During the recent Season of Creation, the Colombia chapter of the Global Catholic Climate Movement had an idea: How can we more broadly share the life-changing message of Laudato Si’, one of integral ecology, caring for our common home, and uniting with our sisters and brothers across the world to work against the climate crisis?
Led by coordinator Lina Sedano Rodríguez, the Colombia chapter realized the best way was to make the encyclical more accessible. Share the encyclical by reading it aloud to thousands of people.
“By reading it, we could make it more attractive to those who did not know about it,” she said.
Coordinating the project was an exercise in logistics, as a seven-member team in Colombia, led by Lina, worked with 50 Laudato Si’ Animators in 10 countries — México, Honduras, Panama, Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Uruguay, the U.S. (Puerto Rico), El Salvador, Guatemala, and Colombia — to record Laudato Si’ in Spanish.
The result is a five-hour and 54-minute audiobook to listen to and take with you at all times.
Driving in the car? Listen to Laudato Si’. Going for a walk? Let Pope Francis’ encyclical enlighten you with Spirit-filled inspiration. Already read the encyclical? We all know it takes multiple readings and/or listenings for a book’s messages to fully set in and change your life.
Listen now
“The people who have already listened [to the project] liked the reading very much, since it was a different way of approaching the encyclical, and it was very nice to hear it in the different accents of the Animators,” Lina said about the project that was initially broadcast live on Facebook.
“Several people listened to it from the beginning of the recording at 8:00 a.m. Colombian time, until the closing at 7:00 pm, approximately.”
She and the other 56 people who made the audiobook possible also feel changed by the experience.
“For the Animators who participated, it was a very valuable experience, since it allowed them to enter in contact with other people from Latin America and to join in this great challenge of reading the encyclical live,” Lina said.
“For the coordinating team and the chapter, it was very satisfying to have the support of the Animators in our first large-scale event. We thank all those who participated and those who were with us during the almost 11 hours of transmission. In the end all the glory to God, who made it possible.”
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