Laudato Si is written with an authoritative, inspiring, and eloquent tone that you might expect from something written by the Pope. However, it does not often anticipate counterarguments or delve into a great deal of nuance. I was disappointed that the Pope did not tackle some of the most thorny questions surrounding the discussion of Climate Change in a Christian context. There was no discussion of whether belief in God’s ultimate control over the world could or should temper the passionate zeal for urgent climate-related reform. The Pope insists that social justice must be pursued alongside environmental reform, but there is no discussion of how these aims might conflict (for example, concerns about overpopulation are dismissed) or how to prioritize between the two.
Nicholas Capaldi and Phillip Booth critique here and here some of the socialist tendencies of Laudato Si. Within Laudato Si, the Pope points the finger of blame a great deal at capitalism. The Pope writes,
The principle of the maximization of profits, frequently isolated from other considerations, reflects a misunderstanding of the very concept of the economy. As long as production is increased, little concern is given to whether it is at the cost of future resources or the health of the environment; as long as the clearing of a forest increases production, no one calculates the losses entailed in the desertification of the land, the harm done to biodiversity or the increased pollution. In a word, businesses profit by calculating and paying only a fraction of the costs involved.
Capaldi sees in Laudato Si evidence of a socialist bias. He points out that socialist systems have a worse track record than capitalistic ones in human rights, responsibility, and poverty, issues that the Pope writes passionately about in Laudato Si. Booth argues that the Pope slips into Rosseau-like yearning for a world without private property, but reminds us that the dissolution of private property has disastrous results for environment.
Capaldi's assessment of Laudato Si is exaggerated and has its own problems. For example, the quotation above certainly blames capitalism for environmental tragedy, but it could be that what the Pope wants is a more refined capitalism, not socialism. However, the Pope gives space for this overreaction (and potential misinterpretation) by not delving into enough nuance throughout Laudato Si.
Despite this criticism of Laudato Si, on the whole, I enjoyed it and thought it made many important arguments. I have included some memorable quotes below.
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In tropical and subtropical seas, we find coral reefs comparable to the great forests on dry land, for they shelter approximately a million species, including fish, crabs, molluscs, sponges and algae. Many of the world’s coral reefs are already barren or in a state of constant decline. “Who turned the wonderworld of the seas into underwater cemeteries bereft of colour and life?”
We are not God. The earth was here before us and it has been given to us. This allows us to respond to the charge that Judaeo-Christian thinking, on the basis of the Genesis account which grants man “dominion” over the earth (cf. Gen 1:28), has encouraged the unbridled exploitation of nature by painting him as domineering and destructive by nature. This is not a correct interpretation of the Bible as understood by the Church. Although it is true that we Christians have at times incorrectly interpreted the Scriptures, nowadays we must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God’s image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures. The biblical texts are to be read in their context, with an appropriate hermeneutic, recognizing that they tell us to “till and keep” the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2:15). “Tilling” refers to cultivating, ploughing or working, while “keeping” means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving. This implies a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature. Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for subsistence, but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations. “The earth is the Lord’s” (Ps 24:1); to him belongs “the earth with all that is within it” (Dt 10:14). Thus God rejects every claim to absolute ownership: “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me” (Lev 25:23).
In those countries which should be making the greatest changes in consumer habits, young people have a new ecological sensitivity and a generous spirit, and some of them are making admirable efforts to protect the environment. At the same time, they have grown up in a milieu of extreme consumerism and affluence which makes it difficult to develop other habits.
The Lord was able to invite others to be attentive to the beauty that there is in the world because he himself was in constant touch with nature, lending it an attention full of fondness and wonder. As he made his way throughout the land, he often stopped to contemplate the beauty sown by his Father, and invited his disciples to perceive a divine message in things: “Lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest” (Jn 4:35). “The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but once it has grown, it is the greatest of plants” (Mt 13:31-32).
In some countries, there are positive examples of environmental improvement: rivers, polluted for decades, have been cleaned up; native woodlands have been restored; landscapes have been beautified thanks to environmental renewal projects; beautiful buildings have been erected; advances have been made in the production of non-polluting energy and in the improvement of public transportation. These achievements do not solve global problems, but they do show that men and women are still capable of intervening positively. For all our limitations, gestures of generosity, solidarity and care cannot but well up within us, since we were made for love.
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