The magazine “LandsCare” promoted by the Ecclesiastical University of San Dámaso was born in response to the call of Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si´ to “protect our common house (LS13)”
From “LandsCare” we want to help you look back at nature with passion and love, in a simple way, as with the eyes of a child [1] who sees in the creation a Mystery in her that attracts her and loves her as we Pope Francis teaches. We believe that with this view it will be easy for each of us to respond to Pope Francis’ invitation to promote an “ecological culture that cannot be reduced to a series of urgent and partial responses to the problems that appear around the degradation of the environment … (if not a) a different look, a thought, a policy, an educational program, a lifestyle and a spirituality that form a resistance to the advance of the technocratic paradigm ”(LS111).
The review “LandsCare” aims to be a tool at the service of the Catholic Church, which is a communion of love, so that in line with the recent encyclical of Pope Francisco Laudato Si, the Church, can have an additional instrument to “convert” in a powerful care agent for our surroundings. In this sense, it is important to remember that the Catholic Church is the largest community in the world. That is why we want to reach all the Christians of the pose, to encourage them to an ecological conversion; But not only to them. As Pope Francis stated in his enthronement Mass there in 2013: “The vocation to guard not only concerns us Christians, but also has a dimension that precedes and is simply human, corresponds to all.” “LandsCare” aims to be a help for Christians and non-Christians, as Pope Francis says, to “perceive that every creature singing the hymn of its existence is to live joyfully in God’s love and hope” (LS85) and from there take active party for the conservation and care of our Common House.
In this bridge that pretends to be LandsCare magazine we want to encourage to contemplate, share, act and enjoy or what is the same, give thanks. Contemplate like “the Lord could invite others to be attentive to the beauty in the world because he himself was in permanent contact with nature and paid attention full of love and amazement (LS97). Share “best practices, to stimulate creativity seeking new paths, to facilitate personal and collective initiatives (LS177) Act encouraging everyone to“ collaborate as God’s instruments for the care of creation, each one from their culture, their experience, its initiatives and its capabilities (LS14) ”. And finally show how those who know how to enjoy “more and live better every moment are those who stop pecking here and there, always looking for what they do not have, and experience what it is to value each person and everything, learn to make contact and know enjoy the simplest ”(LS 223).
Frequency and format of the magazine
“LandsCare” is a small dissemination magazine, it does not exceed 16 pages to make it a light magazine, for a simple and very wide audience, cheap to print and very visual. The magazine is designed to make known the proposals that arise in the environment of the universal Church as well as among many others about the custody of our common house. It is addressed to a general public both Christian and participant of nature conservation groups and environmentalists. Humbly intends to try to draw a bridge between those who live in love with “Mother Earth” and those who live in love with their “Father Creator.” Because the beauty of nature and of God is one.
The magazine “LandCare” exists in two versions: paper and web. The magazine is owned by SAN Dámaso although it is published in Spain from the Laudato Si Foundation, which acts as technical secretariat
The magazine is designed to:
1.- Disseminate among the Christian public not well versed in ecology or theology the concern of the church for the care of the common house, to facilitate the presence of the Pope’s message in the churches and local environments. It is a magazine for the common Christian, oblivious to the environmental issue to which he is introduced from various perspectives (theological, news, current affairs, …) in a friendly and very visual way that you can find in your usual parish or which one can subscribe
2.- To serve as a communication bridge between the church and those who are already dedicated to the care of the common house
Both types of audiences are invited to experience that “the vocation to be protectors of God’s work is an essential part of a virtuous existence, it does not consist of something optional or a secondary aspect of the Christian experience (LS 217)”
Objective of the “LandsCare” Magazine
The magazine raises a triple objective.
1.- On the one hand, it intends to convey the contents of the Laudato Si through writings, interviews, cases, examples, testimonies, stories and concrete suggestions to make them part of the daily life of the Christian life.
