Laudato Si’ School Peru

Contact
information

Office/person in charge:
Alvaro Salazar Torres, Executive Secretary

Address:
Episcopal Commission for the Laity and Youth Peruvian Bishops’ Conference Jr. Estados Unidos 838, Jesús María 15072 Lima, Perú

Email address:
mailto:celaicosyjuventud@iglesiacatolica.org.pe

Website/social media:

Laudato Si’ School in Peru is an educational initiative inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ (published in 2015). The Laudato Si School seeks to join Church voices to address the environmental issues and concerns that put our world at risk. The school is open to all Catholics in Peru, and at present more than fifty people, including Cardinal Pedro Barrero, S.I., President of REPAM, from various dioceses participate.

The school runs one session and one forum each month (on Wednesdays from 7.30pm to 9pm): At these meetings, students listen to various experts and leaders, including: Msgr. Alfredo Vizcarra, S.J. –Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Jaén and President of the Amazonic Center of Anthropology and Practical Application (Centro Amazónico de Antropología y Aplicación Práctica – CAAAP); Msgr. Humberto Ortiz – Assistant to the Presidency of the Peruan Bishops’ Conference – CEP and ex Executive Secretary of CEAS (Centro de Recursos para el Emprendimiento y el Aprendizaje); Enginneer Gladys Castillo – Coordinator of the Peruan Caritas Environment Program; Msgr. Mauricio López – ex Executive Secretary of the Ecclesial Panamazonic Net – REPAM; Dr. Sr. Birgit Weiler – Professor at PUCP and Guest Expert at the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region; Msgr. Ramiro Escobar – Professor at the Science and Arts Communication Faculty of PUCP and at the Peruan School for Diplomats; Representatives from the Peruan Ministry of the Environment.

What is it?

What is this initiative about?

The goal of Laudato Si’ School is for participants to two-fold: first, to learn about ecology and, equally, to reflect and respond to the message of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’. All topics for these reflections pair Pope Francis’ words with our learning on ecological process so that we can seek and achieve the “best practices” for nurturing our natural world.

How does it help?

In what way does this initiative enhance the formation of the laity?

The Laudato Si’ School aims to guide the formation of lay women and men through multi-disciplinary learning. Through this learning, these “students” will then take on the responsibility to form other lay people and will be active contributors to Pope Francis’ call for a paradigm change for an “integral ecology.”

Why is it important?

Why is this initiative important for the training and advancement of the laity in your country?

This project is important everywhere, and especially in Peru because Peru is an Andean-Amazon and biologically diverse country. Over the last 30 years, Peru’s natural environment has suffered much – because of mining exploitation, despoiled river basins, among other causes. For this reason, it is of vital importance that lay women and men head the call to care for and transform our society.

How did it start

How was this initiative developed?

Laudato Si’ School developed as a virutal learning space for those looking to respond to Pope Francis’ message by take earnest action in their communities in Peru. There are 7 sessions total. Theme-related material is sent ahead of each of these sessions for participants to read. They then discuss and reflect on this material with each other, and under the guidance of a tutor, and listen to the selected speaker during a virtual class.

 

SESSION THEME PROFESSOR DATE IN WHICH MATERIAL WILL BE SENT: CLASSES FORUM TUTOR
1 Human Beings and Creation Msgr. Alfredo Vizcarra, S.J. 10 June 2020 17 June 2020 24 June 2020 Alvaro Salazar
2 Socio ecological Crisis – development and creation Msgr. Humberto Ortiz 8 July 2020 15 July 2020 22 July 2020 Carlos Alberto Rojas
3 Socio ecological Crisis –  the overflowing consumerism Engineer Gladys Castillo 12 August 2020 19 August 2020 26 August 2020 Rocio Valdeavellano
4 Integral Ecology – paradigm change Msgr. Mauricio Lopez 9 September 2020 16 September 2020 23 September 2020 Alvaro Salazar
5 Integral Ecology – ecological conversion Dr. Sr. Birgit Weiler 21 October 2020 28 October 2020 4 November 2020 Alicio Dominguez
6 Common Home project – Responsabilidad Global Msgr. Ramiro Escobar 11 November 2020 17 November 2020 25 November 2020 Rocio Valdeavellano
7 Common Home project

– Public

Politics

 Ministry of the Environment 2 December 2020 9 December 2020 16 December 2020 Alicio Dominguez
8 Common Home project – Personal and Common Responsability Ministry of the Environment 6 January 2021 13 January 2021 20 January 2021 Carlos Alberto Rojas

Benefits

Does it benefit the laity on a national or local level?

The benefits of the project are seen both nationally and locally. The reflections promoted by this course help to indetify what the ‘best practices’ are and how to apply these with success to daily life.

Means and funding

Who funds the initiative? What is needed to launch this initiative?

The project is financed by the Episcopal Commission for the Laity and Youth and by the participants. A promotional campaign through the social media will be likely be taken up so that we can further disseminate and draw interest in our initiative.

Learn more

Where can people learn more about this initiative?

To learn more about the Laudato Si’ School in Peru, please visit our social media networks or register for the second edition of our course.

Countries involved

Does this initiative exist in other countries?

How to start?

How can this initiative be implemented in other countries?

Laudato Si’ School in Peru may be taken as a model and source of inspiration for similar initiatives in other countries. When adopting this initiative in another country, it is necessary to make adjustments to the course and course curricula to best serve the needs of the country in which it is to be established.