"Caring for the common home is part of faith": dialogue between ecology and religion, 10 years after the publication of the encyclical "Laudato Si".

"Caring for the common home is part of the praxis of faith. Eduardo Agosta, director of the department of Integral Ecology of the Spanish Episcopal lecture , during a meeting organized by the Master's Degree in Christianity and Contemporary Culture of the School of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Navarra. School of Philosophy and Letters. In the colloquium, organized on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the publication of the encyclical "Laudato Si", he was accompanied by Jordi Puig, professor of the School of Sciences and researcher of the Biodiversity and Environment Institute (BIOMA) of the academic center.

Fran Otero, journalist of Ecclesia magazine and moderator the meeting, opened the session by recalling that the relationship between human beings and nature "is not a recent or merely economic question, but a theological, cultural and moral issue. In this context, he posed the central question around which the dialogue revolved: "Is there really a tension between faith and ecology or is it an ideological issue? Agosta responded by recalling that this tension is rooted in the interpretation of the biblical commandment, fill the earth and subdue it: "For a long time it was read as a core topic of domination, when in reality the message of Genesis is one of care and cultivation. In chapter 2, verse 15, is the true ecological instruction: God put man in the garden of Eden to take care of it and cultivate it," he explained. In this sense, he added that the ecological crisis is, above all, "a moral and spiritual crisis".

For his part, Jordi Puig stressed that the misunderstanding about man's dominion over creation comes from a reading "obscured by our modern gaze": "When the text says dominate the earth, it does not speak of destroying, but of participating in God's creative dominion, of taking care of what He has placed within our reach. We lack a clean look to understand it," he said.

During the dialogue, the relationship between faith and science was also discussed. Both speakers agreed that they must go hand in hand: "Caring for the earth requires knowledge ," said Agosta, "and knowledge requires entering fully into the disciplines of the earth, but also opening up to the ethical and spiritual dimension. There are no two ways: caring for creation is an expression of faith. For his part, Professor Puig added that contemporary ecological sensitivity "has made us hear the voice of the Father once again, even through non-believers who have awakened us to the mistreatment of our common home.

Ten years after the publication of Pope Francis ' encyclical "Laudato Si", the speakers highlighted its relevance. As Puig said, "it was a surprise and a hope. I felt that at last the Church was speaking clearly about something that many of us were experiencing with concern". Father Agosta acknowledged that "the encyclical came after a long process of dialogue between science and faith, and put an end to the feeling of orphanhood of many believers dedicated to the environment".

Both stressed that the current challenge is not only technical, but also spiritual. It is not just a matter of recycling or using energy-saving light bulbs," said Agosta. Catholic integral ecology is transcendent: it implies conversion, Withdrawal, change of lifestyle". Along the same lines, Puig recalled that "Laudato Si" unites "the cry of the earth and that of the poor", and that the solution lies in spirituality: "Only those who discover that everything is a gift can transform the world, beginning with their own lives".

The colloquium concluded with a message of hope. "Every Christian can start by changing the way he or she lives. Less is more. We don't need so much to be happy," Father Agosta pointed out. For his part, Professor Puig ended by affirming that "we cannot offer healing to the world if we do not begin by healing ourselves. Ecological conversion begins with our gaze.