Laudato Si'

For week four we read two chapters from Pope Francis' encyclical centering around the global climate crisis, “Laudato Si’.” As a person who rarely went to church and grew up always going to public school, the Catholic perspective (and that of Christianity on a broader level) is not one of which I am lovely aware. What I’ve gathered from the classes I have taken at LMU and the friends I have who align themselves with these faiths is that we can absolutely learn from some of the core principles of these religions, in spite of the poor execution from which they may suffer. All that said, “Laudato Si’” seems to fall more into the camp of moral directions that, while motivated by a religious background, are applicable and beneficial to all in our approach to climate change.

Chapter One focuses on the Earth as our common home, going through the elements that cause/are caused by environmental issues. Among these are pollution, access to water, biodiversity loss, inequality and the breakdown of society, global inequality, weak responses, and a variety of opinions. Pope Francis goes through not only ecological damage but also the social ramifications, and the disproportionate burden that the climate crisis places on those who are the least to blame. His humanistic approach focuses on the “inalienable dignity” of all humans and their right to those things that are vital to human survival (i.e. safe drinking water, food, breathable air, etc.). His opposition to commodification of these resources goes against the outlook of our Western leaders’ consumeristic motivations in a way that is refreshing. Pope Francis seems to appreciate the idea of a spiritual revolution away from our current societal values that we talked about last week with Ray and Buckley.

Chapter four goes on to describe the climate crisis in terms of integral ecology. What we can understand from this passage is that the crisis we face is multifaceted and involves economic and social issues because humanity is part of the environment in which we live. This is reflective of environmental concepts of the three pillars of sustainability or the planners prism in urban design. The three pillars of sustainability hold that in order for an action to be sustainable it must meet ecological, economic, and social needs. In the planner’s prism, we seek solutions that are economically viable, ecologically sound, equitable in their input and benefits, all with the added dimension of improved quality of life. The aspect of livability is one that may seem less vital than the other three, but which plays into the resilience of a community. Considering the effect that things have on livability must be important because when we live in a way that is inherently stressful it is ultimately counterproductive to our ability to resist burnout and remain effective in the long term. The Pope hits on the concept of procedural equity– referring to equity in whose voices are heard and included in decision making– in the section on cultural ecology. He brings up the importance of culture as a dynamic, participatory thing which needs everyone’s voices to be represented. What was important here was singling out the inclusion of indigenous peoples as leaders in our dialogue about any land in combination with what we know with modern science.

Pope Francis is advocating for justice, collectivism, and respect for the environment of which we are all a part, and I find that to be very meaningful with or without its religious basis.