Pope Francis, spiritual leader and environmental reference
This April, the world bid farewell to Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, the man who asked us to "make trouble" to change things. Among the many gestures, words, and teachings that marked his pontificate, there is a legacy that resonates today with more urgency than ever: his call to care for our planet, our common home.
In 2015, with Laudato Si’, and then in 2023 with Laudate Deum, Francis raised his voice in front of a humanity that seemed to forget that the earth does not have infinite resources to exploit, but is a gift to safeguard. "Laudato Si’, mi Signore," sang Saint Francis of Assisi, and with that inspiration, the Pope reminded us that everything is connected: the environment, social justice, the economy, culture, our own lives.
A call to awaken: "Laudato Si’"
When he published Laudato Si’, Francis was not speaking only to Catholics. He addressed every person of good will, inviting us to confront the damage we cause: pollution, climate change, loss of biodiversity, extreme poverty. It was not a discourse of experts but a cry of humanity: "Everything is connected", he repeated again and again.
In that encyclical, the Pope was clear: the problem is not only ecological but also ethical, cultural, and spiritual. He criticized the model of rampant consumption, the culture of waste, and the logic of exploitation that forgets that the Earth has limits. He showed us another way of living, based on integral ecology, which unites the defense of the environment with the care of people.
“There are not two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather one single and complex socio-environmental crisis.” (Laudato Si’, n° 139)
"We need an ecological conversion," he wrote, proposing a deep change, not only in governments but in each of us: in how we consume, what drives us, how we relate to others and the world we inhabit.
A cry of urgency: "Laudate Deum"
Eight years later, in 2023, Francis wrote again. This time, with Laudate Deum, the tone was more urgent. There was no time to lose. Climate change, he warned, is no longer a future threat: it is happening now. Droughts, floods, forced migrations... The "common home" bore the wounds of our indifference.
Francis was more direct: he denounced the inaction of world leaders, criticized climate agreements that are signed with big headlines but forgotten the next day, bravely pointed out those who choose to deny scientific evidence, and reminded us that those who suffer the most from the consequences are always the most vulnerable.
His message was clear: we cannot wait. The response must be collective, political, but also personal.
“We can no longer stop the enormous damage we have caused. We can only try to prevent even more dramatic harm.”
(Laudate Deum, n° 16)
"What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us?" he asked us, returning to the central question of Laudato Si’. And he made it clear that caring for the planet is not a luxury for environmentalists but an act of justice, a matter of love for our neighbor and respect for future generations.
The legacy of a visionary Pope who made trouble
Pope Francis was a forerunner of his time. In a world still divided between climate denial and indifference, he raised his voice with strength, clarity, and courage. He was transgressive not only for saying what others remained silent about but for placing the relationship between the environment, the economy, and human dignity at the center of the global agenda.
While some still debated whether talking about ecology was a task for the Church, Francis was already speaking of "common home," "culture of waste," and the need for a deep ecological conversion. He showed us that the climate crisis is not just a scientific or political issue: it is, above all, a human crisis.
How can we still doubt the urgency when reality screams from all sides? Francis saw it clearly. He said it clearly. And he challenged us with clarity.
His voice remains a beacon. With the passion of one who truly loves, he asked us to make trouble: to disturb the powerful, to shake consciences, to not accept the world as it is but to transform it. In times when speeches are moderated to avoid discomfort, he disturbed with love, faith, and active hope.
“‘Why preserve a power today that will be remembered for its inability to intervene when it was urgent and necessary to do so?’”
(Laudate Deum, n° 60)
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