10 years of Laudato Si’
In Preparation for COP30 Ecological Debt and Public Hope

After an opening day filled with strong emotions, surprises, and meetings — also marked by significant discussions on the challenges of Pope Francis's Community Dream as outlined in his Apostolic Exhortation Querida Amazonia — the second day of the University Network for the Care of the Common Home (RUC) Congress introduced the theme "Cultural Dream: Biodiversity." This dream, particularly concerning the Amazon, emphasizes the importance of preserving and valuing the rich cultural diversity of indigenous peoples, aiming to protect their identity, customs, traditions, and knowledge.

At the opening conference titled "Biodiversity and Technology," Emilce Cuda, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, welcomed participants, stressing the importance of deepening mutual understanding and reiterating the need to build bridges between universities from the global North and South. "We have highly prepared individuals who will pose challenging questions or interventions, but everyone can and should participate, and we want you to participate," she encouraged, adding, "Know that Cardinals Prevost and Tolentino have propelled all this, and now Prevost supports us as Pope Leo XIV."

In the first panel, Rafaela Diegoli from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Maria Eugenia Garcia Moreno from Universidad Mayor de San Andrés in Bolivia, Esther Sánchez from Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCuyo) in Argentina, and Alejandro Guevara from Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO) in Mexico shared experiences in education and management.

Rafaela Diegoli shared an experience from Tecnológico de Monterrey that she considered valuable for incorporating lessons learned from many mistakes and some successes. The case involved creating a strategic plan for the institution covering 2020 to 2025, with sustainable development as one of its major themes. "One thing we realized during those discussions is that we couldn't operate in a single domain or rely on a single 'hero.' We developed a program that addressed various dimensions, coordinating all university strategies and initiatives related to sustainable development."

For Diegoli, another interesting aspect was observing that as students advanced in their understanding of sustainability, they began questioning various aspects of the university, necessitating changes in infrastructure and the promotion of new programs and initiatives. "We need to lead by example, teach by example. And we need to work on political and community engagement because a sustainable development strategy isn't just about what's happening within our campus bubble but also beyond. It's about how we work with the community," she emphasized.

Alejandro Guevara recalled a phrase from a Jesuit missionary in Nicaragua who spoke at the international Rio 92 conference: "As universities, we cannot train successful professionals in failed societies." For the professor, this is the significant challenge for institutions inspired by the messages of Laudato si’.

"It's useless to have excellent technicians if we don't follow Pope Francis's recommendations, if we aren't 'thinking-feeling' individuals. When asked about the current state of the Common Home in terms of biodiversity and technology, the news is quite disheartening. There's even a new term, 'Anthropocene defaunation,' indicating that in the last 30 to 50 years, over 60% of the planet's biodiversity has been lost," he lamented. According to Guevara, in contrast, technological advancements have been tremendous: "This forces us to reflect on the difference between the technology of death and the technology for caring for the Common Home. One response is that often, what is successful in applying technology in one context isn't in another. As universities, the question is, what are we doing about this — we develop good technologies, but how much do we support the people who will adopt them, get to know them, and embrace them?" he challenged.

Maria Eugenia Moreno revealed that she is intensely working with traditional approaches in studies and research at San Andrés: "Of course, there's traditional teaching; however, in various provinces and municipalities distant from La Paz, where our university is located, we've created programs called 'Specialist Workers,' offering university education to people who often haven't even attended school but possess local knowledge and ancestral wisdom."

According to Moreno, the initiative has significantly strengthened the university, as it also aids in scientific research being developed in various regions of La Paz — which includes the Amazon region, the Yungas (subtropical) region, and the Andean region. "In the Amazon region, for example, we're conducting research on medicinal plants. Studying with traditional peoples saves more than 20 years of medical testing."

Esther Sánchez believes that the fundamental challenge is to think sustainably to act accordingly, which necessarily implies a cultural change. "We, as a university, have an immense challenge but also an opportunity. In fact, a responsibility as educators, starting with the need for comprehensive education," she explained. She continued: "We are responsible for training future leaders who will accompany the human development process. Cultural change needs to be accompanied by each of the core functions of our universities — not just teaching, but extension courses, research, and engagement: extension, as mentioned, not only on campus but beyond, which is a political decision. Seeing so many rectors, I say it's important to remember that it's a political decision; if we truly want to generate this cultural change, we need to work intensely because it's a slow and long transformation that requires daily work on each sustainable action."

In the day's second panel, Walter Panesse from the University of Luján, Argentina, Peter Rožič from Oxford University, UK, and Alberto Molina from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, discussed the role of technology in protecting biodiversity.

