Laudato Si' has caused a media sensation, both positive and negative. Pope Francis' exhortation of the environment is consistent with his honoring of St Francis of Assisi who sung God's praises through the beauty of Creation. However, I must admit, when I first heard the topic of the newest pontifical encyclical, I was very disappointed and dismayed. The environment-- when there are thousands being persecuted, rises in violence, assaults on children both born and unborn, human trafficking, neglect, anger, abuse, darkness--so much going on in our fallen world! Shouldn't the Catholic Church take a stand on some of the grave issues facing humanity and our Church? Now, I must clarify here, I am not anti-environmental protection. I reduce, reuse, recycle, compost and upcycle as much as possible and then some. My family uses cloth napkins, diapers, feminine hygiene products, and cleaning cloths. I make my own non-toxic, all natural, cleaning solutions and soaps.