Laudato Si’

Mobilising Christian Faith and Practice for Environmental Responsibility

Abstract

Building upon the work of his predecessors, Pope Francis shaped Laudato Si’ as an appeal focused on spirituality, in order to mobilise the creativity of all people at all levels of society, in the cause of environmental responsibility. Though clearly grounded in Catholic Social Teaching (CST), Laudato Si’ is socially innovative, not only in its extended dialogue with scientific studies of climate change, but also in its direct appeal to ordinary people, hallenging them to participate in popular movements for sustaining a global shift in developmental priorities toward care for the earth as our “common home.” This essay introduces Laudato Si’, with special emphasis on its understanding the role of spirituality, interreligious dialogue and collaboration in mobilising popular efforts to address the problem of climate change. In order to illustrate the practical significance of Laudato Si’s perspective, this essay will be followed by two case studies, the one by Franz Gassner, showing its convergence with scientific attempts to revolutionise our waste management practices, the other by Mark Pufpaff, showing the diverse ways in which the Catholics in the Philippines have responded to Francis’ challenge to develop transformative approaches to environmental responsibility.