Laudato Si Research Articles

La dignidad del hombre “artista”: Una respuesta al antropocentrismo desmesurado de la tecnociencia y la destrucción del planeta

The text addresses the contemporary humanity and ecological crisis, proposing a reflection from the theology of Saint Bonaventure and the Encyclical Laudato Si of Pope Francis. It focuses on the “dignity of the artistic man” as an image of God, and how this dignity can counteract the exacerbated anthropocentrism that has emerged with technoscience. According to Saint Bonaventure, the human being, as a bridge between God and creation, has the ability to contemplate the beauty and harmony of the world and, at the same time, to transform it without destroying it. Francis reinforces this idea by calling for an “ecological conversion” that recognizes the interconnectedness of all creation and the need for responsible and loving stewardship of the planet. The reflection highlights the importance of an adequate Christian anthropology that guides human beings towards the preservation and respect of nature.

Laudato Si’: Articulation of its Message and the SVD’s Response

“Laudato Si, mi’ Signore” is a papal encyclical written by Pope Francis and published on May 24, 2015. Intended for all the people, the Holy Father discussed the state of the planet Earth, our common home, and his concern for our future and the future of the coming generations. The document dealt with environmental concerns grounded on theological and spiritual principles. The aim of this paper is to articulate the message of the document and propose how the encyclical can be of use in mitigating global concerns about environmental degradation. This research paper used the “see-judge-act” method to do a theological reflection. For the “see” part, researchers brought to light the nation's current state of the environment of Laudato Si’ in the Philippines. For the “judge” part, researchers discussed pieces of literature that articulated the encyclical, particularly focusing on the “Gospel of Creation.” Finally, for the “act” part, the researchers featured the SVD Laudato Si’ Farm of the SVD (Societas Verbi Divini) priests, brothers, and missionaries in Tagaytay City as a concrete expression of their response to the challenges of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’. The research paper concluded with recommendations for urgent actions, that is, ecological conversion – an encounter with Jesus that leads to meaningful communion with God, other people, and nature. It confronts us to live Laudato Si’ and embrace it as life’s spirituality.

Personality Traits as Predictors of Pro-Environmental Behavior: Evidence from the Philippines

One of the objectives within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development set by the United Nations General Assembly is to enhance global awareness about sustainable development by disseminating precise information to people worldwide and encouraging lifestyles that harmonize with nature. Pope Francis's Laudato Si' is considered by many as a landmark document urging major change because it criticizes the consumer-centered way of life and argues that protecting the Earth requires a complete shift in our priorities. It is believed that pro-environmental behaviors play an important role in achieving the goals of the SDGs, UNESCO, and Laudato Si'. Previous studies have shown relationships between pro-environmental behavior and personality traits. However, these studies were conducted in foreign contexts, and to the best of the researcher's knowledge, there was no published local study that explains the connection between personality traits and pro-environmental behavior among Filipinos, particularly those in the workforce. This is the gap that this study aimed to address. This study determined the link between personality traits and pro-environmental behavior of Filipino workers in the National Capital Region (NCR). This utilized a cross-sectional predictive design. The participants were comprised of 644 Filipino workers from the NCR. In terms of gender, there were 256 (39.8%) males, 374 (58.1%) females, and 14 (2.2%) undisclosed. Two sets of self-report questionnaires were administered online: the Brief HEXACO Inventory and the adapted General Ecological Behavior Scale. Results of the main analysis suggest that only Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience as personality traits positively predict pro-environmental behavior; while Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, and Agreeableness did not. This may suggest that individuals who score high on these personality dimensions are more likely to engage in behaviors that benefit the environment. Therefore, strategic interventions aimed at developing these qualities could potentially contribute to a significant shift towards sustainability among Filipino workers.

Book Review: The Eucharistic Vision of Laudato Si’: Praise, Conversion, and Integral Ecology

Book Review: The Eucharistic Vision of Laudato Si’: Praise, Conversion, and Integral Ecology

Teologi Kerja Petani Lahan Kering: Menemukan Makna Kerja Petani Suku Atoin Meto Timor dalam Terang Ajaran Sosial Gereja

This paper explores the future of work in Catholic social teaching from the encyclical Mater et Magistra to Laudato Si, with an emphasis on the development of key social documents. This paper underlines that the Church's social teaching does not aim at scientific analysis or technical solutions about work, but rather at placing the dignity and rights of workers at the center of work issues. The Atoin Meto tribe also has a deep view of work, which is reflected in the rice and corn creation myth in which Uis Neno, the Lord of the Heavens, gave plant seeds to humans. This article was studied using qualitative methods with a case study approach to the work culture of the Atoin Meto tribe and literature study. The research results present that agricultural culture is closely connected to religious cults, focusing rituals on corn and rice. Humans are presented as co-creators in their work culture, emphasizing the spiritual dimension of farming work. The unique thing is, in the culture of farming work, Atoin Meto not only build contact with nature in silence, they build communication with Uis Neno, the Lord of Heaven in and through ritual language.

