Laudato Si’ at 10: Nigerian Catholic Archbishop Urges Environmental Discipline, Care for the Poor

Abuja, 06 December, 2025 / 12:20 AM

Ten years after the release of the Encyclical Letter of the late Pope Francis on care for our common home, Laudato Si’, the Local Ordinary of Abuja Archdiocese has urged Nigerians to revive a culture of environmental discipline, caring for the earth, ecological spirituality that respects the environment, protects the poor, and restores harmony between humanity and nature.

In an interview with ACI Africa on the sidelines of a special Laudato Si’ Mass that was held at the La verna Healing and Reconciliation Garden which the Franciscan Missionaries of  Divine Motherhood  (FMDM) organized, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama called on Nigerians to prioritize care for the environment,  insisting that care for the earth must begin with personal responsibility and childhood training.  

Archbishop Kaigama told ACI Africa on the sidelines of the Thursday, December 4 event, that care for the environment “starts with everyone, even children”, adding, “We teach them how to eat bread and not take the plastic cover and throw it anyhow.”

He emphasized that homes must become the first schools of environmental discipline, saying, “We have to start teaching the children from the home. Everyone is involved. It’s not just one group of people. Together we can transform our community, our society, our state, our federal capital territory and our country.”

Archbishop Kaigama appealed to the government to revive the culture of public sanitation in a non-coercive way. 

“Whether you are big or small, take your broom, take your cutlass, take whatever and clean your environment. This is very necessary,” he said.

A major focus of Laudato Si’, he emphasized, is the care of the poor. 

“The way we treat the environment to a large extent reflects how we treat ourselves, the poor among us are the weakest link. They require every support and encouragement to live a decent life,” Archbishop Kaigama said.

The Catholic Church leader commended the Franciscan Sisters for hosting the Mass at the La verna Healing and Reconciliation Garden, describing the space as ideal for ecological reflection. 

“You can see the environment is just different. We need this quiet environment to heal and to grow,” he said.

Archbishop Kaigama said the setting aligns perfectly with the spirituality of Laudato Si’, which calls for an ecological conversion, “a turning of our lives around where we know we have not done well.”

Also speaking to ACI Africa during the December 4 event, Sr. Beatrice Pius Sarmeje underscored the significance of the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’ for the Franciscan family. 

She described the encyclical as a profound reminder of the legacy of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology and model of harmony with creation.

“The significance of Laudato Si’ for us as Franciscan Sisters is that it reminds us of the legacy our seraphic father left behind. A child who does not respect his mother does not respect himself. For us to disrespect our mother, which is the Earth, we are bringing troubles to ourselves,” the FMDM member said.

Sr. Beatrice described Laudato Si’ spirituality as “part and parcel of our life, like a DNA to us.”

She emphasized that the message challenges Franciscans to live their ecological commitment not in words alone but through visible action and shared wisdom.