Walter Panesse presented the example of drones capturing forest sounds, which artificial intelligence then analyzes to identify animals present or absent in the biome — an extremely positive use of technology. An AI that is useful and powerful but also presents numerous challenges. "In the last election in our country's capital, a well-constructed deepfake video of the former president was released. Of course, the former president has many images, so it was very easy to create this video. On the other hand, it's also very difficult to distinguish what's real and what's fake. And this issue is becoming increasingly complex. It seems to me that this is being used harmfully. What the system does is provide a response that will statistically be chosen as valid, but the question is whether we can discern and work on these issues; it seems to me that as a tool, it's very good for reducing work, but reality is something very necessary, and the challenge has to do with the ethics of artificial intelligence and how we will use it."

Jesuit Peter Rožič began his speech with a provocation: "What kills the tropical forest the most? The Amazon forest?" "Cows," was the answer. According to him, yes, 90% of the responsibility for the Amazon's destruction lies with cattle ranching. The rest goes to soy, mining... "We throw away between 10% and 40% of the meat we produce. We kill the forest, biodiversity, and a large part of the food produced is wasted. This is what Pope Francis criticizes as a technological paradigm that kills us because, in the name of progress, in the name of some false aspect of food sovereignty, we think we have to produce too much meat. It's not just that: Francis also speaks of the monetization of agriculture. Integral ecology is the opposite; it wants to hear the call of the Earth we are killing and hear the call of the poor. There are still Amazonian communities and others that fight this technological paradigm with their own lives," he lamented.

The Jesuit also informed about initiatives related to integral agroecology, such as the launch of an award that will bear the name of French Jesuit Jean-Pierre Camilleri. Father Camilleri worked in Africa with tribes and the poorest in Madagascar and proposed a technology for cultivating rice, combining traditional and agroecological knowledge. With the new method, he was able to double rice production and CO2 retention. "We would love to work with rectors and students from different areas in changing the agricultural paradigm," invited Reverend Rožič.

In the afternoon, the roundtable "... From Rio to Belém" featured John Martens from the University of British Columbia, Canada; Eugênio Martin de Palma from the Catholic University of Santa Fe, Argentina; and Dom Joaquim Ribeiro, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Manaus and general director of the Catholic Faculty of Amazonas.

John Martens's response to Laudato si’ has always been from the perspective of a scholar and theologian, with one of the key elements being the world's ecological degradation: "We need a spiritual conversion. The way we treat the Earth is the way we treat people. St. Martin's College, in British Columbia, is located in an ancestral area, territory of the Musqueam and Squamish peoples. This land was never ceded; there was no treaty made with the Canadian government. And I live on the land of the Swatian people, who are also indigenous to Canada. One thing regarding education, for it to be integral, is that we have to see it as more than just providing information. So the question is how we can incorporate and learn from the indigenous peoples where we live: more than land acknowledgment, how to learn about the place? Real knowledge is wisdom and has an ethical and religious component. How to decolonize curricula? I have much more to say, but I'll leave it with that question," he concluded.

For Eugênio Martin, it's necessary to work on all of Pope Francis's teachings concerning universities. "It's evident that the modern university model, whether Humboldtian, Napoleonic, professionalizing, or Anglo-Saxon entrepreneurial, is outdated. Francis gave us a sign regarding the university of meaning that we could delve into. He exalts all people with their own characteristics. I have more questions than answers regarding this university of meaning, and many of us should have these questions because it was typical of the pope to start processes."

The auxiliary bishop of Manaus observed that meetings like these provoke thoughts on the extent to which, when looking at progress and technology, the theme of remembering is also brought up. "Remembering is what has helped our riverside communities, the indigenous peoples, to survive and know how to extract preservation from the forest. The peoples of the Upper Rio Negro recently managed to be recognized by IPHAM, which is the Brazilian Institute of Historical Heritage. Their traditional agricultural practice was recognized as intangible heritage. All this was only possible because of the rescue of memory," he warned.

The closing conference featured Raphael Caillou, Director-General of Culture of the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture (OEI), in Spain. In his presentation, Caillou addressed the role of the OEI as a multilateral cooperation organization, with coordinated intervention strategies and actions in different areas, axes, and activities. For him, clearly and objectively, culture represents a very important development strategy: "Culture is a great generator of opportunities for social inclusion, productive inclusion, income generation, employment, and work in the regions. In the Ibero-American work context, approximately 3% of formal jobs  are associated with what would broadly be considered the creative economy. When we look at the global context, that figure rises to 6%. This gives us a sense of the scale and significance,” Caillou pointed out.

