Pope Francis raised the alarm about ecology in his encyclical letter Laudato si’. On care for our common home (24 May 2015). He gathers all the aspects of the ecological crisis, which leads to the concept of ‘integral ecology’, in which the different sides of ecology are bound with human life, and in particular with the plight of the poor. The chapter explores this document and discusses its implications for the rights of and representation of nature. After an analysis of the situation and an evaluation of the ecological needs, the Pope adds paths of action and ways of contemplation. He stresses the fact that everybody is able to do something and to discover the joy in a new relationship of contemplation with his brothers and sisters, with the cosmos and with God. The encyclical is completed by the analysis of the Final Document of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region, held in Rome in October 2019. The Document proposes a concrete application of the encyclical Laudato si’ in the world of today.

Drawing on biblical texts and theological reflections from early Christianity to the present, three prominent ways in which the sacramentality of creation has been nuanced over the centuries are explored: (1) Experiencing the presence of God in the world with focus on Ignatius of Loyola’s final contemplation in his Spiritual Exercises; (2) reflecting on manifestations of God’s goodness, power and wisdom that eminent patristic and medieval theologians discerned when studying the world and novel attributes that are discernible today when informed by current scientific findings; and (3) receiving the Eucharist as a heightened encounter with God that can strengthen individuals and communities to act cooperatively. These three ways of perceiving the world within which we encounter God constitute a formula for venerating Earth that should stimulate Christian attitudes and actions aimed at mitigating impediments to the flourishing of our common home.