The paper aims to analyse the apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum, published on 4 October 2023, in which Pope Francis returns to the concern for “the care of our common home” by drawing attention to the effects of climate change, which is causing a global crisis with a range of consequences that were probably not even imagined a century ago. There is an urgent need to respond to this cry of alarm by going beyond a ‘purely ecological approach’ and considering it as a global social problem: everything is connected, because what happens in one part of the world affects the whole planet. It is also important to recognise that no one is saved alone (cf. 19) and that there can be no lasting change without cultural change, without the maturation of lifestyles and social beliefs, without the transformation of people (cf. 70). It is a matter of overcoming the logic of appearing sensitive to the problem of climate change and having the courage to make substantial changes in human experience: if the measures we could take now have a cost, it will be all the greater the longer we wait (see 56). In the face of this emergency, it is necessary to take responsibility for the legacy we leave behind when we pass through this world. It is a matter of social justice. Increasing environmental awareness requires a commitment to change personal, family and community habits that foster a different, sustainable lifestyle. Although the unaccountability of political sectors and the disinterest of the ‘powerful’ are there for all to see, efforts to pollute less, reduce waste, consume wisely, even if they do not immediately have a major effect, are creating a new culture.
The Urgency of education for sustainable development: Concerns about climate change in the Laudate Deum
Dal Toso Paola
2024-01-01
Abstract
The paper aims to analyse the apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum, published on 4 October 2023, in which Pope Francis returns to the concern for “the care of our common home” by drawing attention to the effects of climate change, which is causing a global crisis with a range of consequences that were probably not even imagined a century ago. There is an urgent need to respond to this cry of alarm by going beyond a ‘purely ecological approach’ and considering it as a global social problem: everything is connected, because what happens in one part of the world affects the whole planet. It is also important to recognise that no one is saved alone (cf. 19) and that there can be no lasting change without cultural change, without the maturation of lifestyles and social beliefs, without the transformation of people (cf. 70). It is a matter of overcoming the logic of appearing sensitive to the problem of climate change and having the courage to make substantial changes in human experience: if the measures we could take now have a cost, it will be all the greater the longer we wait (see 56). In the face of this emergency, it is necessary to take responsibility for the legacy we leave behind when we pass through this world. It is a matter of social justice. Increasing environmental awareness requires a commitment to change personal, family and community habits that foster a different, sustainable lifestyle. Although the unaccountability of political sectors and the disinterest of the ‘powerful’ are there for all to see, efforts to pollute less, reduce waste, consume wisely, even if they do not immediately have a major effect, are creating a new culture.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.