Laudato Si

Laudato Si is an encyclical letter, written by Pope Francis.

Some of its main focuses were on environmentalism, poverty, science and moderns, and technology. The encyclical has been seen by many a breath of fresh air; Pope Francis has been able to in many ways show the positions that the church should take. Asking for global collaboration to bring change to our planet. In doing so, we take care of it. 

Pope Francis was deeply influenced by St. Francis, as we know he took his name, but also his love for nature. “In Pope Francis’ encyclical letters and his speech, he uses the language of St. Francis and his early biographies to tie contemporary environmental theory to the Franciscan lineage. The mission and message of Pope Francis mirror those of the beloved saint who lived over 800 years ago. At that time, numerous saints emerged in Christian history.” [1]

We can see more of his influence over the fact that he used the Canticle of the Sun to express the love of all things that St. Francis had. “However, these are just the tip of the iceberg of this saint’s life. The core values of St. Francis’ lifelong journey are truly derived from his continuous conversion to God and his profound contemplation as entry into its deepest gift—the mystery of life, the presence of God in life, and mirrored by life.” [2]

The environment was one of the greatest emphasis that the pope made, to some it was quite controversial for others it was something that they felt that the church needed to speak about. Pope Francis says, “The destruction of the human environment is extremely serious, not only because God has entrusted the world to us men and women, but because human life is itself a gift which must be defended from various forms of debasement.” [3]

Furthermore, he talks about the destruction of the planets along with the animal life, “Each year sees the disappearance of thousands of plant and animal species which we will never know, which our children will never see because they have been lost forever. The great majority become extinct for reasons related to human activity. Because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence, nor convey their message to us.” [4]

I think this is very important because we tend to take our planet for granted, not using all of its resources, especially at a rate that it cannot recover. Scientist has said that we have entered the sixth stage of mass extinction. Meaning that wildlife has begun to die, at an incredible rate. “Since 1500, more than 320 terrestrial vertebrates have become extinct. Populations of the remaining species show a 25 percent average decline in abundance. The situation is similarly dire for invertebrate animal life.” [4] Which is quite devastating for all life the site goes on to say that because this extinction rodents tend to multiply faster and with them disease as well.

Pope Francis makes it a point to say that this is a job for all of us, saying that the world's government must work together to find a solution. But he also says that this might bring new problems, “One authoritative source of oversight and coordination is the law, which lays down rules for admissible conduct in the light of the common good. The limits which a healthy, mature and sovereign society must impose are those related to foresight and security, regulatory norms, timely enforcement, the elimination of corruption, effective responses to undesired side-effects of production processes, and appropriate intervention where potential or uncertain risks are involved.” [5] So when he ask humanity to work together, he does not just want us to do it for the world but one another. To work on peace for the good of humanity. 

In the final part of his encyclical, the pope speaks about the importance of dialogue between religions. The world needs to be united, and religion shouldn't be the cause for division. “The majority of people living on our planet profess to be believers. This should spur religions to dialogue among themselves for the sake of protecting nature, defending the poor, and building networks of respect and fraternity. Dialogue among the various sciences is likewise needed since each can tend to become enclosed in its language, while specialization leads to a certain isolation and the absolutization of its field of knowledge.”[6]

In conclusion, although Pope Francis message to humanity may seem like something new, in reality, it is the same message that the church has been giving the world for years. It is then up to us to find a solution to the world's problems.  

1. Sikkema, Doug. "Is Ecology Haunted? An Ecocritlc Reads Laudato Si." CARDUS (2015): 27-30. Print.

2. Zhang, Xue Jiao. "How St. Francis Influenced Pope Francis’Laudato Si." CrossCurrents Cross Curr 66.1 (2016): 42-56. Web.

3. Francis, Pope. Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home: Encyclical Letter. Print.

4. Carey, Bjorn. "Stanford Biologist Warns of Early Stages of Earth's 6th Mass Extinction Event." Stanford University. N.p., 24 July 2014. Web. 2 Aug. 2016.

5. Francis, Pope. Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home: Encyclical Letter. Print.

6. Francis, Pope. Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home: Encyclical Letter. Print.

7. Francis, Pope. Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home: Encyclical Letter. Print.