The documentary on the encyclical, Laudato Si’ by Pope Francis entitled The Letter, will be April’s free Franciscan for Earth Eco-Series event. A special viewing and discussion of the film will take place on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 6:30 in the evening Central, via Zoom. In October, YouTube Originals released this grand documentary telling the story of the encyclical letter and the unfolding ecological emergency. It’s the fruit of a few years of work of Laudato Si’ Movement in partnership with Off the Fence (Oscar-winning producers of My Octopus Teacher) and the Vatican. Pope Francis is the film’s star, and he generously spent time during the production, sharing his deep wisdom. Other voices are also featured, representing the peripheries of the ecological crisis: a teenage youth activist from India, an indigenous leader from the Amazon, a climate refugee from Senegal, and scientists from Hawaii. Be touched by the prophetic stories of Ridhima, Chief Dada, Arouna, and Robin and Greg—all real-life heroes in and outside the film. Their in-person dialogue with the Pope was priceless. As the film powerfully explains, “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are growing increasingly desperate. Droughts, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, deforestation—they all keep getting worse and worse.”