Laudato Si’ Movement joins the global Church in joyful prayer and deep reflection following the election of Pope Leo XIV.

Pope Leo XIV’s call to honour the peace that comes from God and to build bridges of love and encounter touches our hearts. His praying the Hail Mary from the balcony of St. Peter’s Square is a sign of his unity with all humanity and creation.

In his time as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, Pope Leo XIV said that when it comes to the ecological crisis, it’s time to move “from words to action.”

Pope Leo XIV’s call for action and harmony among all creation comes in a long line of papal teachings on the environment. As early as 1972, Pope Paul VI began speaking about the environmental emergency, and both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis devoted considerable teaching to it. For decades, bishops, women and men religious, and theologians have spoken about the urgent need to interpret our faith in light of the signs of the planetary crisis.

Lorna Gold, Executive Director of Laudato Si’ Movement, said, “This is a kairos moment—a time of unity and bold action. Pope XIV is the pope needed at this moment–a man who stands for unity, peace, and action for our planet. A man who will no doubt continue in the tradition of Leo XIII who broke the mold and ushered in a new era with the first Catholic social teaching, Rerum Novarum.”

Gold continued, “As a man who has served communities in Peru and called for action on climate justice, we look forward to his leadership at this critical time. Together with the grassroots leaders, bishops, women and men religious, and priests that we collaborate with daily, we’ll continue walking the path towards climate and ecological justice.”

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