Laudato Si' Goals
The Laudato Si’ Goals guide our diverse efforts in our common journey “toward sustainability in the spirit of integral ecology.” Developed by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the goals provide a holistic approach for discerning action and making an impact. Since the goals are shared among every participant in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, they offer a common way of organizing a variety of activities while also inviting opportunities to live out our Franciscan tradition.
Learn more about the Laudato Si’ Goals: https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/laudato-si-goals/
Goal 1: Response to the Cry of the Earth
“Because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another.” (Laudato Si’, 42)
The Response to the Cry of the Earth is a call to protect out common home for the wellbeing of all, as we equitably address the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and ecological sustainability.
Goal 2: Response to the Cry of the Poor
“Hence every ecological approach needs to incorporate a social perspective which takes into account the fundamental rights of the poor and the underprivileged.” (Laudato Si’, 93)
The Response to the Cry of the Poor is a call to promote eco-justice, aware that we are called to defend human life from conception to death, and all forms of life on Earth.
Goal 3: Ecological Economics
“It is essential to seek comprehensive solutions which consider the interactions within natural systems themselves and with social systems.” (Laudato Si’, 139)
Ecological Economics acknowledges that the economy is a sub-system of human society, which itself is embedded within the biosphere – our common home.
Goal 4: Adoption of Sustainable Lifestyles
We are asked to “replace consumption with sacrifice, greed with generosity, wastefulness with a spirit of sharing” (Laudato Si’, 9)
The Adoption of Sustainable Lifestyles is grounded in the idea of sufficiency, and promoting sobriety in the use of resources and energy.
Goal 5: Ecological Education
“Education in environmental responsibility can encourage ways of acting which directly and significantly affect the world around us…” (Laudato Si’, 211)
Ecological Education is about re-thinking and re-designing curricular and institutional reform in the spirit of integral ecology in order to foster ecological awareness and transformative action.
Goal 6: Ecological Spirituality
Develop “an ecological spiritualty grounded in the convictions of our faith, since the teachings of the Gospel have direct consequences for our way of thinking, feeling and living.” (Laudato Si’, 216)
Ecological Spirituality recovers a religious vision of God’s creation and encourages greater contact with the natural world in a spirit of wonder, praise, joy and gratitude.
Goal 7: Community Engagement and Participatory Action
“Social problems must be addressed by community networks and not simply by the sum of individual good deeds.” (Laudato Si’, 219)
Community Engagement and Participatory Action encourage the development of cultures and policies that protect out common home and all who share it.
“It is essential to seek comprehensive solutions which consider the interactions within natural systems themselves and with social systems. We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature.” (Laudato Si’, 139)
Self-Assessment
Gain insights into your current Integral Ecology practices using the 7 Laudato Si’ Goals as a guide. Learning about your group’s current practices can help inform goals and actions that you may want to pursue as part of your Laudato Si’ Action Plan. We’ve created simple self-assessments designed specifically for Friaries, Ministries, Secular Franciscan Fraternities, and Franciscan-hearted individuals/households.