ECOLOGICAL SPIRITUALITY FOR A “NEW HUMANISM”: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM TEILHARD DE CHARDIN AND POPE FRANCIS

Abstract

Researchers from different fields argue that civilization has unsustainable projects and has reached extreme limits in its evolutionary trajectory. One aggravating factor, among others, is the dramatic environmental crisis. Considering this situation, the research intends to off er clues for the blossoming of a new planetary consciousness to be cultivated in the form of an ecological spirituality. That’s why it's crucial to know, at first in a succinct way, the civilizational imbalance that the Covid-19 pandemic has uncovered. Next, we turn to Teilhard de Chardin who speaks of "critical points" in the course of the evolutionary process. They signal the birth of something new, topic two. The third and fourth topics are dedicated to the contributions of Teilhard de Chardin and Pope Francis, respectively, to the deepening of a spirituality that responds to the ecological crisis and, consequently, inspires a new humanism. The most significant result of the research points to the discovery of the underlying mystical perspective in Laudato si'.
 KEYWORDS: Teilhard de Chardin. Pope Francis. Crisis of Civilization. Ecological Spirituality. New humanism.