Reading the Pope’s Environmental Encyclical Letter
Laudato Si app
ears to be increasing interactions between environmental professionals and faith communities, and as such, is a very important document for all people to understand–not just Catholics!
ears to be increasing interactions between environmental professionals and faith communities, and as such, is a very important document for all people to understand–not just Catholics!Roman Catholicism is the largest religious denomination in the world (1.2 billion), and an encyclical is one of the most authoritative declarations that a Pope can make; Laudato Si is both a reflection of the larger moral and religious landscape of environmental values, and perhaps simply the most prominent such statement of values yet crafted, and perhaps symbolic of this moment in time when religious and ethical voices are gaining currency in environmental thinking, no matter your doctrine.
For example, the past, current, and elect- presidents of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) drafted a statement of support for the Pope’s encyclical, alongside similar statements from the American Geophysical Union, the American Chemical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and two sister-sessions at the 100th Anniversary meetings of ESA in August focused directly on the implications of faith-based perspectives on ecology (here and here).
Want to read the encyclical? Click here!
Want to print it out and share? Click here for a PDF printable version!
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