One hundred-twenty people gathered at the Centre Sèvres in Paris, France and thirty others online to watch The Letter: A Message for Our Earth. Among those gathered were activists, theologians, and philosophers, some of whom described the film to be “rich in meaning” and ground for individual and collective action both in the near and distant future.
This included a roundtable with the French theologian and Jesuit, Patrick Goujon, and philosopher Isabelle Priaulet, whose studies intersect with ecology and religion through the lens of ecological conversion.
Roundtable panelists at the Centre Sèvres in Paris share their thoughts on The Letter.
For Priaulet, the film was a powerful vehicle for transforming behavior, a reminder that “you are no longer alone and that you are acting through the initiatives of others” and a call to leave “the life of consumerism” and pursue “a dialogue between different cultures.”
Goujon and Priaulet were both joined by activist Soraya Fettih. Fettih, who dedicates herself to fighting the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), remarked she was happy to join with people of faith who likewise fight for ecological justice.
Indeed, the coalition-strong event included representatives from CCFD-Terre Solidaire, Eglise Vert, the Fransciscan Sisters, The International Movement ATD Fourth World, The De La Salle Brothers of the Christian Schools, and key leaders, such as Véronique Devise, the President of Caritas France and Pascal Balmand, delegate for Integral Ecology at the Conference of Bishops of France.
This ensemble reflects the words of Jean-Pierre Vuillemin, Auxiliary Bishop of Metz, France who praised The Letter a few days prior to the screening. “Nothing can be done for integral ecology without meeting and sharing with others,” noted Vuillemin. “I often say that the first accessible approach to respect Creation is to improve our connections within our diverse relationships.”
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