According to the OEI director, beyond the relevance of the social impact of the creative economy — which in Brazil alone accounts for more than 3% of GDP — it is also important to highlight culture as a fundamental mechanism for social cohesion: “A recent UNESCO study shows that, globally, 89% of armed conflicts occur between countries and nations with little or no cultural cooperation,” Caillou warned.

The Congress of the University Network for the Care of the Common Home now moves into its third day, which will address the Social Dream.

Even in a world plagued by war, intolerance, misery, and environmental devastation, it is still possible — and necessary — to dream. More than just dreaming, it is essential to organize hope. That is exactly what university presidents from the Americas and Europe — committed to transforming their institutions, countries, and the planet into spaces of changing consciousness and concrete actions in favor of the environment and its creatures — are seeking to achieve at the congress of the University Network for the Care of the Common Home (RUC). This meeting, now in its third day, embraced Pope Francis's “Social Dream,” bringing to the forefront politics, integral ecological justice, social dialogue, and respect for human dignity.

The first panel inspired discussions and reflections aimed at energizing global processes based on the different realities and localities represented. Participants included Enrique Del Percio from the University of San Isidro, Argentina; Alex Villas Boas from the Portuguese Catholic University; and Victor Carmona from the University of San Diego, United States.

Alex Villas Boas, coordinator of the Center for Research in Theology, Studies, and Religion at the Portuguese Catholic University (UCP), represented Professor Isabel Capeloa Gil, rector of the UCP. As a Brazilian living in Portugal, Villas Boas said he was pleased to share his experience with Portuguese colleagues in the effort to overcome the historical distance between the North and South.

According to Villas Boas, in 2016 Pope Francis was asked which theologian had most influenced him, and he named the Jesuit Michel de Certeau. From there, researchers at the center resumed an unfinished dialogue between Certeau and Michel Foucault to explore political, religious, and ecological questions.

“Foucault spoke of the importance of a polyhedral intelligence to understand the contemporary world, especially politics and power, defining power as action upon action. He also criticized the self-referentiality of knowledge, which he realized while reading Borges — through a fabulistic essay by the Argentine writer and poet, he felt the need to imagine a reality different from the one he was living and thinking. A third dimension Foucault explored was understanding the cooling of revolutionary movements in the West, and how the intersection between religious and political agendas could become a source of revolution. He then began to think about spirituality and politics as privileged forms of ethical genealogy, to resist abuses of power or processes that no longer energized the lives of the people,” Villas Boas explained.

According to the researcher, one element stood out in the dialogue between Foucault and Certeau: for Foucault, there is no social transformation without spirituality — spirituality understood more broadly than religion, but with convergence in the process.

“This impacted Michel de Certeau’s perception in the exercise we undertook of translating this concept into a public theology — as the second act of discerning an experience aimed at cultural transformation. In this context, theology was understood as Eucharistic in the public sense — because it shares the culture and time it inhabits — and liturgical, in recovering its Greek origin of service to the people and those most in need. From this perspective of public, Eucharistic, and liturgical theology, we also addressed the ecological dimension, remembering that theological thought emerged as a dialogue between unity and plurality. According to Certeau’s reading, God, being radically different from humans, does not see difference as an obstacle to communion; thus, communion takes place precisely among those who are different,” he emphasized.

Victor Carmona, a specialist in moral theology, stressed the importance of a response from universities and churches to the ongoing political developments in the United States. For him, building bridges is crucial in the current political context and therefore, the U.S. must be seen as part of Latin America.

“More than 60 million North Americans are Latinos; of this population, 40 million speak Spanish as their native language — and that’s comparable to the population of Spain or Argentina. We are brother peoples and we invite you to build bridges with our universities. Ecological conversion is a great battle, with many dimensions. In San Diego, we are a ‘Laudato si’’ university and the principles of the encyclical guide all our investments. We understand ecological conversion not only on a personal level, in our students, but also on a community and systemic level.”

Enrique del Percio emphasized the fundamental need for dialogue between theology, philosophy, and the social sciences to legitimize and rationalize economic and political interests. According to him, from a conceptual point of view, if only the individual exists — and not society — then freedom becomes the central value. However, if that freedom is understood as “my freedom ends where yours begins,” the other is seen as a limit, creating a desire for the other not to exist:

“That concept of freedom is comparable to that of a lion in the jungle, acting without restriction, preying on whatever it finds,” he reflected, adding:

“On the other hand, if we believe in the existence of society without the individual — assuming that all consciousness is social and there is no individual consciousness — then equality becomes key. However, that kind of equality erases both the individual and their liberties... If we assume we exist in relation to ourselves, to others, and to the rest of creation, then we must adopt a different value: fraternity.”

