese, S.J.) (National Catholic Reporter)

"Laudato Si" 101: What to Know About Pope Francis' New Encyclical (Word on Fire Blog)

Infographics on the Laudato si' (A one-page quick glance of  the encyclical) (Archdiocese of Toronto)

Defining Moment: Glossary of terminology used in Laudato si' (Catholic News Service)

Mortus est lingua mortua [A dead language is dead] (Pope Francis' latest encyclical suggests a dead language [Latin] no longer serves a living, decentralized Church)

Pope Francis' Climate Change Encyclical: Latin Left by the Wayside As 'Laudato Si' Seeks Broader Audience, Accessibility (International Business Times)

  

 News and Reviews on the Encyclical:

 

Top Ten Takeaways from 'Laudato Si" (America magazine)

Laudato Si: The Cheers and Challenges (National Catholic Register)

Pope Francis: 'Revolution' needed to combat climate change (CNN)

Pope's climate change enclyclical tells rich nations: pay your debt to the poor (The Guardian)

Full Text and Guidance Map for Pope Francis' Encyclical 'Laudato Si' (National Catholic Register)

With climate encyclical the Pope has knocked one out of St. Peter's (Globe and Mail)

10 key excerpts from Pope Francis' encyclical (The Washington Post)

The 5 Most Important Points of Pope Francis's Climate Change Encyclical (TIME magazine)

US Church grateflul for Pope Francis' 'marvelous' encyclical (National Catholic Reporter)

Exclusive: Patriarch Bartholomew on Pope Francis' Climate Encyclical (TIME magazine)

Francis' encyclical is a step in the right direction, those outside the church say (National Catholic Reporter)

The Pope's Moral Case for Taking on Climate Change (The Atlantic monthly)

Laudato Si': a landmark in church teaching that will shape a new future (Catholic Voices)

Pope Francis, in Sweeping Encyclical, Calls for Swift Action on Climate Change (The New York Times)

Pope Francis blames 'human selfishness' for global warming (BBC News)

Pope Francis Aligns Himself With Mainstream Science and Climate (The New York Times)

Pope Francis and the Environment: Yale Examines Historic Climate Encyclical (Yale University)

Fatal Errors of Capitalism: Laudato Si' & the Economy (Patheos.com)

Previewing Laudato Si': Anthony Annett on Integral Ecology (Patheos.com)

Meet the Muslim Mystic Pope Francis Cited in His Encyclical (TIME)

Expert calls the science behind the papal encyclical 'watertight' (Crux Now)

Pope aligns himself with mainstream science on Climate (The New York Times)

The World weighs in on "Laudato si'' (National Catholic Reporter)

The global echo of Pope Francis' encyclical (The Vatican Insider)

The Internets Just Exploded with Pope Francis' Climate Change Encyclical (GIZMODO)

Pope Francis' Quotes on the Environment (Since his election as the Pope)

 

News and Critical Comments on the Encyclical:

 

Draft of Pope Francis' Laudato Si' Encyclical Leaked Today (Patheos.com)

Draft of Environmental Encyclical Leaked! 12 Things to Know and Share (JimmyAkin.com)

Leak of Pope Francis' encyclical hints at Vatican tensions (Globe and Mail)

Pope Francis's Incoherent Economics (The Federalist) 

Laudato Si': Well Intended, Economically Flawed (The American Spectator)

Pope Blames Markets for Environment's Ills (The Wall Street Journal)

Pope Francis wants to roll back progress. Is the world ready? (The Washington Post)

Encyclical Understands Man, but not Economics and Politics (Acton Institute)

Pope's encyclical on climate change reads like the Unabomber Manifesto (National Post)

The Pope's eco-mmunist manifesto (Financial Post)

Conservative Media vs. The Pope: The Worst Reactions to Pope Francis' Climate Change Encyclical (Media Matters)

The Pope's Encyclical, at Heart, Is About Us, Not Trees and Snail Darters (National Review)

Laudato No: Praise Not Pope Francis's Crude Economics (National Review)

The Encyclical's Challenge Is to Climate-Change Activists, Not Skeptics (National Review)

Pope Francis's Vow of Poverty -- for All (National Review)

Laudato Si' and the NGOification of the Institutional Church (National Review)

The Return of Catholic Anti-Modernism (First Things)

What Pope Francis should do to really help the poor: Bjorn Lomborg (USA Today)

The Pope and Climate Change: Francis is slapping his conservative critics in the face (The Spectator)

Pope Francis and Economics (Acton Institute)

Pope Francis and the Environment (Acton Institute responses to 'Laudato si'') 

Pope Francis Goes Horribly Wrong with His Economics (The Forbes)

Why I'm Disregarding Laudat Si and You Should Too (The Remnant)

 

(Updated on July 5, 2015)

The Quotation of the Week (June 21 - 27, 2015)

A quotation of Napoleon Bonaparte on 'religion,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Artwork © Ujjal Peter D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (June 14 - 20, 2015)

A quotation of Helen Keller on 'education,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

 Photo (A pruning cut of a Norwegian maple tree branch in Toronto: May 9, 2015) © Jerome D'Costa