Laudato si’ : continuité et changement dans le magistère catholique sur l’écologie, l’économie et la vie humaine

While following the footsteps of the magisterium of Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI on ecology, the encyclical “Laudato si”, upon its publication in June 2015, raised a tide of comments and reactions that, in the eyes of international public opinion, brought the Catholic Church into the major debates on the environmental crisis for the first time. In fact, “Laudato si” is distinguished by some striking innovations, which relate in particular to the place given to the countries of the South, to the very clear criticism of the perverse effects of the market economy, to the position taken on global warming and to the ecumenical opening. All in all, these elements suggest possible lines of evolution for the Catholic magisterium in the 21st century.