Climate Change-Based Speaking Instructional Material for Students at Saint Paul’s Junior Seminary: Students’ Needs Analysis

Through education, awareness of the importance of climate change as a global issue can be delivered. Aligned with the encyclical Laudato si issued by Pope Francis that mentioned climate change, the seminary as a Catholic school is expected to fulfill the Pope's call. This study aimed to determine the needs of Saint Paul's Junior Seminary students to design English speaking materials based on climate change. This study used mixed methods with ADDIE development model. The data was obtained through questionnaires and face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The participants of this research were 31 students of the 4th grade at Saint Paul’s Junior Seminary and an English teacher. The results of the needs analysis showed that: 1) students still had difficulty speaking English; 2) there were no English-speaking materials that specifically discuss climate change; 3) students needed learning resources that provide English language materials that specifically discuss climate change; 4) there should be more practice speaking English about climate change which will increase students' awareness of the environment, in line with Pope Francis' Laudato si. From these needs, it was necessary to develop English-speaking material based on climate change because of the students' inability to speak English about climate change and to increase students’ awareness of climate change.

Caring for Creation in Julian of Norwich's Parable of the Lord and Servant

Abstract: This essay expands upon the ecological implications of Julian's theology by arguing that her parable of the lord and servant exemplifies the call in Genesis 2:15 to cultivate and tend to Earth and all fleshly creatures. In conversation with present-day ecological theologies, I contend that Julian's example re-presents Genesis's theological claim that love of God is embodied by care for Earth and neighbor. When human persons are inhibited from laboring in the garden, they suffer from isolation and fall prey to despair. Julian's Revelation offers a spiritual resource to motivate ecological conversion, as Pope Francis urges in Laudato Si' .

Memperbaiki Hubungan Antara Manusia dan Alam Melalui Pemikiran Daisaku Ikeda

Man and nature are inseparable unity, both are organic unity that must be mutually maintained. Daisaku Ikeda asserted that the state of the world filled with the destruction of nature has diminished the interdependent relationship between humans and nature. The destruction of nature caused by human unconsciousness of nature preservation and hierarchical view which puts human beings as supreme beings among all that exists in nature is a significant warning that should re-awaken human beings of responsibility (guarding and nurturing) to nature. Pope Francis in Laudato Si' emphasizes the ecological repentance that should be imbued with ecological spirituality rooted in the faith of faith in Christ as proclaimed through the Gospel. In this context, ecological conversion can be understood as the process of sharing all the fruits of human encounter with Christ with the surrounding environment. One result of this encounter should be manifested in relation to the universe, i.e. environmental justice.

Francis, (Pope): Laudate Deum: Apostolic Exhortation to All People of Good Will on the Climate Crisis, with Selections from Laudato Si’

F<scp>rancis</scp>, (P<scp>ope</scp>): Laudate Deum: <i>Apostolic Exhortation to All People of Good Will on the Climate Crisis, with Selections from Laudato Si’</i>

Carta Encíclica Fratelli Tutti e o migrante

As the title suggests, based on the Social Doctrine of the Church, and in particular the Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (2020), this article intends to highlight Pope Francis' pastoral concern for migrants and refugees. His gestures in favor of migrants, as will be seen, “are worth an encyclical”. In view of this, the text provides a brief portrait of historical migrations, which serves as a background for understanding contemporary migrations. These current movements, although in continuity with the migrations of the 19th Century, are marked by characteristics typical of the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st Centuries. Having done this, the reflection brings into play the nodal points of Fratelli Tutti with a double objective: on one side, ensuring that this encyclical constitutes a kind of second chapter of Laudato Si’ (2015). In effect, while the latter is concerned with the care of “our common home”, that one makes an appeal so that we can all be brothers in this home that is planet Earth. On the other hand, the 2020 encyclical seeks to present in a more concrete way the socioeconomic and political-cultural challenges, as well as the socio-pastoral activities for the effectiveness of this universal fraternity. From the point of view of human mobility, it is about seeking universal and borderless citizenship.