Del Percio reminded the audience that the Book of Genesis warns against naive visions of fraternity — such as humanity’s first sin, killing one’s brother outside paradise, or the story of Joseph and his brothers:

“Fraternity reminds us that relationships are horizontal, developed outside the family setting, and that can generate conflict. Pope Francis called this stage immature fraternity. However, it is necessary to understand mature fraternity, which is the recognition that the other is my brother, that our ancestors are brothers, and that everyone is our brother. This is an obligation, as Francis explains in the encyclical ‘Fratelli Tutti.’ In the end, we cannot fully realize ourselves if the other cannot realize themselves either. That’s why when we give and feel better — or even when we receive — we understand the true essence of fraternity,” he concluded.

The second panel featured Ernesto Villanueva from the Universidad Nacional Arturo Jauretche (UNAJ), Argentina, and Fernando Ponce León from the Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Ecuador, under the theme “Social, Environmental, and Integral Ecological Justice.”

Ernesto Villanueva added three topics to those previously discussed, beginning by pointing to the title of the panel, which referenced recent statements by Pope Francis, and questioning what the integrality of these forms of justice means:

“It doesn’t mean that each of us must act in all three areas, but rather that we must have an integral conception. Even if someone focuses on only one topic, they must not forget that the other two are equally important and must be considered. This is fundamental for developing policies, whether in social or ecological justice,” he explained.

On the second point, Villanueva highlighted the Platonic idea that politics is a concern for the common good, questioning whether this concern should be reserved for a few humans or for all.

“The text says that politics is a seed that each of us has in our heart and mind, and that we need to develop. If we think of political activity as one that deals with the common good, we don’t need a set of development actions that have nothing to do with the common good. I believe this aspect is very present in Latin America, especially considering the discrediting of politicians and political activity,” he commented.

The third point raised was organization, which he saw as central, since it is not possible to act individually in every area. The researcher warned of the risk of falling into excessive specialization and therefore emphasized the need to integrate activities across the global political sphere to prevent other powers from occupying those spaces.

“We operate in the university sphere, but if we isolate our activities from what happens in other spheres, we contribute to specialization. I believe Pope Francis has said in some texts that excessive specialization destroys our ability to understand the world around us, as it leads to rejecting what happens in other domains. We need to emphasize organization at all levels: in our own — universities, in labor unions — but especially in the sphere of global politics. Only in this sphere — so discredited and victimized by accusations that it has diluted and given way to other forms of power — can we integrate the actions of universities, unions, social movements…”

Fernando Ponce León also expressed concern over the general detachment of people from politics, noting that when individuals distance themselves from politics, they also distance themselves from the common good.

“The lack of sensitivity to politics is justified by widespread insensitivity. When we talk today about the political dream, I wonder if politics still inspires or if it represents disenchantment. More than indifference, there is an anti-political sentiment, a discrediting that we perceive in both people and institutions.”

Regarding the role of universities, the professor believes they must have very clear political positions. For him, when it is said that “education is a political act,” this means institutions must decide which kind of collective, individual actor, class, or organization they want to empower with this powerful tool that is education — which implies having a very clear worldview.

“All universities have a worldview, a way of understanding the world, but many of them do not declare it. It is from this vision that we exercise our role as educators, and in doing so, we can contribute to the recovery of politics by becoming political actors ourselves as universities.”

The roundtable “The Path Ahead from Rio to Belém in the Political Dream” included Jackeline Farbiarz from PUC-Rio, Susana Nuin from the SOPHIA Latin American University Institute in Italy, and Oscar Alpa from the Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.

“I think it is essential that we leave our shores in order to truly come together as we are, and more than that, to articulate ourselves uniformly,” began sociologist and expert Susana Nuin, convinced that political impact can only happen through collective action.

For her, the RUC presents the possibility of interinstitutional articulation, of weaving an interconnection that builds a fabric: “Being a network is much more than being a vertical point — it is a tangle that transforms the social fabric,” she argued.

Nuin sees as a direct and necessary path the creation of a complex political force capable of proposing real solutions that impact countries and states. She also emphasized the importance of mapping the specificities of each university, so their strengths are known. “That’s what we’ll use to propel ourselves forward.”

