Skills for the ecological conversion – inspiration from Ora et Labora
The third edition of the ELSiA eco-spirituality workshop took place in the community of Taizé from the 16th to the 19th November 2023. All of the workshops have taken place in Taizé and each year the focus has been on a different theme, which corresponded with the annual theme chosen by ELSiA for its Laudato Si’ Reflection Day.
Situated in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, France, the Taizé Community, an ecumenical Christian monastic fraternity, hosted over a hundred brothers from diverse Christian traditions spanning around thirty countries. Founded in 1940 by Brother Roger Schütz, a Reformed Protestant, Taizé has evolved into a significant site of Christian pilgrimage, with a special focus on the youth. His second successor has been for the past eighteen year a catholic priest, Br Aloise, who recently handed over the direction of the community to an Anglican priest, Br Matthew.
The theme this year was focused on the reflection on skills for the ecological conversion with inspirations from ora et labora and, as radical compassion has been identified as one of them by the organizers of the workshop, Christians for Animals Poland and FRA were asked to give a presentation on our work.
Participatory workshops provided insights into the Taizé community’s work with bees, pottery, gardens, waste, and recycling. The day unfolded with three prayer sessions—morning, midday, and evening—alongside events such as the adoration of the Holy Cross on Friday, the ceremony of the Light on Saturday night, and the Eucharist on Sunday. Our workshop, "Enlarge the Circle of Compassion : Introduction to Animals as a Christian Concern," took place on Saturday, November 18th. Led by Barbara Niedźwiedzka from Christians for Animals Poland and myself from the FRA, the two-hour session combined theory and practice. Barbara covered the human use and abuse of animals, emphasizing farmed animals and the fish industry, while I connected Christianity with animals, presenting faith-based reasons Christians should care for them.
&The workshop received positive reactions, prompting participants to reconsider their eating habits and contemplate reducing their consumption of animals. It served as an eye-opener for some, acknowledging animals as a blind spot in Christian ecology and conversations. Others recognized the importance of creating awareness about the magnitude of harm inflicted on animals by humans. The prayer moments at the Church of Reconciliation stood out as highlights of the retreat, emanating a unique atmosphere of love, peace, and silence. We are grateful for the opportunity to participate, meet people from different nationalities, and explore the subject of animals for the first time in these eco-spiritual retreats organized by ELSiA. We hope this experience will open new doors for animals and that they will be included as a crucial subject in Christian ecology.