Care for creation

Inspired by the concept of the Little Free Library initiative that promotes free public book exchanges, I've put together a plan for a little free newsstand in front of my home called "Mother Nature News."

Commentary: Since the 1970s, sisters have been influenced by bishops' statements, scientific publications and theological works about the environment. Today, sisters worldwide prioritize care for creation as integral to their work.

Easter not only holds God's promise of new life, it also reminds us of how closely our lives intertwine with all of creation on this planet that Pope Francis calls "our common home." Here are four ideas for how to incorporate creation care into your Easter celebrations this year.

"It is necessary, then, to change approach and admit the urgency of building a 'we' that lives in the common home" of creation, said the interim president of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in a talk at the Pontifical Urbanian University in Rome March 30.

After an oil spill fouled nearly 100 miles of shoreline north of Lima, Bishop Luis Barrera Pacheco of Callao, the seaport where the accident occurred, called for officials to repair the damage and care for "our common home."

Commentary: Perhaps the pope should ask himself whether he's ready to take on the responsibility of a puppy or a kitten — especially since he's ruled out taking on responsibility for a partner or children.

Many in the "trashing" community are motivated by the sense that valuable things are ending up in residential and commercial garbage where they don't belong — and, for the sake of the planet, that ought to change.

Two congregations of Franciscan sisters — one in Iowa, the other in Minnesota — both preserved acres of their respective lands by establishing conservation easements. While motivations and the end result were the same, the congregations chose different paths.