Laudato Si’ Anniversary Week – Voices from the Global South 

As we mark the anniversary of Laudato Si’ this week, we have been reflecting on the Encyclical’s assertion that an ecological debt exists from rich to poor because of resource exploitation and environmental degradation. The Late Pope Francis helped to bring awareness to this concept, which has been analyzed in environmental justice and Global South spaces for decades. 

As part of their Jubilee campaign, the Office of Religious Congregations for Integral Ecology (ORCIE) is compiling a series of reflections from voices of religious congregations in the Global South exploring the intersections of ecological debt, colonialism, and responsibilities held by Global North countries like Canada to respond with reparations. 

ORCIE notes, “It is important for us to hear the perspectives of people from the Global South regarding ecological debt, to see the links between colonialism and debt, and to recognize the resistance of wealthy countries to act with the necessary speed and scale to address climate change.” 

Read the reflections and share: Jubilee 2025 Project: Voices from the Global South – The Office of Religious Congregations for Integral Ecology