Laudato Si' at 10: Impact on the church and world

Continued engagement with the Vatican-sponsored Laudato Si' Action Platform suggests persistence of Catholic ecological efforts after Pope Francis' death and into the second decade since Laudato Si' was published.

The next phase in the life of Laudato Si', the decade-old encyclical on ecology, will not be defined by its author, Pope Francis, but instead will rely on others across the Catholic Church, including Pope Leo XIV.

More Catholic institutions must integrate environmental justice into their operations. Governments must swiftly transition away from fossil fuels. AI must be regulated to safeguard human dignity.

Over the years, NCR has consistently called for climate action — and applauded when it happens. Here are the 10 most recent editorials focused on the climate, environment and Catholic teaching on care for creation.

The church's concern about global warming cannot die with Pope Francis. The ball has been passed to Pope Leo XIV

A 2021 study found that in more than 12,000 columns by U.S. bishops between 2014 and 2019, only 93 mentioned climate change, global warming or their equivalent. Today, we're featuring 10 bishops who have spoken up.

Laudato Si' could be as transformative as Rerum Novarum, which opened the fruitful chapter of Catholic social teaching. Let us walk with Pope Leo XIV in writing this next chapter, already off to a promising start.

If we only think on cosmic scales, everything becomes too overwhelming to consider or tackle," writes Dan Horan. 

In the 10 years since Pope Francis released Laudato Si', dioceses across the United States have responded to varying degrees to the encyclical's call to care for the planet and its people. Here are 10 of those stories.

"The women problem" in Laudato Si' is nothing new. The failure to centralize, regard and learn from women and their experiences abounds in Catholic theology and ecclesial realities. In the next decade, the church must fill this gap.

Pope Leo said the encyclical "has had an extraordinary impact, inspiring countless initiatives and teaching everyone to listen to the twofold cry of the Earth and of the poor."

Pope Francis made clear that protecting creation is essential to the Catholic faith.
 

Dated May 24, the solemnity of Pentecost in 2015, the document, "Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home," presented the core of his teachings on integral ecology, its principles and practical applications.

The Lexington Diocese's implementation of Laudato Si' is "one of the most comprehensive and inspiring examples of ecclesial commitment to integral ecology," said Alonso de Llanes of the Laudato Si' Action Platform.

In a letter to mark the 10th anniversary of the late Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si', U.S. bishops have urged young people to "lead the way" on the climate crisis.

On this 10th anniversary of one of the most extraordinary documents in the church's history, we need to revisit Laudato Si' and heed Pope Francis' call for an integral ecology and better stewardship of creation as a moral imperative.

Laudato Si' opened my eyes to the fact that all injustices are made worse when you add the climate crisis.

I loved that Laudato Si' emphasized the shallow cruelty of the "throwaway culture" that dominates today's individualistic world. Nothing and no one is disposable to God, so why should we allow ourselves to adopt a lower standard?

When a pope had the audacity to name himself after St. Francis — a man of peace, simplicity and creation — I began to dream then of an environmental encyclical.

We need the moral courage that Francis exemplified — a willingness to speak truth to power and to call for radical transformation when it is needed.

Co-hosts discuss the Trump administration's tariffs, and how pastors can emphasize climate change. Heidi interviews Stephanie Clary, NCR's environment editor, about the 10th anniversary of the pope's environmental encyclical.