In September 2025, the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit gathered in Encarnación, Paraguay, for the Assembly on Education and Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC). Amid this gathering of the PANAM network, Sister Gretta Fernandes, SSpS, delivered a profound reflection on our current global reality—a message that is as much a sobering wake-up call as a roadmap for hope.
The Reality of the “Polycrisis”
Sister Gretta describes our current era as a state of polycrisis: a convergence of political, social, and environmental collapses. At the heart of this catastrophe is a fundamental contradiction—the demand for unlimited capitalist growth in a world of finite resources.
This system has moved beyond mere economic inequality; it has fostered a “technocratic worldview” that treats both nature and human beings as objects to be dominated. We see the symptoms of this crisis everywhere:
- Climate Emergency: A devastating outlook where half of the planet’s species face extinction.
- Social Indifference: A growing disregard for the suffering of others in favor of immediate personal convenience.
- Denialism: Political movements that downplay ecological collapse as a “scam” to maintain the status quo.
From Crisis to “Ecological Conversion”
How do we respond to a world that feels like it is breaking down? Sister Gretta points toward a courageous shift in values: Ecological Conversion.
Drawing inspiration from Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’, this perspective reminds us that a “breakdown of basic relationships” with the Creator is reflected in our breakdown with the Earth and one another. As Pope Francis famously wrote, we must learn to hear “both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”
“If our faith, our option for the Kingdom, is not translated into social and political practice, then we will remain halfway.”
Faith in Action: The Path Forward
Sister Gretta’s vision is not merely theoretical; it is translated into the vital work of Vivat International. By providing legal tools and applying political pressure, the organization strives to turn JPIC values into reality.
To achieve a “Just Worldview,” the Assembly highlighted two guiding principles:
- Synodality: The art of “walking together.” This involves mutual listening and a commitment to helping those who suffer, ensuring that our faith impacts government actions and social policies.
- Rights of Nature: We must look beyond how nature benefits humans. We must recognize that nature has its own fundamental rights. This systemic vision reunites humanity with the Earth as a single, integrated whole.
A Courageous Hope
The message from the PANAM Assembly is clear: while the collapse is real, it is not the final word. By embracing a worldview built on God’s grace and the inherent dignity of all creation, we can move toward a future of justice and vitality. It is a path that requires us to change our habits, our politics, and—most importantly—our hearts.
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