On Wednesday the 4th October 2023, the day of Feast of Saint Francis and the opening of the XVI Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the Apostolic Exhortation "Laudate Deum" (Praise God) was published.
“«Praise God for all His creatures”. This was the invitation that Saint Francis of Assisi made with his life, his songs, and his gestures. In this way he took up the proposal of the Psalms of and re-presented the sensitivity of Jesus towards the creatures of His Father": this is how the exhortation begins in which, eight years after the encyclical "Laudato Si', Pope Francis returns to speak about climate emergency.
The text also refers to scientific sources, to provide clarifications against denialist theories, against "certain contemptuous and unreasonable opinions that I also find within the Catholic Church. However, we can no longer doubt that the reason for the unusual speed of such dangerous changes is an undeniable fact: the enormous developments connected to unbridled human intervention on nature in the last two centuries” (LD, 14).
In the 73 paragraphs of 6 chapters, there are several passages that the pontiff dedicates to the dramatic environmental current situation, with an integral approach to the issue: pollution, increase in temperatures, migrations, famines, are all consequences of the "technocratic paradigm", already denounced in the LS, which “consists of thinking «as if reality, goodness and truth blossomed spontaneously from the very power of technology and the economy». As a logical consequence, «from here we easily move on to the idea of infinite or unlimited growth, which has so excited economists, theorists of finance and technology»” (LD, 20).
Pope Francis is clear in criticizing the "logic of maximum profit at minimum cost, masked by rationality, progress and illusory promises", which "makes any sincere concern for the common home and any attention to the promotion of society's discarded impossible" (LD , 31); and he is equally clear in praising the virtuous behaviour of individuals and families, which should guide the consciences of the powerful.
His gaze is also turned towards COP28, the 28th United Nations Conference on climate change to be held in Dubai from 30th November to 12th December 2023: "If there is a sincere interest in ensuring that COP28 becomes historic - we read in the paragraph 59 - that honours and ennobles us as human beings, then we can only expect binding forms of energy transition that have three characteristics: that they are efficient, that they are binding and that they are easily monitored".
Pope Francis also provided the spiritual motivations of this exhortation, which does not treat the issue in a "romantic" or simply "green" way (LD, 58), but has profound theological foundations. In paragraph 62, amongst others, Leviticus is cited: «The lands cannot be sold forever; because the land is Mine and you are with Me as strangers and guests» (Lev 25, 23).
The conclusion contains the whole meaning of the Laudate Deum: ""Praise God" is the name of this letter, because a human being who claims to replace God becomes the worst danger to himself." (LD, 73)
Download and read the complete text of the Laudate Deum
