Papal Media Ecology: Laudato Si’ as a Medium of Technocratic Resistance

Abstract

This article frames Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ as papal media ecology, religious communication that invites interpretations using media ecology. First, a media ecological analysis of Laudato Si’ articulates concerns about the global, environmental impact of the technocratic paradigm. Second, Martin Heidegger’s definition for ge-stell is examined to consider the effects of technology on existence. Third, Heidegger’s methods for rejecting ge-stell are compared to Pope Francis’ plans for replacing the technocratic paradigm. Pope Francis offers a superior approach because a combined top-down and bottom-up approach in a community committed to social change is more likely to enact a paradigm shift.