Jackeline Farbiarz, Vice-Rector for Extension and Pedagogical Strategy at PUC-Rio, introduced herself as “a person with many more questions than answers” who had learned much from the university’s field of Education and Language.

“The first question I asked myself was, ‘Who made my body a political body?’ I think that’s a crucial question because we are talking about the generations we are forming. Then more questions arise: ‘How do we teach our bodies to recognize themselves as political bodies?’ I think we must teach that, and I don’t see that being done strongly nowadays,” she warned, continuing:

“And, in being political bodies, how do we recognize political bodies different from our own? I’ve been to the Amazon twice, but on every vacation over the last 20 years, I’ve visited Indigenous villages. When I arrive, on the path down to the village, everything moves where I step; but on the way back, everything stays in place — it's my body that changes. In a short time.”

Over time, Farbiarz became a researcher who, among other things, mentors students who work in Indigenous villages. She said it is not uncommon for them to return somewhat disappointed by the lack of answers to their questions.

“They say, ‘The Indigenous people look at me and remain completely silent, no matter what I say.’ But over time, by living alongside them, they learn simple things like: ‘If it matters to me, I respect and listen.’ So, for my students, disrespect turns into respect — they must get used to another kind of political body,” she noted.

Drawing on past experiences, Farbiarz emphasized that communication with Indigenous peoples is only possible through observation, listening, and understanding the mechanisms each tribe uses to communicate, such as drawings on the ground. She also noted that not everyone will be able to experience a village firsthand:

“So how do we bring these experiences into our institutions? The reality of a vulnerable community like Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro is not the same as that of a village, but it can very well reflect similar issues: drugs, violence, the absence of human rights, deforestation, floods — these are problems that happen in villages, but also here. How do we get our universities to promote local realities that connect with those in the Amazon, so that our students’ bodies arrive more prepared to listen and to act in partnership? From the perspective of our university, we must help them feel with their hands and think with their bodies — as Pope Francis taught us. With that, they can go; and if they don’t go, they can transform their own place. And everything becomes a Common Home.”

Oscar Alpa pointed out the issue of individualism asserting itself as a form of power, and the rise of anti-politics clashing with the university system, which strives to implement politics for the common good. This is a global debate that universities must engage in, or else they will produce automatons who replicate systems based on profit. “It’s individualism versus solidarity and cooperation,” he stated. Alpa also warned of powers confronting universities, accusing them of doing politics:

“It’s true, we do politics. As has been said, educating is a political act. In our university — which is public, with private management — we are increasingly concerned about ideas that claim education should belong to companies, companies that are not concerned with the common good or the well-being of our students. Before we think about a path to COP30, we must think about the youth, our ultimate goal: that they make noise, as Pope Francis said, but we need to find ways to guarantee that political noise in our universities. And that they are not taken in by manipulative sectors that value the culture of waste, nor directed solely toward a professional sector that may disappear tomorrow. We must reflect on this.”

Keynote Lecture – Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva

On the third day of the congress, which was also the International Day for Biological Diversity, the closing lecture was delivered by the Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva, especially for the RUC congress.

In “The Best Politics,” the minister emphasized that COP30 must be the COP of implementation: “We’ve already discussed budgets, postponed everything we could. Now, there’s nothing else to do. It’s time to implement, implement, implement... It must be fair for everyone, especially for the most vulnerable,” she declared.

She pointed out that the first essay on climate change was published in 1896 by Swedish physicist Svante Arrhenius, who already warned back then about the Earth’s rising temperatures caused by human activity. She reinforced that science plays a fundamental role in ensuring a network for preserving nature against the effects of climate change:

“More and more, policies must be based on data and evidence. There is no time left to keep making things up and ignoring what universities are producing across various fields of scientific knowledge. The limit of global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, as set in the Paris Agreement, must guide actions around the world. We cannot exceed 1.5°C. That’s our position. Don’t governments want to act? Don’t companies want to change? Still, the limit is 1.5°C,” she insisted.

Marina Silva also celebrated the congress’s inclusion of a video from Pope Leo XIV, reiterating humanity’s duty to preserve and sustain life as it was given to us: “We should all be aligned with what Pope Francis said about our Common Home,” she declared, adding that Brazil and the United Nations are in discussions with the Vatican for a global ethical review of the commitment to life, to take place before COP30. The initiative had already been discussed with Pope Francis, and now also with Pope Leo XIV.

With a sense of duty fulfilled — but also of a mission just beginning — toward COP30 and all the necessary actions to be undertaken, nurtured, and monitored to bring to life the dreams of Pope Francis — and now also of Pope Leo XIV — the fourth and final day of the University Network for the Care of the Common Home (RUC) congress focused on the ecological dream, with the theme “Public and Ecological Debt.”