Development as ecology: the contribution of Pope Francis to the development debate

ABSTRACT Given the global social and environmental crises, Pope Francis reflects on the causes and solutions. His encyclicals, Laudato Si and Fratelli Tutti, suggest a plausible ‘good change’ or a notion of development. To locate his insights within the relevant debate, this article uses sociocultural viability theory, which proposes four ideal typical, mutually exclusive and jointly exhaustive worldviews and development outlooks. The pontiff’s reflections are associated with the post-development paradigm and the egalitarian outlook, which is characterised by high group and low grid. Regarding group, all beings are regarded as intertwined, prompting a mutual responsibility among people as well as one of people towards nature, our common home. Concerning grid, the exclusive focus on either markets or hierarchies is rejected, while recognising the instrumental value of some of their features insofar they lead to the common good. With his contributions, Francis enters the development debate redefining it as ecology.

KATEKESE EKOLOGI KEPADA MASYARAKAT ADAT SEBAGAI TANGGAPAN ATAS ENSIKLIK LAUDATO SI’

Community service activities are carried out by prioritizing the spirit of protecting the environment. The equivalent is stated in the Laudato Si' document issued by Pope Francis. This ecological catechesis invites people to be more aware and active in caring for the environment, especially the protected forests around the village. In the catechesis process carried out in Sungai Langer hamlet - Sanggau Regency - West Kalimantan, the service team educated them on the importance of nature and forests, and that it is the responsibility of all village residents to maintain their preservation. This service method is carried out by providing teaching and education through eco-technical catechesis activities to all village residents in accordance with the call of Laudato Si'. The aim of this activity is that people become more sensitive to environmental damage and its impact on human life.

Faith-Based Participation in Natural- Resource Governance: Communities Defending Life and Territories in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico

The World Resources Institute and the Laudato Si' Research Institute, Campion Hall, University of Oxford, in partnership with local researchers and communities in Brazil, Colombia and Mexico explore how religious actors shape strategies to find peaceful resolutions to socio-environmental disputes in their regions.

Christianity and Anthropogenic Climate Change: A Broad Overview of the Catholic Church’s Response and Some Reflections for the Future

Religions play a key role in shaping our worldviews, values, and behaviours and this includes our interactions with the environment. Fuelled by the development of the technocratic paradigm, Christianity has historically received a bad reputation for perpetuating anti-environmental views. Nonetheless, the development of ecotheological strands and the emergence of faith-based organisations focusing on climate justice have aided in producing the much-needed environmental reformulations. As such, this paper seeks to provide a broad overview of the role of Christianity in shaping worldviews, from those hindering environmental action to more contemporary ecotheological approaches discussing climate change, particularly Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’. Christianity’s preparedness to navigate climate change will be theorised in relation to empirical evidence and the work of European faith-based organisations, as well as the methodological opportunities that the field of ecolinguistics can offer to inform effective communication.

Creation, Thomas Berry, and the Church in Africa

The ecological crisis is a sign of the times, demanding adequate understanding, appropriate interpretation, and pastoral action in light of the Christian faith. Scholarly discourse on the ecological crisis continues to inspire partnership and collaborative actions in Africa. Sometimes, these efforts have yielded significant results, though amid uncharted territories. Scholars appeal for humans to embrace a mutually enhancing relationship with creation to build a common home for all creatures. A suitable and sustainable ecological vision that supports a communitarian approach to resolving the ecological crisis is Thomas Berry’s cosmology. Berry’s cosmological vision reclaims a creation theology that fosters a mutual relationship between humans and other creatures. Humans are beings in communion and beings in relationships created by God and thus from a common origin and moving toward a common destiny. This cosmological presupposition of Berry aligns with the ecological vision of Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si’. The Pope calls humanity to a new cosmic relationship that would foster interdependency of the ecosystem and respect the intrinsic value of every creature. Given the unprecedented ecological challenges, humans have a unique role as intelligent beings toward other creatures, for future generations and the common good of the earth. This human responsibility toward the earth can be realized through an ecological ethics that fosters interdependence, interconnection, and mutuality in the human–earth relationship. Berry’s insights and Catholic ecological teachings merit consideration for African Catholicism.

