LOOK: PHL ecological icon to complement Pope‘s Laudato Si’

June 21, 2015 7:30pm

Pope Francis' newly publicized encyclical on the environment "Laudato Si" may soon have a Filipino-flavored ecological icon to accompany it.

Negros-based Brother Jaazeal Jakosalem drew the icon depicting Jesus Christ as the Son who participates in the work of creation, and whose redeeming love transforms all.

The icon will be brought to Rome as a gift to the Pope from the Philippine Catholic eco-team delegation in support of the encyclical, Jakosalem said in an article posted Sunday on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines news site.

Jakosalem, a member of the Order of Augustinian Recollects, said his work is inspired by the "Canticle of the Creatures" of St. Francis of Assisi.

"Icons are windows to heaven," he said.

St. Francis of Assisi's poem-prayer is the basis for Pope Francis' environment-oriented encyclical “Laudato Si’,” the CBCP News article said.

The icon has the Poor Man of Assisi at the lower center, a nod to the canticle where the sun is referred to as brother, the moon as sister, and to the earth as mother.

But the icon also sports Baybayin or Old Tagalog script: “Dakilang” on Christ’s top left side and “Likha” on the top right.

Jakosalem, who comes from a family of painters in Negros, is connected with the ecological center Greenheart Hermitage.

The center was established by the Recollects in 2010 at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos.

Jakosalem voiced hopes "statue-oriented" Filipino Cathoics will take an interest in icons with his work. — Joel Locsin/BM, GMA News

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