An integrated approach to ecological and social challenges

Laudato Si Week is an annual event celebrated by the Catholic Church and communities worldwide to reflect on and promote the teachings of Pope Francis's encyclical, Laudato Si. Let’s come together as Catholics in Scotland and rise to the challenges ahead.  

Eight years ago, on May 24th 2015, Pope Francis published Laudato Si. This revolutionary encyclical positioned the Catholic church as progressive in the face of climate chaos, actively seeking climate justice for our brothers and sisters in the world’s most climate vulnerable communities.  

Fast forward to 2023, Pope Francis’ message through Laudato Si is more urgent than ever before. 

The world we know today is in a profound climate crisis. This year, scientists have delivered a “final warning” through the IPCC report, as rising greenhouse gas emissions push the world to the brink of irreversible damage that only swift and drastic action can avert.  

Pope Francis published Laudato Si for this reason - to remind the world of the overwhelming moral and ethical challenges this crisis poses. The encyclical reflects the Pope's deep concern for our shared world - especially people in communities who bear the heaviest burden of devastating climate impacts.

The link between environmental concerns and social justice issues is at the heart of Laudato Si - that poverty, inequality, and exploitation are speeding up the collapse of our climate and the suffering of people. The encyclical calls for an integrated approach to ecological and social challenges – an integral ecology - recognising that true progress cannot be achieved without addressing both aspects. 

So how, as Catholics in Scotland, can we live Laudato Si? What practical steps can we take? Put simply, we can live out our faith for the benefit of our shared world. 

At the centre of Laudato Si is the idea of an ecological conversion. In practice, this looks like making a change in how we interact and behave to care for our common home. It means changes in the choices that we make in our daily life that influence the environment as a whole and on other living things - including people. At SCIAF, we’ve put together this short guide to help people think about how we can all live in a more environmentally friendly way – for the sake of the poorest of our sisters and brothers and the protection of God’s creation.  

Taking action for a just and green world is another way Pope Francis encourages us to live Laudato Si. The responsibility to defend the rights of the rights of our neighbours in climate-vulnerable communities across the world lies not only with Governments, corporations, and international organisations shaping climate related policies and actions - grassroots movements, aid agencies like SCIAF and individuals like you hold the power to challenge and demand solutions.  

The SCIAF First for Justice campaign is one way to put your faith into action for a just and green world right now. People, parishes and communities across Scotland want to see Scotland’s New First Minister commit to solving the most challenging issues we face globally – with every signature, we amplify our collective voice and challenge our new First Minister to put Scotland at the forefront of calls to build a just and green world. We can help people recover from climate disasters they didn’t cause. We can help ensure people have enough to eat in a world that produces plenty. And we can help lead the way in cutting our emissions at home for the benefit of all.    

Laudato Si – both the encyclical and this week of action - serves as a call to action to Catholics worldwide. It’s time to embrace a more integral ecology - one that respects the interconnectedness of all life for a just and sustainable future.