Vatican premieres new film on urgent need to address climate change

The Vatican has marked the Feast of St Francis of Assisi with the global premiere of a new documentary on the urgent need to address climate change, on the same day two UN climate change accords entered into force for the Holy See, reports Catholic News Agency.

The two events, held earlier this month in Rome, helped mark the feast of the patron saint of animals and ecology, and the namesake of Pope Francis.

Pope Francis and global activists are pictured in a banner for the new YouTube Originals film on the Pope's encyclical, "Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home." IMAGE: Vatican Media.

The Vatican became a formal party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in July and declared it intended also to formally join the 2015 Paris Agreement.

“Both documents will enter into force for the Holy See, in the name and on behalf of the Vatican City State, on 4 October 2022, the Solemnity of St. Francis,” said a joint statement by the pontifical academies of Sciences and Social Sciences and the Vatican Secretariat of State’s section for relations with states.

The same day saw the world premiere at the Vatican of The Letter: A Message For Our Earth, based on Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter, "Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.”

Presented by YouTube Originals, the film was written and directed by Emmy-winner Nicolas Brown and produced by the Oscar-winning production company Off the Fence. It was made in partnership with the Laudato Si’ Movement, the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Dicastery for Communication.

The film features activists representing wildlife, Indigenous peoples, young people and the poor — the voices of those who are least listened to but are the most impacted by the consequences of climate change, Brown said. The film includes their meeting with Pope Francis last year to talk about their national and personal challenges and what needs to be done.

The film is streaming for free at theletterfilm.org and YouTube Originals. People were encouraged to host viewings on a large screen at their parish, school or local community in order to encourage dialogue and action.

This article by Carol Glatz is an abridged version of an article published by Catholic News Agency.