Laudato Si and Vatican III

Laudato Si and Vatican III Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si is a significant step forward in addressing the climate change issue, showing its impacts especially upon the poor and in furthering the relationship between science and religion. Ilia Delio, the author of this article, praises the Pope for his encyclical and outlines some of the major sources he has drawn upon. But she also points out a limitation. The Pope has adopted the geocentric cosmology of medieval theologians such as Bonaventure and Aquinas. She sees the need for a modern cosmology based upon the insights of Teilhard de Chardin and the cosmology of Einstein and the quantum physics of the early and mid 1900s. She points out the benefits of adopting these new insights and approach not only for religious groups but for all of us living in a rapidly changing world. Delio is a theologian at Villanova University and a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Washington D.C.