The Catholic Church’s response to the cry of the poor amid the environmental crisis in the light of Laudato Si

Abstract

In the encyclical Laudato Si', published in 2015, Pope Francis highlighted the interconnection between the environment and the poor by saying that the suffering of the earth is also the suffering of the poor. Although the ecological crisis adversely influences human life in various aspects, people experiencing poverty are the most vulnerable. They must bear the prolonged negative impacts of climate change or environmental degradation while being the least responsible for the planet's destruction. This study used the See-Judge-Act method to address the Catholic Church's responses to the cry of the poor amid the environmental crisis considering the encyclical Laudato Si'. In the See aspect, the study discussed the interconnection between the poor and the environmental crisis, the adverse effects of the global ecological crisis, and the 2030 agenda of sustainable development goals. The major causes of problems are unsustainable usage of natural resources, dominantly in agricultural and industrial sectors. In the Judge aspect, the study analyzed the issues of the poor in ecological degradation from different dimensions, such as biblical text, the Judeo-Christian tradition, Catholic social teachings, the common good, environmental justice, and sustainable development of ecosystems. In the Act aspect, the study showed that ecological degradation adversely and dramatically affects the life quality of the poor. Thus, to improve the life of the poor, the Church should first launch environmental protection by collaborating with official global leaders and implementing practical environmental protection actions at all levels of the Church, including the popes, bishops, priests, families, and individuals.