The World Is the Road to God: The Encyclical Laudato Si’ and the “Ecological” Vision of Pope Francis

Today, the response to the consequences of present and future environmental catastrophes tends to take three forms: one purely technological-productive coming from the alliance between States and the Market; another one, which is essentially movementist, is confusedly fragmented into initiatives, often contradictory to each other, without having a strong ideological–political vision at its base; and the third one refers to apocalyptic or posthuman messianisms of a philosophical–religious nature. None of the three forms envisions a radical transformation of the current political–economic system. In this context, the voice of the Catholic Church emerges strongly to denounce the systemic reasons for the environmental disaster and at the same time to oppose the current system another system, centered on alternative assumptions. This article will analyze the encyclical Laudato Si’ (2015), which, sometimes mistaken for a simple text on Christian ecology, should actually be interpreted as a manifesto for a new world, based on the idea of a total anthropological and socio-political revolution. The analysis of the Encyclical is intended to highlight the historical–theological foundations and the ability to adapt some of the cornerstones of Catholicism (in particular of the Franciscan and Jesuit matrix) to the resolution of the current ecological emergency.

Social Implications, Environmental Sustainability and a Manifesto of Action: A Study of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si

Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si addresses the socio-economic implications of environmental degradation and advocates for transformative action to address the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and social injustice. This abstract presents a synthesis of the encyclical’s key themes and proposes a manifesto of action inspired by its call to care for our common home. This work underscores the intrinsic link between social and ecological concerns, highlighting how environmental degradation disproportionately impacts the poor and marginalized. The encyclical critiques the dominant paradigm of consumerism and unlimited growth, which prioritizes profit over people and perpetuates patterns of exploitation and inequality. Pope Francis calls for a radical shift in values and priorities, advocating for an integral ecology that recognizes the interdependence of all living beings and promotes the common good. Often regarded as a manifesto of action, Laudato Si proposes concrete steps to address the root causes of environmental degradation and social injustice. It calls for the implementation of policies that promote ecological integrity, equitable distribution of resources, and inclusive decision-making processes. It urges businesses to adopt sustainable practices and prioritize the well-being of workers and communities over short-term profits. It calls on individuals to reduce their ecological footprint, support sustainable alternatives, and advocate for systemic change

Theology and Ecology in Dialogue. The Wisdom of Laudato Si’ by Dermot A. Lane, Messenger Publications, Dublin, 2020, p. 176, €19.95, pbk

Theology and Ecology in Dialogue. The Wisdom of <i>Laudato Si’</i> by Dermot A. Lane, Messenger Publications, Dublin, 2020, p. 176, €19.95, pbk

Urgenza climatica e ambientale, usurocrazia e debito dei paesi poveri

Climate and environmental urgency, usurocracy and poor countries' debt ABSTRACT: This contribution, like other previous ones on the subject, is moved by the intent to acquaint readers of this informed scientific magazine with debates and updates intended for contexts other than canon law and state ecclesiastical law, but undoubtedly close in content and method of inquiry. These are the battles of civilization against the international imperialism of money, condemned by the Roman Pontiffs and in even more incisive tones by Pope Francis, to whom the following paper is dedicated on the occasion of his 87th birthday. Its remote origins are to be found in the struggles against usury of the Roman plebs, embraced by Simon Bolivar and his epigones. The author of the paper, Advocate of the Holy See for the Canonical and Civil Forum, reconnects with the great tradition in question when he returns to the subject of the foreign debt of poor countries, closely connected in our days with that of climate and environmental urgency. This is a new element, which enriches the acquisitions on the failures of debt and the financialization of the world economy with a deepening, from a legal point of view, of the holistic dimension of nature and the reality that surrounds us. SOMMARIO: 1. I quattro NO di Papa Francesco - 2. Dall’Italia al Burkina Faso al Sudafrica - 3. Il ruolo della Santa Sede: in particolare, Francesco e il Nord del mondo - 4. L’Enciclica Laudato si’ e l’Esortazione apostolica Laudate Deum.

Foundations and Implications of the Integral Ecology and Sustainable Development Goals in Catholic University Education

The Agenda provided by the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) represent an opportunity to eradicate poverty, preserve the planet, promote peace, and develop a more prosperous society. This global horizon is reinforced by the religious proposal of the Encyclical “Laudato si”, in which Pope Francis reflects on the anthropological, social, and spiritual repercussions of the interaction of human beings with their environmental reality. With the term integral ecology, the Catholic leader proposes processes to put an end of poverty, exclusion, and environmental degradation. This research aims to explore the cornerstones and application of the SDGs and integral ecology in the framework of the Catholic university. The study brings Agenda 2030 into dialogue with the Christian ethical perspective of human development and integral ecology by showing their complementarity. It develops the inclusion of the SDGs and integral ecology objectives in the mission and strategic plan of the Catholic university. For this reason, an action plan is projected in which the values of sustainability are transversally structured in the diverse areas of the university, such as governance, teaching, research, transfer of knowledge and social impact, extracurricular activity, green procurement, infrastructure, energy, waste, water, and mobility.