“Laudato si': 10 years later” – Conference at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa reflected on the legacy of the encyclical and the challenges of integral ecology

At this meeting, organized in partnership with the National Justice and Peace Commission and Casa Velha - Ecology and Spirituality, the two guest speakers discussed the progress made over the last ten years since Pope Francis wrote to the Church and all people of good will, inviting them to an ecological conversion and a new way of looking at our Common Home.

Austen Ivereigh, journalist and biographer of Pope Francis, recalled the journey that preceded the encyclical, highlighting the Aparecida Document (2007) as a moment of ecological conversion experienced by Jorge Bergoglio as bishop of Latin America. Ivereigh highlighted the line of continuity that links this document to Laudato si' (2015), both centered on the urgency of recognizing that “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” are one and the same cry, calling humanity to a profound ecological and social conversion.

In turn, Elena Lasida, theologian and economist, shared her perspective on the academic dimension of integral ecology, delving deeper into the concepts of interdependence, gratuitousness, and creativity. She advocated for more participatory research that is closer to communities, emphasizing that true knowledge arises from encounter, dialogue, and the ability to listen to reality.

In his welcome address, Vice-Rector Peter Hanenberg, Director of the Doctoral School, recalled UCP's commitment to integral ecology, not only through the Postdoctoral Program in Integral Human Development (already with several editions), but also with the Doctorate in Integral Ecology, launched in 2024.

Alex Villas-Boas, from the Faculty of Theology, closed the session by recalling, in the manner of the Apocalypse, that “it is time to make all things new” and called on the audience to take action.