The opening panel featured Michael Lee from Fordham University (USA), Róman Pardo from the University of Salamanca and the Spanish Episcopal Conference, and Monsignor Lizardo Estrada, Auxiliary Bishop of Cusco (Peru) and Secretary General of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM).

Theology professor Michael Lee began by honoring the memory of Dorothy Stang, a U.S. religious sister and martyr in Brazil — murdered in the state of Pará. For him and his colleagues at Fordham University, she remains a model of solidarity across the continent.

“Our university identifies as the Jesuit university of New York, but the truth is, we have two cities in one. While we are only 10km from Wall Street, the financial center of the U.S. and the world, our campus is in the Bronx, the poorest district in the country. We live and engage with the reality of these communities, discovering our identity as a university committed to this place,” he said.

Lee explained that the university is trying to “Bronxify” New York, and over the last five years has developed a federally funded initiative called “Flourishing in Community” with a $50 million grant. The program supports economically and ecologically impacted Bronx communities. He stressed that this is not a paternalistic project but a connection with the “teachers of Bronx history,” a culture that birthed hip-hop and other movements.

“Through this cooperation, we discovered economic factors such as ‘redlining’ — red lines drawn on maps marking areas the government deemed unworthy of home loans. Entire neighborhoods lack financial support. The Bronx is also known as the ‘asthma alley’ due to a 30% higher incidence of the disease caused by the Cross Bronx Expressway, which split neighborhoods and worsened air quality,” he said.

Lee also described a food apartheid in the Bronx. Although it is a food hub, products flow through without benefiting the marginalized, mostly Black and Latino, local population.

“As a university, we witness these economic factors. Our finance scholars partner with water, air, and food distribution scientists. Our community study groups help us authentically engage and enrich academic work. The Bronx community guides us and shapes our critical political conscience,” he said.

Despite the prior administration's substantial grant, Lee noted that everything changed in January. The funding was cut, as marginalized communities are no longer a government priority, and so is environmental protection.

“Still, we continue walking and dialoguing with these communities. That won’t stop. We lost funding, but we learned how to be a university in New York. It’s an honor to share this today.”

Monsignor Lizardo Estrada, CELAM’s Secretary General, offered a brief overview of the Council’s 70 years of work and 22 episcopal conferences: “We work for communion and unity among ourselves and with the pope. We want Jesus to be known to humanity, as He worked in collegiality.”

He recalled a recent conversation with Pope Leo XIV about COP30 and Pope Francis’s first homily in 2013, where he emphasized St. Joseph's care for Mary and Jesus — an invitation to care for one another and for the Common Home, the environment.

“From the beginning, Francis urged us not to harm the Earth, as he emphasized in ‘Laudato si’’, ‘Fratelli Tutti’, and ‘Laudate Deum.’ He inspired us, and it is our duty to continue along this path,” he said.

Róman Pardo, dean of theology at the University of Salamanca, said: “Speaking about debt, I quote Pope Leo XIII, who taught that for a contract to be fair, both parties must be somewhat equal. If the stronger imposes on the weaker, it’s an unjust contract... and this is the root of social debt.”

He cited Pope Paul VI, who denounced that after decolonization, imperial powers continued to exploit formerly colonized nations. From that historical debt, Pardo linked ecological debt to real, external, and monetary debt in this Jubilee year. “Ecological debt shows how poor countries are disadvantaged — like a train leaving with the rich onboard, after extracting everything needed from nature and people.”

If there was historical inequality, Pardo argued, then polluters should assume greater responsibility for repair. He advocated for forgiveness of debts or extended repayment periods — an economically complex but important discussion.

“Pope Francis once said we conjugate Spanish wrong: ‘I’, then ‘you’, then ‘he’. We should reverse it — start with ‘he’, then ‘you’, and only then ‘I’. That mindset also applies to debt — we must learn to redistribute resources and invest in life,” he concluded.

Archbishop Leonardo Steiner of Manaus emphasized that universities must again lead humanity into the future — as they once did for politics, democracy, and economics.

In Manaus, efforts are underway to bring “Laudato si’” and “Fratelli Tutti” to remote communities. He praised “Querida Amazonía” as a unique reading of the Gospel grounded in the world of the poor — a hermeneutic of wholeness.

“The Church in Amazonia walks with communities that know their responsibilities. The social, ecological, cultural, and faith dimensions form a unity. Without that, we cannot see ourselves as human or as Church,” he said.

