On Care for Our Common Home (Laudato Si')

Study Guide Included for Reflection and Discussion. Addressed not only to Catholics but to every person living on this planet, Pope Francis second encyclical is a challenging call for a bold cultural revolution in how we think about technological progress and economic growth. The degradation of our environment, he says, is a symptom of deeper problems: rapid change, unsustainable overconsumption, indifference to the poor, and the decay of social values. He offers a variety of solutions, including a change in lifestyles away from extreme consumerism and towards a greater sense of social responsibility. For Christians, an ecological spirituality one that is grounded in the convictions of our faith is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience. Drawing on the rich social teachings of the Church, Laudato Si is a groundbreaking document that will be discussed and studied by both believers and non-believers for years to come.