Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans Walk to Church on Car-Free Sunday to Commemorate Laudato Si’ and the Eco-Sabbath

In order to celebrate Laudato Si’, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada, organized a Car-Free Sunday event where parishioners of various faiths were urged to walk to church on Sundays. In honor of Pope Francis’ call to protect the environment, Sunday, the Eco-Sabbath, has been dedicated to being car-free during Laudato Si’ week. It should come as no surprise that the goal of Car-Free Sundays is to fulfill the Pope’s call to change our lifestyles and habits by designating this day—Sunday—as the day to heal relationships with God and nature.

On May 25, 2023, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church reported the following about Car-Free Sunday and Laudato Si’:

• “On May 20 and 21 we held a Car-Free Sunday, with parishioners who normally drive to church encouraged to leave their cars at home and travel to Sunday Mass by other means such as walking, cycling, or public transit.” [1]

• Education about climate statistics from the Government of Canada and quotes from Pope Francis writing in Laudato Si’ were provided on a display board and in the bulletin prior to the event.” [1]

• “The event was organized by St. Joseph’s Laudato Si’ Circle, which includes parishioners from St. Joseph’s as well as other churches in the area, including Anglican and Lutheran churches. We also had the help of the Catholic Women’s League and the Knights of Columbus, who both have caring for the environment in their vision statements.” [1]

• “The event will hopefully make parishioners aware that how they travel impacts climate change. They are being asked to make a small sacrifice for the greater good of the world … Perhaps this will form new habits in travel and encourage trying out new ways.” [1]

• “As Pope Francis said in Laudato Si’, ‘Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience’.” [1]

Sunday is being promoted in a way that is appealing to all people, regardless of their political, cultural, or religious affiliation. Thanks to Laudato Si’, Sunday rest is making significant inroads worldwide. More and more people are either adopting or supporting the popular Car-Free Sunday movement without carefully considering the implications. Society is conforming to the climate agenda, not knowing that these subtle attempts to restrict Sunday activities will lead to more permanent and stringent Sunday laws and regulations.

Rome is leading this effort, becasue at the heart of the Laudto Si’ document is Pope Francis’ call to set aside Sunday as the day of universal rest:

“On Sunday, our participation in the Eucharist has special importance. Sunday, like the Jewish Sabbath, is meant to be a day which heals our relationships with God, with ourselves, with others and with the world. Sunday is the day of the Resurrection, the ‘first day’ of the new creation, whose first fruits are the Lord’s risen humanity, the pledge of the final transfiguration of all created reality. It also proclaims ‘man’s eternal rest in God’. In this way, Christian spirituality incorporates the value of relaxation and festivity. We tend to demean contemplative rest as something unproductive and unnecessary, but this is to do away with the very thing which is most important about work: its meaning. … Rest opens our eyes to the larger picture and gives us renewed sensitivity to the rights of others. And so the day of rest, centered on the Eucharist, sheds it light on the whole week, and motivates us to greater concern for nature and the poor.” (Laudato Si’, 237).

Pope Francis has issued a call for everyone to dedicate Sunday as a special day of rest for the environment in Laudato Si’. And yes, Rome’s appeal seeks to bring all people together—not just Catholics. As a result, Laudato Si’ has evolved into a universal call to action, inspiring people all over the world to work together to address the climate crisis in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Pope in his climate document.

Our real mission is to preach the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ (Revelation 14:6) in the context of the Three Angels’ Message. This is our work. This is the good news of salvation. This work involves proclaiming these teachings while encouraging people to embrace a relationship with God through faith in Christ. May God help us to adhere to this faith and to keep His seventh-day Sabbath, as taught in His word. And when this true faith is understood, affirmed, and analyzed, you will have no choice but to confront and firmly resist the Sunday rest apostasy of the climate change hysteria.

“There are many, even of those engaged in this movement for Sunday enforcement, who are blinded to the results which will follow this action. They do not see that they are striking directly against religious liberty” (Testimonies, Vol. 5. p. 711).

“There is a satanic force propelling the Sunday movement, but it is concealed. Even the men who are engaged in the work, are themselves blinded to the results which will follow their movement.” (Review and Herald, January 1, 1889).

“As the movement for Sunday enforcement gains favor, he (papacy) rejoices, feeling assured that it will eventually bring the whole Protestant world under the banner of Rome” (Great Controversy, p. 448).

Sources

[1] https://bccatholic.ca/voices/letters-to-the-editor/letters-walking-to-church-on-car-free-sunday