In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis emphasised the importance of a united, global response to the current ecological crisis. Yet dialogue and learning on integral 
ecology is often hindered by limited access to the academic publications on the subject, which are not affordable for many individuals and institutions in lower-income countries.
The Laudato Si’ Integral Ecology collection, of the Laudato Si’ Research Institute at the University of Oxford, seeks to address this problem by making open access a selection of key texts on integral ecology. The collection will provide a valuable resource for lay readers, students, and those undertaking more advanced academic study. Publications in the collection could also be read as part of a reading group, or an online course.
Access the Collection here
More than 150 countries participate in this international day, which features a different environmental focus each year – air pollution, biodiversity loss, food security, illegal wildlife trade. This year’s theme focuses on plastic pollution. More than 400 million tons of plastic is produced every year, with approximately 20 million tons ending up in lakes, rivers and oceans.
A new cosmological narrative with “Cosmos meaning all creation, the entire universe, every dimension of time and space (spiritual and material)” is one of “a global heartbeat” in “kinship as a planetary community”. In uniqueness, we are “aligned” /”in harmony”/ “in wonder”/”delight”/”bending low…play-ful” as “one with the heartbeat of God”.
Earth Day, celebrated annually on April 22, seeks to highlight and promote efforts dedicated to protecting our planet and its natural resources. The theme for this year’s Earth Day, Invest in our Planet focuses on engaging governments, institutions, businesses and citizens in the work of restoring the health of our planet. We are all too aware of today’s many environmental crises that negatively affect our planet and pose a serious risk to our health and our future – global warming, deforestation, widespread pollution, loss of biodiversity, endangered wildlife, shortages of clean water, etc.
At the UN, Mercy Global Action is promoting a Mercy Water Campaign to strengthen a more unified voice in the Mercy World, in solidarity with our partners and water defenders in the water justice movement, to protect and promote the human right to water, and the rights-based implementation of SDG6 (clean water and sanitation).
This year’s World Water Day is about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis that many parts of the world are experiencing. 
Our congregation has signed on to the Water Justice Manifesto organised by