“’PraiseGod’isthetitleofthisletter.ForwhenhumanbeingsclaimtotakeGod’splace,theybecometheirownworstenemies.“InLaudatoSi’,hishistoricencyclicalof2015,PopeFrancisfirmlyestablishedecologicalconcernsascentraltotheagendaofCatholicSocialTeaching.Alongwithaspiritualframeworkoncareforcreation,heoutlinedsuchissuesasclimatechange,biodiversity,andtheperilfacingouroceans,andofferedacomprehensiveguidetointegralecology.Now,comesashorterbutevenmoreurgentcall:LaudateDeum,whichfocusesspecificallyontheclimatecrisis.AsErinLothesBivianowritesinherintroduction,PopeFrancisherewritesasaprophet,priest,poet,andmostofall“apastor,deeplyconcernedforpeoplethroughouttheworld,andaboveallforthepoor.“Disappointedthatnotenoughhasbeendoneintheinterveningyears,Francisaddressestheirreversibleeffectsofincreasingglobaltemperatures,thedecreaseinicesheets,andothersignsofthetimes.Hecritiquesthe“technocraticparadigm,“theongoingaddictiontoafossil-fueleconomy,andthe“weaknessesofinternationalpolitics,“whilelevelingparticularcriticismatthosewhosowresistanceandconfusion.WithselectionsinthiseditionfromLaudatoSi’thatfocusonpastoral,theological,andspiritualthemes,LaudateDeumisacalltofacethepreeminentcrisisofourtimesandtodrawonallourspiritualwisdom,scientificknowledge,andpoliticalwilltomeetthechallenge.
poet CLIMATE BIODIVERSITY GOOD POET PEOPLE biodiversity
