Vatican supports vegetarianism in new ecological doctrine

The Vatican has issued a significant doctrinal document regarding the global ecological crisis, offering support for vegetarianism as an ethical response to environmental challenges. The document, titled ‘Cuidar nuestra Casa común. Respuesta responsable y fraterna al Dios trinitario’, was prepared by the International Theological Commission and approved by Pope Leo XIV.

The text argues that the vegetarian movement finds support in the Book of Genesis, which describes God providing herbs and fruit trees for human consumption. While the Church acknowledges that the permission to consume animals was granted following the Great Flood in the covenant with Noah, the document emphasizes that such consumption must be governed by strict criteria of “moderation, proportion and necessity” due to the sacredness of life.

This shift moves the discussion of meat consumption away from mere religious penance or fasting toward a broader ethical sensitivity aligned with animal welfare, sustainability, and responsible consumption. The Vatican frames the ecological crisis as a theological issue, rejecting both predatory anthropocentrism and radical biocentrism, instead promoting an integral ecology that views the world as a divine creation where all life is interconnected.