Education to the “integral ecology”. Focus on the social teaching of Pope Francis and his encyclical „Laudato si’”

Abstract

The intention of the author of this article is a presentation of the social teaching of Pope Francis on the basis of his green encyclical related primarily to human ecology and environmental ecology, forming both in every family and then at school and university by the media and culture. Education in ‘integral ecology’ is intended to be sensitive to the various aspects of ecology and consequently the protection of human and social life against environmental degradation. Education is a long term process and therefore is concerned about an intergenerational ‘Common Home’, so it cannot be ignored by macro and micro structures of economy or ecology. Pope Francis indicates the correlation between ecology and economy, between environmental ecology and the ecology of man (human ecology) and above all, his moral condition. Social and economic systems must remain on guard to ensure that the balance between the biological and the ecosystem has been properly preserved. In the social assessment and analysis, Pope Francis criticises globalisation, neo­‑liberalism as a form of a new colonialism providing false ecology in economy and in a global politics ultimately directed against developing countries and the poor and excluded. Therefore education which begins in the family has to take into account the problems of ecological crisis and the crisis of ecology of man and his moral condition. The social teaching of Pope Francis shows, as never before, the close relationship between economy, ecology and social ethics.