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“The Oceania Province of the Christian Brothers have aligned themselves with the Laudato Si Goals that originate from Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical. Laudato Si' (Praise Be to You!) is the second encyclical of Pope Francis. The encyclical has the subtitle "on care for our common home". In it, the pope critiques consumerism and irresponsible development, laments environmental degradation and global warming, and calls all people of the world to take swift and unified global action."

In 2023 the Oceania Province produced “Our Journey towards Graceful Transformation - A shared Vision”, and one of the Seven stated Imperatives was “Making a considered response to the crucial call of our Chapters and of Laudato Si’ to Care for the Earth.” Several guiding principles were included under this imperative and the Oceania Province looks to address these guiding principles as targets across many of the Laudato Si Goals.

The Province has an ambitious plan by 2028 goal to become Carbon Neutral (based on the 2027 financial year) and the implementation of many of the targets in this plan will assist with achieving this goal. The results achieved to date against each goal are as at December 2023.

The Christian Brothers in their Congregation Chapters over the past twenty years have made a firm commitment to Care of Earth.  The most recent Chapter in Dublin stated :

The Chapter calls us all to a deeper love for Mother Earth, leading to a fundamental conversion of heart, and expressed in our daily life choices.  P 13

The exploration of the Universe Story has brought about a paradigm shift in our understanding of an expansive spirituality that informs us of all things being interconnected. Falling in love with Mother Earth is at the heart of a transformative shift in mindset and leads to a far greater understanding of the place of the human within the cosmic web of life. This brings with it an urgent responsibility to all members of our Edmund Rice movement across our Province community to engage with the Laudato Si’ platform to bring about the change we want to see. Oceania Province is committed to being carbon neutral by 2028. By doing so we become participants in being ecologically committed to living lives that align with the values and principles enunciated in Laudato Si’. This is a direct response to the call by Pope Francis :

The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development for we know things can change  § 13

Human ecology is inseparable from the notion of the common good, a central and unifying principle of social ethics…It has also to do with the overall welfare of society and the development of a variety of intermediate groups, applying the principle of subsidiarity. §156-7

As we embark on this great work of committing ourselves to care for Earth, our common home, may we enthuse others across our networks to find ways and means of living that will enable the children and grandchildren of future generations to enjoy living on this vulnerable planet.

Br Gerard Brady, Oceania Province Leader