Abstract
There is a broad consensus among scientists and society that a “Great Transformation” towards more sustainability is of existential urgency for saving the living conditions of our planet. Nonetheless, the global political and economic reactions and efforts have been insufficient. In this context, the encyclical letter “Laudato Si’ – on care for our common home” of Pope Francis (2015a)—in which he calls for a more sustainable lifestyle and economy and more social justice—received worldwide attention from all sectors of society with many welcoming the encyclical almost enthusiastically. Therefore, it seems worthy to explore the relevance, transformative potential and impact of the statements of a religious leader. In this chapter, we will attempt to answer the question: can the encyclical Laudato Si’ act as a catalyst for a global societal transformation towards more sustainability? First, we give some critical remarks and observations about this question, set it in the context of sustainability research and invite a broader discussion.
Drawing from sustainability science we begin by giving some remarks on transformations, their drivers and characteristics. For this we use the flagship report “World in transition” by the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU 2011b). Second, we present and reflect on the encyclical. We start with some general remarks on the document, continue with a presentation of statements on sustainable resource use and then comment on the question of “Laudato Si’” as a potential catalyst for transformation. Third, we present the project “Laudato Si’ – The papal encyclical in discourse for a Great Transformation” of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KU) and the Federation of German Scientists (VDW). The project takes the encyclical and its statements on socio-ecological sustainability as a starting point. Through transdisciplinary, communicative and scientific-educative activities the project re-contextualizes the statements of the encyclical in the scientific field and thereby acts as a sustainability transformative driver, building a bridge between religion and science in the field of transformation. It is shown that the encyclical has considerable transformative relevance. Some impacts can already be noticed, even if long-term and global impacts are difficult to determine, yet.
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Notes
- 1.
To name just one example: The St. James’s Palace Memorandum from 2009, published by 60 Nobel Laureates.
- 2.
The project relies on a long list of important publications such as the Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”; The United Nations 2015), The Limits to Growth (Meadows et al. 1972), Silent Spring (Carson 1962) and the Brundtland Report (The United Nations/World Commission on Environment and Development 1987).
- 3.
Chapter 6 of the WBGU’s flagship report of 2011 (pp. 241–264) is dedicated to these “Agents of Transformation: How Innovations Can Spread (Faster)” (p. 241).
- 4.
VDW is the acronym for the German name of the organisation “Vereinigung Deutscher Wissenschaftler e. V.”.
- 5.
In this part of the essay (and in Sect. 31.3) the drivers’ characteristics are highlighted by putting them in italic letters.
- 6.
The project, presented in Sect. 31.3, includes activities especially in the field of education.
- 7.
- 8.
It is assumed that actions and behaviour are determined by awareness and especially attitudes and values.
- 9.
The WBGU also makes suggestions on how to create the “right” awareness and to turn awareness into requisite action (see WBGU 2011b, pp. 7, 23, 241, 321, 355–357).
- 10.
For illustration and affirmation see also WBGU 2011b, pp. 67 and 352.
- 11.
In our examinations we use the term “catalyst” as something that provokes or accelerates a development.
- 12.
Laudato Si’ means Praise Be! from the Canticle of Brother Son, Sister Moon of Francis of Assisi. An encyclical is a letter, formally addressed first to all the bishops, and is the highest level of teaching in the Catholic Church (Tucker 2015).
- 13.
Explanation: All the citations from the encyclical have numbers in brackets. These do not refer to page numbers but the numbered sections in the text. This is especially useful, because the quoted section is always easy to find in each edition of the encyclical in different languages.
- 14.
- 15.
The Rio Declaration of 1992 states in Principle 15 that “where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a pretext for postponing cost-effective measures” which prevent environmental degradation (The United Nations 1992).
- 16.
See the websites http://catholicclimatemovement.global and http://laudatosiweek.org for details.
- 17.
See the website http://www.laudato-si-investing.com for details.
- 18.
See information on the university website https://www.scu.edu/ and the thematic section on Laudato Si’ at https://www.scu.edu/ourcommonhome/ for details.
- 19.
See the dedicated section on the website of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile at http://www.uc.cl/es/enciclica-laudato-si
- 20.
See Sect. 31.1 for details.
- 21.
