"Addressed not only to Catholics but to every person living on this planet, Pope Francis' second encyclical is a challenging call for a bold cultural revolution in how we think about technological progress and economic growth. The degradation of our environment, he says, is a symptom of deeper problems: rapid change, unsustainable overconsumption, indifference to the poor, and the decay of social values. He offers a variety of solutions, including a change in lifestyles away from extreme consumerism and towards a greater sense of social responsibility. For Christians, an ecological spirituality one that is grounded in the convictions of our faith is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience. Drawing on the rich social teachings of the Church, Laudato Si is a groundbreaking document that will be discussed and studied by both believers and non-believers for years to come."--Publisher.
Laudato si', mi Signore--Praise Be to You, My Lord! With these words of St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis begins by reminding us of the Canticle of the Creatures that celebrates the earth as our common home, our sister, who embraces and blesses all of us, with abundance and beauty. But, in the words of Saint John Paul II, the world needs a global ecological conversion before it is too late. The world is already grievously wounded, and its continued degradation is having the greatest immediate impact upon the poor. Appealing to "every person living on this planet," drawing on the wisdom of the tradition of the church and the teachings of previous popes, with this encyclical Pope Francis reaches out to begin a "dialogue with all people" about what we are doing to our planet.
