Living Integral Ecology: Hearing the Cry of the Earth and the Poor
BY. FR JOEL THOMPSON SJ
One of the top issues that this generation cares about is climate change. This is also something that the Church is also very passionate and vocal about. Every year, from May 17th to May 24th, the Catholic Church celebrates Laudato Si’ Week. This annual observance marks the anniversary of Pope Francis’s landmark encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home (May 24th, 2015). Concluding just ahead of World Environment Day on June 5th, this week serves as a timely reminder for Catholics to reflect deeply on our care for creation. In this letter, Pope Francis reminds us that the earth and all it contains are deliberate gifts from God. This is revealed in sacred scripture: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). The world is not a blank slate for unrestricted exploitation, but a beautiful masterpiece which reflects its Creator. As the Catechism notes, “The beauty of creation reflects the infinite beauty of the Creator” (CCC 341), and each creature possesses its own particular goodness.
Facing the Reality of Our Common Home What prompted this urgent letter? Pope Francis looked honestly at the realities threatening our planet. The general scientific agreement is undeniable: our common home is gradually warming, and atmospheric carbon levels are rising. Climate data from NASA and NOAA confirms that the last few years have been the warmest on record in human history, with 2024 breaking global temperature records, closely followed by 2023 and 2025 (you can check this for yourself with a Google search!). uch of this rapid warming is driven by the excessive M exploration and consumption of fossil fuels like oil. The Source=https://www.vati Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) can.va/content/francesc continues to warn that we operate within a closing window. o/en/encyclicals/docum Unless we change our direction within the next 10 years, we will lock in the most devastating, irreversible effects of climate ents/papafrancesco_20150524_e change (e.g. droughts, floods, forest fires etc.) nciclica-laudato-si.html? utm_source=chatgpt.co m