2.- Show the beauty of the Custody of creation as a vocation of contemplation towards the Creator to those who already live an environmental commitment to suggest that “the ecological crisis is a call to a deep inner conversion (LS217)”
3.- To publicize the novelties of the universal Church in the conservation of the common house, to convey in these issues the voice of the Pope and to inform about the initiatives in which the universal and local Church participates as well as current environmental issues in general.
Magazine Sections
The magazine contains the following sections:
a.- Opinion: In general the members of the Editorial Board or other guests have a space to comment from their fields (theology on all) aspects of the encyclical Laudato yes or related. This section will be common.
b.- News (B1 and b2 are common, b3 specific to each edition by country).
b1: Global science news: synthesis of the most relevant or interesting questions that “the scientific community has developed, in that sense, increasingly precise evaluations [2]”, and that should be made known in a simple way to help become aware of the global environmental problem
B2: Global Church News: Both the Church in the field of its commitments and environmental actions as a synthesis of the most relevant or interesting issues that have passed since the last edition of the magazine in relation to the environment.
B3: Local News of the Environment and / or Church: Both of the Church in the scope of its commitments and environmental actions as a synthesis of the most relevant or interesting issues that have passed since the last edition of the magazine in relation to the environment at local, regional or national level depending on the print edition.
c.- Responsible consumption: This section aims to give guidelines and ways “to move from consumption to sacrifice, from greediness to generosity, from waste to the ability to share, in an asceticism that“ means learning to give, and not simply giving up . It is a way of loving, of gradually moving from what I want to what the world of God needs (LS9) ”, to help the reader“ make changes in lifestyles, production and consumption (LS23) ” Common section.
d.- Mother Church: relevant news and reports in the internal sphere of the Church in the care of the common house, concrete initiatives, news among others from the Dicastery for the Integral Human Development Service [3] of the Vatican). Common Content.
e.- Discover: Excursions, interesting places and recommended departures are proposed to visit and contemplate the Creation. Specific content of each edition.
f.- Planet in danger: Reports on species and / or places in danger of great value. It aims to give visibility as Pope Francis affirms “the thousands of animal and plant species that disappear every year, that we will no longer be able to know, that our children will no longer be able to see, lost forever. The vast majority are extinguished for reasons that have to do with some human action. For our cause, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God with their existence nor will they be able to communicate their own message ”(LS33). Specific content
g-. Interview / custodians: This section interviews a character committed to the custody of creation in which he explains what he does and testifies why and how he does it. Common or specific content of each edition.
h.- LandsArt (art and nature): Art is essential to conserve nature and to begin to establish a relationship with it, and thus be able to contemplate the Mystery. It is necessary to educate in a sensitivity for beauty, and this is acquired when nature is contemplated carefully. When you understand the experience and work of artists who invite us “to marvel at the mystery of creation, faith broadens the horizons of reason to better illuminate the world that is presented to the studies of science” (Lumen fidei) . Common.
i.- Humor: It is one of the attractions of the magazine. When it is aimed at a general audience, it is very possible that many begin with the section and humor. Both this section and the cover that always tries to be very colorful and spectacular showing great photos of animals or landscapes, it is intended to create a tractive that invites to continue reading the whole Common or specific magazine.
j.- Editorial and letters to the magazine: Letter from the director or some guest on the object of the number that is edited. Readers will be invited to send small letters to create a wider sense of community around the magazine. Common.
[1] As Rachel Carson explains (“The sense of wonder”), “the world of children is fresh and new and precious, full of wonder and emotion. It is a pity that for most of us that clear look, which is a true instinct for what is beautiful and that inspires admiration is weakened and even lost before we become adults. ”
[2] Audience to participants in the International Conference “Saving our Common Home and the Future of Life on Earth” on the third anniversary of the encyclical “Laudato si”, 06.07.2018
[3] This Dicastery assumes the request of the Holy See for all that concerns justice and peace, including issues that concern migration, health, charitable work and the care of creation.