(RNS) — Pope Leo XIV inaugurated the Borgo Laudato Si’, a 135-acre space near the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo that Pope Francis dedicated to enacting principles described in his 2015 encyclical focused on the environment, “Laudato Si’” (Blessed Be).
In a homily on Friday (Sept. 5), Leo called the project “a seed of hope that Pope Francis has left us as a legacy,” which “will endure by remaining faithful to its mandate: to be a tangible model of thought, structure and action, capable of fostering ecological conversion through education and catechesis.”
The Borgo Laudato Si’ will offer educational programs for students and professionals who want to learn more about the Catholic theology of care for the environment, events and seminars with CEOs of major corporations. An aim is to produce zero waste as part of the land’s focus on sustainability.
“In a time marked by environmental crises, conflicts and inequality, the Borgo means to prove, in a small way, that it’s possible to create a different future based on the care for creation and of all the human family, …