Educational institutions

By: Madeline Alvarez, Managing Editor

“Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home” is Pope Francis’ first encyclical, which is a papal letter sent to all Catholic bishops. It was published in 2015, and Francis wrote it to remind the faithful of their duty to care for the earth.

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Gonzaga University has become the first university in the United States to commit to the Laudato Si Action Platform inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 ecological encyclical, “Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home.”

“I’m delighted to see our university taking a leadership role in advancing this timely and significant Vatican initiative,” Gonzaga University President Thayne McCulloh said. “Pope Francis’ invitation for all Catholic organizations and individuals to begin a seven-year journey to embrace integral ecology in all we do is both urgent and very much in keeping with our institution’s commitments.”

An encyclical is a type of teaching that has a high level of authority in the church, second only to the Gospels and church councils such as Vatican II.

A working group of representatives from Catholic colleges and universities around the world are working together to create a website that will give the Catholic higher education sector guidance and examples on how to instill the principles of Laudato Si on their campuses. The site also provides a platform for sharing students' voices and making connections within the sector. 

The website is currently in development and will launch in fall 2021.