One important question in the project’s research activities is: which role can religion and statements of religious leaders play for supporting and driving societal transformation processes? Which impacts can statements of religious leaders have on people’s attitudes, values and resulting actions regarding sustainability, climate protection and also resource efficiency? This was discussed, e.g., at a scientific workshop at the IASS in Potsdam in September 2016; more information at http://www.laudato-si-transformation.de/veranstaltungen/internationaler-fachworkshop-am-iass/; see also Bergmann and Gerten (2010); Gerten and Bergmann (2013).
- 22.
E.g. the scientific expertise on the current state of knowledge on climate impact research of Prof. Dr. John Schellnhuber (PIK), one of the presenters of the encyclical to the public on 18 Jun. 2015, are presented by our project.
- 23.
See e.g. the joint research project of KU, VDW, IASS and PIK on “Religion and Climate/Environmental Development” or the IASS/PIK/KU/VDW workshop on the encyclical and its transformative potential, 12–14 Sept. 2016 in Potsdam.
- 24.
For details see http://www.laudato-si-transformation.de/veranstaltungen/
- 25.
Namely Christian Meier and Till Weyers.
- 26.
For example Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer, Prof. Dr. Hartmut Graßl, Christoph Bals, Rev. John Patrick Ngoyi, Prof. Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker, Card. Jaime Lucas Ortega, Prof. Dr. Hubert Weiger have been interviewed. Almost all interview partners were participants of the academic events.
- 27.
This is also the vision of the WBGU and is inherent in Laudato Si’.
- 28.
Partners on regional level include the “Department for the Creation and Climate Protection” and the “Department for the World-Wide Church (‘Referat Weltkirche’)” of the Diocese of Eichstätt, or also single actors such as the KU-Prof. Dr. Ingrid Hemmer and the KU-Prof. emer. Dr. Engelbert Groß. On the national level the project engages with Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Germanwatch, Pax Christi and the BUND – Friends of the Earth Germany.
- 29.
They network and gain important fellow campaigners, they gradually develop the idea further together, and join forces with other sustainability minded actors.
- 30.
From the areas of politics e.g. the Hessian undersecretary of state Dr. Beatrix Tappeser took part in a KU/VDW event, from the area of civil society e. g. Wiltrud Rösch-Metzler (federal chairwoman of Pax Christi). Prof. Dr. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker will be key note speaker at a KU/VDW event on eco-social sustainable economy on 12 May 2017 as well as Prof. Dr. Hubert Weiger (federal chairman of the BUND) on 16 and 17 May 2017.
- 31.
This is also readily apparent in the project team setup, which includes organisations from various different backgrounds, and their joint research projects. It is also illustrated by the networking activities within the KU faculties.
- 32.
These results have been confirmed by a questionnaire with socio-geographic data filled out by the participants of the events.
- 33.
The involvement of civil society is also a key component of the networking activities and the information measures with and by the project partners.
- 34.
For example, Dr. Angelika Hilbeck (researcher at the ETH Zürich) started the KU/VDW event on “The Encyclical Laudato Si’ and World Nutrition, Peace and Social Justice” with a presentation of the current state of knowledge on world nutrition and its unsustainable practices, cycles and relations.
- 35.
In particular the event „The Encyclical Laudato Si’ and concrete transformation by Bamboo Reforestation on the Philippines“ on 17 Oct. 2016 could contribute to this; at the beginning the concept of the “Great Transformation” had been explained by an expert of the IASS; all participants and especially civil society had actively been involved by fundraising possibilities; an awareness for the importance and power of seemingly insignificant actions of single individuals for transformation was created. For more details see http://www.laudato-si-transformation.de/veranstaltungen/die-welt-retten-transformation-konkret/
- 36.
See for example the lectures for Social Works Master Students on „Social Works and transformative science in the horizon of the Encyclical Laudato Si’” at the KU in the summer semester 2016.
- 37.
Background dialogues between the keynote speakers of the KU/VDW events and students, offered by the project team, can contribute to awareness building. To the same end, two student groups were taken on excursion to the “DBU Week of the Environment” at Berlin and took part in the KU/VDW panel “The Encyclical Laudato Si’ and Science” at 8 Jun. 2016, see http://www.laudato-si-transformation.de/veranstaltungen/woche-der-umwelt/
- 38.
Some of the press reports can be reviewed at http://www.laudato-si-transformation.de/presse/
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Bartosch, U., Meier, C., Weyers, T. (2018). Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Si’ as a Catalyst for Societal Transformation? Critical Remarks and Presentation of an Inspired Exemplary Project as a Driver for Sustainability. In: Lehmann, H. (eds) Factor X. Eco-Efficiency in Industry and Science, vol 32. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50079-9_31
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