CURRENT CONCERN “We are face to face with a revolutionary challenge…” Under the cover of sensational political scandals, loud and volatile controversies, and plenty of fearmongering on the news front, some very disturbing things have been going on as Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and the far right of the GOP have been remaking government with little national media scrutiny. From tax bills that overwhelmingly favor the accumulation of wealth by the already-wealthy, the hundreds of appointments of right-wing judges to the federal bench, shrinking of government agencies to the point of dysfunction, rolling back many of the gains made since the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency – often by presidential fiat alone – the distractions have begun to seem purposeful. Some of us have feared this for a while now [see, for example: What if the Chaos is Strategic?, from The Atlantic]. It answers the question of why GOP leaders, especially those in the Senate, stick by a man so clearly engaged in a lifetime of criminal and corrupt behavior, a culture he has brought to the White House, and whose ethical standards fail any number of moral tests. As the media follows his every step, misstep, or moments of outrageous behavior, what they are NOT reporting or focusing on much is the unraveling of our democracy behind the scenes, or the open door for corporate lobbyists to walk into McConnell’s office or the Oval Office itself and ask for what they want. Read Margaret Swedish's full article here. | INFORMATIONWe Are Still In Archdiocesan Creation Care Collaboration On November 21,2016 representatives from parishes, the Archdiocese, Marquette University, Marquette HS/Laudato Si' Project, City of Milwaukee, and Catholics for Peace and Justice/Waukesha County Green Team met to begin discussing how we can bring the content of Laudato Si’ more fully alive and prominent in our parishes and our community. Lots of good information was shared and connections made. The next meeting is Jan 13 at 12 noon. Contact Rob Shelledy at the Archdiocese to get on the information/invitation list. If you are interested in building a Creation Care ministry in your parish, connect with this group. What is COP21? More than two decades ago, members of the United Nations met in Rio de Janeiro for the “Earth Summit.” At this extraordinary gathering, attendees agreed on some basics about climate change and how to tackle its human causes. This agreement is called the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or “UNFCCC.” In it, 196 nations agreed to meet every year to fashion a treaty on how to keep the planet from warming to dangerous levels, and how in the meantime to help affected people. These nations are “parties” to the UNFCCC agreement. Together we call this gathering of 196 nations the Conference of Parties, or COP for short. The COP has been meeting every year since 1994. This November 30, they will convene for the 21st time. And that’s where we get the term COP21 Why is COP21 Important? | PARISH RESOURCESJoin the Force for Creation - Become a Laudato Si’ “Animator”. Animators promote the Laudato Si message to help turn it into action in their local communities, whether that be a parish, school, religious congregation, lay group, youth organization, retreat center, Boy Scout troop, or more. Learn More HereVatican Video on Celebrating the Anniversary of Laudato Si’ |
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