Laudate Deum
Latin for 'Praise God'
Apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis
Coat of arms of Pope Francis
Signature date 4 October 2023 (2023-10-04)
SubjectOn care for the poor and Earth
Number6 of 7 of the pontificate
Text

Laudate Deum (Praise God) is an apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis, published on October 4, 2023.[1] It was released on the 2023 Feast of St Francis Assisi as a follow-up to his 2015 encyclical Laudato si'. The text is about 8,000 words divided into 73 paragraphs.[2]

In it, Pope Francis calls for speedier action against the climate crisis and condemns climate change denial.[3]

The apostolic exhortation, dated 04 October 2023, was officially presented the following day —Thursday morning, October 5— in a press conference called “Laudate Deum: voices and testimonies on the climate crisis”, held in the Vatican Gardens, in Largo della Radio, in front of the Palazzina Leone XIII of the Vatican.[4]

The Vatican released the document in Italian, Belarusian, German, English, Spanish, French, Polish, Portuguese and Arabic.

It is Pope Francis' sixth apostolic exhortation, after Querida Amazonia, which was released in 2020.[5]

Origin and title of the document

Pope Francis revealed the title of Laudate Deum during a meeting on 21 September, 2023 at the Vatican with rectors of Catholic and public universities from throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. "Laudate Deum" (Praise God) is a frequent refrain in several psalms, including Psalm 148, which tells the heavens and the angels and the sun and moon to praise the Lord. The new document, anticipated pope Francis at that time, is "a look at what has happened" since 2015 and a look at what still "needs to be done."[6]

The title refers to the words of St. Francis of Assisi and to the encyclical Laudato si', which was published in 2015. “‘Praise God for all his creatures,’” Laudate Deum begins. “This was the message that St. Francis of Assisi proclaimed by his life, his canticles and all his actions.”[7]

The main goal of Laudate Deum is to call once again on all people of good will to care for the poor and for the Earth.[1]

Content

In this document, the Pope expresses hope that societies around the world will change their lifestyles and intensify grassroots activities aimed at reducing the negative human impact on the natural environment, to prevent even more tragic damage to the Earth.[8] The dramatic environmental degradation strongly affects not only the indigenous peoples, the poor, and endangered species, but also the future of all young people.[9] He also calls on politicians and the rich to work for the common good, and not for their own profit and particular interests. Finally (in paragraph 73) the Pope emphasises that "when human beings claim to take God’s place, they become their own worst enemies".[1]

As in Laudato Si', the Pope makes use of several quotations from assemblies of bishops held around the world.[1]: Paragraph 3 

The exhortation focuses on the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, offering insights on the current state of the global environment, the inadequacies of current responses, and proposed pathways forward.[10] The document is divided into 6 chapters. The introduction begins by acknowledging the undeniable reality of climate change and its increasingly evident effects on the planet. Pope Francis emphasizes the anthropogenic origin of climate change and the irreversible nature of many associated catastrophes.[11] While recognizing the limitations in fully correcting the damage, the exhortation underscores the importance of taking measures to prevent further harm.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Pope Francis (2023-10-04). "Laudate Deum". vatican.va. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  2. ↑ "'Laudate Deum': A brief guide for busy readers". The Pillar. 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  3. ↑ "Franziskus ruft zu raschen Maßnahmen gegen Erderwärmung auf "Laudate Deum" veröffentlicht: Papst kritisiert Klimaleugner". katholisch.de. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Conference for accredited journalists, entitled "Laudate Deum: voices and testimonies on the climate crisis"". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  5. ↑ "Francis: Apostolic Exhortations". vatican.va. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  6. ↑ "Pope says his new ecology document is titled 'Laudate Deum'". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  7. ↑ "'Laudate Deum': A brief guide for busy readers". The Pillar. October 4, 2023.
  8. ↑ Harvey, Fiona (2023-10-04). "Pope urges rich world to make profound changes to tackle climate crisis". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  9. ↑ Horowitz, Jason; Povoledo, Elisabetta (2023-10-04). "Francis Issues Urgent Call to Save a Planet Near 'the Breaking Point'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  10. ↑ Aceprensa (2023-10-16). ""Laudate Deum": new arguments to fight climate change". Aceprensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  11. ↑ Horowitz, Jason; Povoledo, Elisabetta (2023-10-04). "Francis Issues Urgent Call to Save a Planet Near 'the Breaking Point'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  12. ↑ Fiona, Harvey (4 October 2023). "Pope urges rich world to make profound changes to tackle climate crisis". The Guardian.

See also

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