He quoted Francis: “If the discarded are not seen, we won’t reach them or restore their dignity.” Echoing Heidegger’s “being-in-the-world,” Steiner said faith is lived through encounters.

In Manaus, communities are forming study groups with children and youth. Some are leading waste collection initiatives — responding to a local crisis.

Steiner noted that Pope Francis’s texts have helped expose the environmental destruction caused by mining in the Amazon, harming both the forest and humanity.

“The economic question is central. Why this destruction? Money. Gold. The killings of Bruno and Dom were about money. Deforestation? Money. When we discuss the economy, we must link it to the environment. And the Church is working to raise awareness and promote care for our Common Home.”

From Rio to Belém

In the next stage of the ecological debt discussion, Carlos Greco from the Universidad Nacional de San Martín (Argentina) focused on sovereign public debt as the result of past commitments. He noted that these obligations “create macroeconomic conditions that, in some ways, hinder the development of less developed countries.”

Greco introduced the innovative idea of connecting public financial debt with environmental and psychological debts — passive liabilities from natural resource exploitation that continue to affect developing nations. He explained that these debts are often “hidden,” as compensation is politically inconvenient because the “debtors are also creditors.”

“The core proposal is to offset environmental liabilities with financial debt. That’s what we’ll propose,” he said, emphasizing the need to measure these liabilities and offset them with financial flows.

He noted that financial debt originally aimed to foster development — creating infrastructure and knowledge. But today, that intent has been lost. “Someone took the money, and no one knows why,” he criticized.

Two key issues emerged: debt legitimacy and environmental debt’s impact on development. Greco called for awareness to turn a vicious cycle into a virtuous one.

“The scale of the problem is alarming. In Latin America and the Caribbean, debt-to-GDP ratios now exceed 100%. Repaying it would require sacrificing an entire year’s GDP — impossible. As a result, payments focus solely on interest,” he said.

Interest payments grew from 43% to 66% relative to social spending in the past decade. “This means fewer social resources and reduced development capacity.”

He identified education as a key area of public investment, supported by human capital theory. “All funds invested in education pay off through individual and societal benefits.”

He proposed that national debts be re-evaluated in relation to educational investment, as education lays the foundation for future benefits. He also urged COP, the Vatican, and collaborative networks to create proposals that temporarily reduce profit margins so fiscal resources go to social needs, knowledge, and sovereign technological development.

Greco concluded that development funds must remain in universities — not answer to financial interests — to truly serve the common good.
Professor Juliano Assunção (PUC-Rio) supported Greco’s view but focused on the climate crisis. He quoted Pope Francis and Minister Marina Silva, calling for a unified approach that integrates “head, heart, and hands,” and for a “COP of implementation.”

He noted that universities may rely too much on intellect. “As we go from Rio to Belém, we must remember to use our hands — and if needed, our feet — to put theory into action.”

Assunção underscored that the climate crisis is the starting point for connecting sovereign debt and climate debt.

“Broadly speaking, the climate crisis was created by rich countries and will hit poor ones hardest. That’s a fact.”

He cited data showing a clear correlation between GDP per capita and emissions per capita, linking economic development historically to fossil fuel use. “Those who benefited least from this process now face a world with little atmospheric space left for greenhouse gases. That’s the essence of climate debt.”

The U.S. and Europe, with 10% of the world’s population, are responsible for a third of current atmospheric GHG stock, compared to countries like India that still need development opportunities — highlighting justice and ethics.

Assunção lamented the low hope for containing climate change and stressed that poor, indebted countries lack the capacity to absorb rising climate impacts. “For them, there is no hope.”

In response, he shared that a group of economists, led by COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago and Columbia University’s Harrison Hong, is developing a public debt renegotiation proposal for heavily indebted countries, in exchange for climate adaptation investments.

“It’s about freeing up budgetary resources so these countries can prepare for a different climate,” he said.

This process must be interactive, as countries are indebted for different reasons, sometimes captured by political interests. Citing Marina Silva, he added: “Only what can be punished can be forgiven,” emphasizing accountability in resource use.

“This debt renegotiation proposal, in exchange for adaptation investments, is highly promising and should be the foundation for a concrete dialogue on the road from Rio to Belém.”

Mobilization and Strategies for COP30

The final plenary welcomed university presidents and commission representatives, who reaffirmed the strength of the debates. Guevara, from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, stressed the importance of communication. “RUC has a powerful structure in communications. We must spread the message, awareness, and training through all available means,” he said, suggesting the use of AI, courses, and influencers.

