ONLINE COURSE ON INTEGRAL ECOLOGY

An Initiative of the Laudato si' Alliance
for the Care of Our Common Home
(Pontifical Universities and Atheneums of Rome)

2025 marks the tenth anniversary of Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical letter on the Care for Our Common Home, in which he invited all people of good to “a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet” (Laudato Si’, 14). However, as Pope Francis recognizes in Laudate Deum, the apostolic exhortation published on 4th October 2023, “our responses have not been adequate” and “the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point.” (Laudate Deum, 2).

The recently concluded Climate Summit in Baku in Azerbaijan (COP29) has painfully demonstrated that we continue to remain largely deaf to the growing “cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” (Laudato Si’, 49). Time is running out. However, we have yet to wake up to the gravity of the existential threat to life and civilization on this planet that we call “home”.

The unprecedented challenge facing the planet and people can only be addressed through the lens of an integral ecological vision that Pope Francis championed in Laudato Si’. Rebuilding of our common home and our common human and biotic family calls for an alliance of all members of our household, cutting across of all segments of society. It was in the spirit of this prophetic mission that the Pontifical Universities and Atheneums in Rome came together soon after the publication of Laudato Si’ to initiate the Joint Diploma in Integral Ecology. On the eighth anniversary of this collective and fruitful effort, we are happy to announce the re-launch of the English edition of this initiative offered online.

CONTENT AND MODALITY

The Certificate Course in Integral Ecology is taught by a renowned faculty of academics, leaders and activists from around the world, representing some of the major institutions and groups involved in the area of creation care. The course consists of six modules of 90 minutes each to be held from January to June 2025 (on every third Thursday of the month from 14.00 to 15.30 hrs CEST/GMT+1), and an on-line international conference to mark the tenth anniversary of Laudato Si’ in May.

The Course will be officially inaugurated on 30^th January and admissions remain open until 15^th March. Participants will be enrolled at the Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome (the secretariat of the course) and will have access to on-line services such as the digital library, course materials, etc.

Upon completion of the course, participants will be awarded a certificate upon request, and can also become official Laudato Si’ Animators (thanks to the Laudato Si’ Movement).

ENROLLMENT

To enroll to the Online Course, one must follow a simplified Registration Procedure on the webpage of Pontifical Gregorian University:  https://immatricolazioni.unigre.it/

Requits:

      1.A short Letter of Motivation (why you want to take the course) of no more than 100 words;

      2. A copy of your ID (Passport or any Government ID card);

      3. Payment of the fee by Bank Transfer (IBAN) or Credit Card or PayPal

After the approval of the Registration, you will receive credentials (Username and Password) to access the online services of the Pontifical Gregorian University, in particular, access to the Moodle Educational Platform and other services.

For any assistance, please contact: jdei.english@unigre.it

N.B. For those interested in repeating the Course: Please go to the section RINNOVO (RENEWAL) using the credentials of the Year 2024.

ENROLLMENT FEE

The enrolment fee has been deliberately kept low: 30 euros only (with the possibility of scholarships for needy students), in order to facilitate wide participation, with a view to creating the mass movement of people from below for the care of our common home and one another, in the current era of planetary emergency.

SPEAKERS

• Susana Réfega, Executive Director, Laudato Si’ Movement 
• Mauricio Lopez, Executive Secretary, Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon Region (CEAMA)
• Rodne Gallcha, Living Laudato Si’ Philippines 
• Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam, Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and Salesian Pontifical University, Rome 
• Arturo Bellocq, Pontifical Holy Cross University, Rome 
• Sheila Kinsey, Former Co-Chair, Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, USG/UISG, Rome
• Erin Lothes, Centre for Earth Ethics, New York 
• Angelito Andig Cortez, Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation - Order of the Friars Minor 
• Prem Xalxo, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome 
• Giulia Lombardi, Pontifical Urban University, Rome 
• Dominique Lambert, Université de Namur, Belgium 
• Jacqui Remond, Australian Catholic University 
• Prabhat Kennedy Soreng, St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi
• Michael Terrien, Archdiocese of Chicago 
• Inocent-Mária Vladimir Szaniszló, Pontifical Angelicum University, Rome 
• Celia Deane-Drummond, Laudato Si’ Research Institute, University of Oxford 
• Allen Ottaro, Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability, Nairobi 
• Antonio Molavin, Don Bosco Green Alliance, Philippines 
• Mark Charlesworth, European Laudato Si’ Alliance 
• Claudia Caneva, Pontifical Lateran University, Rome
• Lindlyn Moma, Laudato Si’ Movement, Advocacy Director, South Africa
• Jackie Miller, Partnership for Change 
• Neil Thorns, CAFOD - Catholic International Development Charity, UK 
• José Aguto, Director of Catholic Climate Covenant, USA 
• John Mundell, Laudato Si’ Action Platform 
• Giuseppe Buffon, Pontifical Antonianum University, Rome
• Amy Echeverria, Justice, Peace and Ecology Sector of Columban Missionaries 
• Michael Schuck, Loyola University, Chicago 
• Tomás Insua, Laudato Si’ Movement, Assisi 
• Emanuela Chiang, Youth Pastoral Department – Salesians of Don Bosco 

ADVISORY BOARD

• Card. Michael Czerny, Prefect, Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
• Card. Peter Turkson, Chancellor, Pontifical Academy for Sciences and Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
• Prof. Mauro Mantovani, Prefect, Vatican Apostolic Library
• Prof. Luis Navarro, Rector of Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and President of the Conference of Rectors of Roman Pontifical Universities and Institutions (CRUIPRO)
• Prof. Piera Silvia Ruffinatto, Vice-President of the Conference of Rectors of Roman Pontifical Universities and Institutions (CRUIPRO)
• Prof. Mark A. Lewis, Rector of Pontifical Gregorian University
• Prof. Vincenzo Buonomo, Rector of Pontifical Urban University
• Prof. Andrea Bozzolo, Rector of Salesian Pontifical University
• Prof. Alfonso V. Amarante, Rector of Pontifical Lateran University
• Prof. Agustín Hernández Vidales, Rector of Pontifical University Antonianum
• Prof. Michal Paluch, Rector of Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas – Angelicum
• Prof. Jesús Villagrasa, Rector of Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum
• Prof. Bernhard A. Eckerstorfer, Rector of Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm
• Prof. Myles Allen, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, UK
• Prof. Dominique Lambert, Université de Namur, Belgium
• Sr. Sheila Kinsey, Former Co-Chair, Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, USG/UISG, Rome