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You’ll soon be hearing about tools to help the Catholic Church change lifestyles in favor of an integral approach to human and natural ecology, as spelled out by Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ and by his predecessors.

But you don’t have to wait. There are a few things we can do now in our parishes to begin our journeys to a better world.

Here are three:

We can look at our energy bills every month and plug away at lowering them by using more efficient lighting and heating and cooling systems. My local utility has programs to help, and so may yours. Even easier, you could audit your own lighting and utility systems to check how long they’ve been in service and how efficient they are. A simple cost-benefit analysis might show that energy savings from new boilers or lighting (for example) will pay for the cost of new systems after a few years, and then you'll continue to save on your monthly bills. At some point, you’ll need professional help with switching to more efficient systems—but then, you may have that expertise already in the pews. Even by making small steps monthly, your energy bills will begin...

Alfie Evans, the British toddler suffering from an apparent neurological illness, died this morning, days after his life-support systems had been turned off at the orders of an English court.

The tragic affair continues to arouse a strong and growing response around the globe—even if some news outlets have been less than dedicated to reporting what’s happening.

Particularly vocal was Pope Francis, who has been cheered these past weeks by conservative Catholics for supporting Alfie and his parents, Kate and Tom. The pontiff had gone so far to offer treatment for the child at the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome—if only the British courts would have allowed it.

Catholics around the world joined the pontiff in championing Alfie’s dignity. They’ve reminded the world that the brand of Utilitarianism employed by British medical and legal systems is a form of savagery that all people of good will should reject.

There’s been a great deal of analysis about all this, most especially this fine piece in First Things by Fordham’s Dr. Charles Camosy.

What you and I should stress within all this analysis is the consistent theme of integral ecology within Pope Francis’...