A participant proposed creating a glossary of the terms discussed, especially based on “Laudato si’”, and asked, “What noise will we make to be heard?” — emphasizing the need to mobilize students.

Another participant remarked that “technology is not neutral,” and questioned whether universities are willing to stand for their ethical and human rights values.

An Argentine participant expressed hope from the event amid his country’s struggles. He called for building majorities for a better world and establishing a legal framework for COP that binds parties to agreements. He also suggested student mobilization in every university and region to affirm the legitimacy of the movement, especially as Argentinians demand the right to education.

Cristina Bailey (Universidad de Guatemala) advocated for universities to connect with governments — especially environment ministries — and to draft a one-page list of demands to submit urgently to COP, as negotiations are already underway.

Ilich Silva-Peña (Universidad de Mar del Plata) proposed forming inter-institutional teams of economists, environmentalists, lawyers, and communicators to calculate ecological debt. He also suggested replicating the RUC event across the 200 member universities, inviting local authorities to host similar dialogues.

A representative from Oxford expressed interest in joining forces with RUC despite not being Ibero-American, and proposed top-down (official declarations) and bottom-up (mass mobilization) strategies, involving the Catholic Church, Vatican, and the Amazon delegation.

Juan Pablo Gasme (Caritas Latin America and Caribbean) emphasized quiet diplomacy with environment ministries, warning that proposals will go unheard if countries don’t voice them. He flagged the June Bonn Conference as a key moment ahead of COP.

Ana Júlia Suriel (Universidad Pedagógica Dominicana) proposed universities join their countries’ official COP delegations and organize pre-COP regional meetings to form a shared academic position.

Maria Villarreal (Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro) embraced the proposals and stressed the role of communication in a “spectacle society.” She urged RUC to use media platforms to share research and opinion pieces and to mobilize communications faculties to engage the public and “make noise” to achieve their goals.

Roberto Gallo (Universidad Nacional del Oeste) proposed a 50-week initiative with one concrete action per week to save the planet, published on university websites. He also reiterated Carlos Greco’s idea for a major mobilization in Belém, replicated in each location.

A celebration turned into a commitment. On May 24, 2025, as the Laudato si’ encyclical marked its tenth anniversary, representatives from over 200 universities — including public, private, secular, and religious institutions from the Americas and Europe — gathered at the Christ the Redeemer Sanctuary with the goal of transforming Pope Francis’ dreams into concrete actions at COP30 and in the world at large. In the four days leading up to the event, they had dedicated extensive efforts to discussions and initiatives during the congress of the University Network for the Care of the Common Home (RUC), hosted by PUC-Rio.

At the feet of the Redeemer, university presidents issued a collective and urgent appeal, stating that the climate crisis is not a future threat, but a present reality disproportionately affecting vulnerable peoples and territories. In response, the universities acknowledged their ethical, scientific, educational, and institutional responsibility to act, rather than remain on the sidelines.

Following words of unity and encouragement from Emilce Cuda, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, the joint address by PUC-Rio’s rector, Father Anderson Antonio Pedroso, S.J., and RUC’s president, Agustina Rodríguez Saá, reaffirmed the Network’s core mission:

“In this globally symbolic site, the Christ the Redeemer Sanctuary, on the 10th anniversary of Laudato si’, we pledge to strengthen the path we began during the historic audience granted to us by Pope Francis in September 2023, when he called us to organize hope,” said Father Anderson. Monsignor Lizardo Estrada also highlighted the suffering endured by those most affected by environmental degradation.

The RUC congress led to a series of proposals: in the “Call for Ecological Justice,” universities demand the effective exercise of ecological, social, and environmental justice that responds to the cry of the Earth and the most neglected communities; regarding the “Debt Relief” of vulnerable countries, they propose that States, multilateral institutions, and global financial actors advance, within the framework of the Paris Agreement, the cancellation of public debt for less industrialized nations in recognition of the ecological debt of more developed countries; through “Bridge Building,” they invite all sectors of society to forge connections between North and South, public and private spheres, and diverse cultures and knowledge systems through attentive listening and sincere dialogue, in order to formulate global strategies for common care.

One of the key commitments made was to strengthen transformative education that integrates the ecological, social, economic, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of sustainable development, equipping new generations to inhabit the world with responsibility, creativity, and justice.

For the signatories, this appeal is more than symbolic — it is an act of collective awareness and action. Universities, working together in service of a better future, firmly declare: “There is no social justice without ecological justice. There is no future without commitment.”