When the massacre at Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., took place, I was in the United States. I heard the news from another priest who, clearly devastated by the bloodshed in the house of God, added quickly thereafter a comment about the debate over gun control. I was struck at how even such a great wickedness was seen so quickly through the prism of politics. And indeed, in the days after the massacre, the talk shifted to political debates over gun laws and the confederate flag. The pastor of Mother Emmanuel, Clementa Pickney, murdered in his own church while leading a Bible study, was also a member of the South Carolina state senate, a pastor holding political office.

VATICAN CITY - In word and deed, Pope Francis will take his vision of a Catholic's approach to family life, parish life, charity, economics, immigration and good governance to Cuba and the United States during a Sept. 19-27 visit.

ROME - Religious leaders from across the globe led a “Many Faiths — One Planet” march to the Vatican June 28, to show their support of Pope Francis’ groundbreaking environmental encyclical.

Generations ago we lived by the words “waste not, want not.” Our grandparents were frugal people. Not us. We are throw-away people.

We often see the world in black and white — good versus evil, people versus nature, science versus religion. But in Laudato Si’: On Care For Our Common Home, Pope Francis demonstrates the inseparable bonds that exist between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to the common good and peace.

TORONTO - Almost 10 years ago, St. Gabriel’s Church was built for Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment. Toronto’s only LEED certified church, St. Gabriel’s is recognized for more than its energy-efficient design. The Passionist parish is an architectural statement about the connection between God and creation.

Pope Francis has given the world a choice between “debris, desolation and filth” or “a serene harmony with creation.” The path we take, both individually and on a global scale, depends upon a clear-eyed view of reality and the deep connection we experience as God’s creatures with one another, with our world and with God.

Following the release of the papal encyclical Laudato Si’, The Register asked members of its Youth Speak News team to read the document and offer us their thoughts. This is what they told us.

In a society where youth feel their opinions are written off, we were empowered to read what Pope Francis had to say about us in his latest encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home.

There are as many opinions on Pope Francis’ encyclical as there are people. Here are a few — both pro and con — from political leaders and media personalities around the world.

St. John’s, Nfld. - To understand Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment and to act on it we need everybody all together, Archbishop Martin Currie told a prayer service held to introduce Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home at St. Teresa’s Church June 18.

OTTAWA - In Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home, some informed readers see Pope Francis seeking a dialogue with the whole world while giving new insight into the relationship of human beings to creation.

Laudato Si’ arrived on the first day of Ramadan and it was the first papal document in history to cite a Muslim scholar and mystic as an authority — to the delight of Toronto Muslim leaders.

Former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson once famously quipped, “A week is a long time in politics.” It is a truism that Pope Francis and the Vatican might well be discovering about the widespread reception of Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home.

The Pope’s encyclical on the environment is addressed to the entire world, but it has different messages for different parts of it.

Pope Francis is calling for an “ecological conversion” for all in his encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home. The Pope calls for people to use spirituality to encourage “a more passionate concern for the protection of our world” and lists a number of practical ways to integrate this teaching in our daily lives. Below we have looked at some of the Pope’s recommendations and included some suggestions about how to integrate his teachings into our daily lives.