Sustainability, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and the Catholic Church’s Ecological Turn

2020/09/25 by Jaime Tatay Nieto · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Environmental Science · #Religion, Ecology, and Ethics #Environmental Philosophy and Ethics #Religion, Society, and Development

paper · pdf · doi:10.3390/rel11100488

openalex publication_date 2020/09/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23

Abstract

The promulgation of the encyclical letter Laudato si’ by Pope Francis in 2015 has been interpreted as the final phase in the integration of sustainability concerns into Catholic Social Teaching. In this recent historical development, academic research has paid particular attention to how different eco-theological traditions, sociocultural developments, and local advocacy practices influenced the Church’s ecological turn. However, the key role played by non-magisterial, intermediate institutions, particularly highly qualified interlocutors such as the Pontifical Academy of Sciences (PAS), has not been studied in depth. This article argues that, over the past 60 years, the PAS has been instrumental in this development: Raising awareness on socio-environmental issues, promoting environmental literacy, fostering ethical reflection, and catalyzing interdisciplinary dialogue in order to orient policy.

Citations

• The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis
• Revisiting the Commons: Local Lessons, Global Challenges
• The Emergence of Ecology as a New Integrative Discipline
• The Structure of Religious Environmentalism: Movement Organizations, Interorganizational Networks, and Collective Action

Cited by

• Pontifical Academy of Sciences [wikipedia]