International Theological Commission issues document on ecological crisis

The International Theological Commission (ITC) has released a major document titled ‘Taking Care of Our Common Home,’ which addresses the global ecological and social crisis from a theological perspective. Authorized by Pope Leo XIV, the text frames environmental damage as a ‘sin against creation and the Creator,’ rather than using terms like ‘ecocide.’

The document, which resulted from a reflection process spanning 2022 to 2025, argues that the ecological crisis is inextricably linked to social injustice. It emphasizes that the ‘cry of the earth’ is tragically connected to the ‘cry of the poor,’ noting that environmental degradation disproportionately affects vulnerable populations.

Drawing on the teachings of Church Doctors such as Augustine, Hildegard of Bingen, Bonaventure, and Thomas Aquinas, the Commission rejects both predatory anthropocentrism and extreme biocentrism. Instead, it proposes a ‘situated anthropocentrism’ that recognizes the interconnectedness of all life and the religious dimension inherent in human interaction with the natural world.