Catholic and Loving it!

It's been Forty Years since Populorum Progressio.

The 'Live Simply' challenge will also mark forty years since the publication of Pope Paul VI's Populorum Progressio (the Development of Peoples). A number of organisations, including Pax Christi and Progressio, are planning a series of events and challenges on themes of justice.

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Livesimply is inspired by Populorum Progressio, the 1967 encyclical from Paul VI.

This year's National Youth Sunday is the third one in a row with a LiveSimply theme.

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Third one... in a row... I think it's fair to say we've covered the LiveSimply theme.

Populorum Progressio was released in 1967 and it was only right and proper that we mark the release of such a significant encyclical. Populorum Progressio itself refers to Rerum Novarum (by Leo XIII). Important encyclicals should be remembered.

But 2007 is forty years since 1967. We heard about that anniversary in 2006 (marking the 'upcoming anniversary') and in 2007 itself.

It's now 2008 - surely the time has come to mark the fortieth anniversary of another important encyclial?

LiveChastely anyone?

Didn't think so... Silence. Of. Dissent.

Here's an idea... the LiveSimply people have a system on their site where you can make a promise to LiveSimply. The most popular promise on there at the moment is a promise to sign a seedpacket and send it to your MP. That promise currently has twenty-two votes - I reckon we can beat that.

I've made a promise on the site to LiveChastely, along with a clear message that I think the time has come to mark the anniversary of Humanae Vitae. Don't be part of the silence - join me in singing this promise and make it clear to the powers that be that those who want these things to be taken seriously are not one or two nutters with blogs, but hundreds and hundreds of people.

Click here to leave your promise.

You can leave a comment of your own over there, if you like and for heaven's sake, if you have one, put this on your blog! I've set the target to 1000 people by the 41st anniversary of Humanae Vitae. Don't lets leave me looking like an over-optimistic twerp.

Don't just be the best you can be! Encourage others to do the same!

It's more important than one of those stupid blog awards...

(Everybody feel free to use my faux-logo above...)