Published: 2026-06-22

Pope Francis’s Ecophilosophical Message: Guidelines for Building a Just and Sustainable World in the Light of Laudato si’ and Laudate Deum

Ryszard F. Sadowski Profil ORCID autora Ryszard F. Sadowski , Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam Profil ORCID autora Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam
Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae
Section: Articles
DOI https://doi.org/10.21697/seb.5895

Abstract

This article reconstructs Laudato si’ and Laudate Deum as a coherent ecophilosophical framework for addressing the ecological crisis through relational anthropology, intergenerational responsibility, and ecological education. Focusing on Laudato si’ (2015) and Laudate Deum (2023), it analyses the development of Pope Francis’s thought on the ecological crisis, with particular attention to the critique of excessive anthropocentrism, the principle of intergenerational responsibility, and the role of ecological education. The article argues that Francis’s concept of integral ecology provides more than general moral inspiration: it offers practical normative criteria for evaluating policies, institutions, and educational practices in the context of environmental degradation and climate instability. The analysis shows that the two papal documents form a dynamic continuum, moving from anthropological and ethical foundations to an urgent call for implementation and political accountability. On this basis, the article formulates a set of operational guidelines for institutional and public action, including intergenerational tests in decision-making, full internalization of environmental costs, compensatory mechanisms grounded in historical responsibility, and education oriented toward ecological conscience and civic competence. The study concludes that Pope Francis’s ecological teaching constitutes a significant ecophilosophical contribution to contemporary debates on justice, sustainability, and responsibility for the future.

Keywords:

Pope Francis, Laudato si’, Laudate Deum, integral ecology, ecophilosophy, environmental ethics, anthropocentrism, intergenerational responsibility, ecological justice, education for sustainable development, SDG 4 – Quality Education, SDG 13 – Climate Action

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Citation rules

Sadowski, R. F., & Kureethadam, J. I. (2026). Pope Francis’s Ecophilosophical Message: Guidelines for Building a Just and Sustainable World in the Light of Laudato si’ and Laudate Deum. Studia Ecologiae Et Bioethicae. https://doi.org/10.21697/seb.5895

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