LAUDATO SI’ REFLECTION

ASSESSMENT TASK 1: REFLECTION

PART 1:
According to Cahill (2018), Laudato Si’ perspective on human dignity can be
summarised into two parts: human creation in the image of God and human dignity being created
as a result of salvation. Pope Francis has made the reference to God as the Creator to defend the
notion of dignity as an intrinsic and inseparable part of every human being. With human beings
being created in the image of God, they are equally gifted with self-awareness and the freedom
to live their lives. Such equality is also expressed in the principles of Catholic social thought
where human dignity is something destined to every human being since their lifetime is
considered sacred and holy and therefore cannot be harmed or violated in any way. Regarding
dignity as a result of salvation, Pope Francis mentioned that human beings have the
responsibility to respect others in honour of Jesus Christ's sacrifice for our sins. Such sacrifice
was made possible as a result of God’s faith in the goodness of humanity that is based on the
ethics given by God. Implying such responsibility, Pope Francis wanted to express that human
dignity needs to be shared indiscriminately between the rich and the poor, as well as those being
marginalised within the modern society with humbleness and well-intended regards (Hoffman
2015).
According to Cahill (2018), Laudato Si’ perspective on the common good can be
analysed through its assertion of humans as social beings who are interdependent on one another.
In this case, Pope Francis directly referred to the common good as the environment and the earth
that humans are living in as he began to address the ecological issues that negatively affect the
well-being of all members of this common home. The focus of Laudato Si’ is not on the
scientific explanation of climate change, but rather a moral question on whether hurting the
common good at the expense of others is considered acceptable. According to O’Brien (2019),
Laudato Si’ condemned the notion of human superiority and dominion over nature, citing that
many people mistook God’s love for human beings as an excuse to disregard the well-being of
others in the common home. Instead, Pope Francis called out for the adoption of an integral
ecology as the solution to combat climate change and consumerism. He stated:“Environmental
literacy is expanding its reach in addressing the concept of selves in relation to nature, animals
and with God” (Francis & Catholic Church, 2015, p. 153).
PART 2:
I am currently undertaking a Bachelor of Secondary Education and Mathematics with the
Faculty of Education and Arts. The Laudato Si’ perspective on human dignity is a good guide for
my approach in my courses of study, specifically in regard to promoting pedagogical fairness
and equality, tolerance as well as upholding students’ rights as children (Francis & Catholic
Church, 2015, p. 145). The Laudato Si’ is a reminder that everybody in and outside the
classroom is equally special and important in God’s eye and my responsibility as a mathematical
educator is to fully embrace the learning capability of students, thereby motivating them with
love and acceptance instead of being entirely focused on academic achievement (Cahill, 2018).
With diversity being an increasingly prevalent element in academic life nowadays, it is important
for Catholic educators and learners to be open-minded and tolerant to different cultures, faiths

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and lifestyle choices of their peers, students and colleagues. Additionally, I believe that children
have the right to learn more about faith, which is not emphasised in a normative learning
environment (Orobator, 2021). Therefore, as a future educator, I will give children the freedom
to pursue religious knowledge and further inspire a non-judgmental classroom that fosters a
positive culture of life.
I believe that my course of study is connected to the common good because it contributes
useful knowledge for the good and advancement of a modern society. However, I do think that
sometimes students at ACU like myself are so submerged in our studies that we forget to
participate in our society and community services. As a student at ACU, I feel privileged to
receive a world-class education in mathematics, however, not all members of the community
have such an opportunity. Therefore, I believe that the common good in this case is the ability
for everybody, including those with disabilities and learning difficulties, to access mathematical
knowledge. Following Laudato Si’ call for preferential option toward the poor and vulnerable
(Francis & Catholic Church, 2015, p. 153), the pedagogical programs at ACU have enabled me
to acquire hands-on experience in math education that emphasises on academic justices and
inclusivity, thereby contributing my knowledge to the common good to the society. My aim as
an educator is not only to ensure the rights of education for all, but also to inspire others,
particularly my students, to respect and protect the undeniable common good that is a safe and
fair classroom.

REFERENCES
Cahill, L. S. (2018). Laudato SI': Reframing Catholic Social Ethics. The Heythrop Journal,
59(6), 887-900.
Francis, P., & Catholic Church. (2015). Laudato SI: On care for our common home. Our Sunday
Visitor, 1, 137-162.
O’Brien, K.J. (2019). The Scales Integral to Ecology: Hierarchies in Laudato Si’ and Christian
Ecological Ethics. Religions, 10(9), 511. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel10090511
Hoffman, A.J. (2015, July 17). The pope, climate change and the cultural dimensions of the
Anthropocene. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/the-pope-climate-change-
and-the-cultural-dimensions-of-the-anthropocene-44812
Orobator, A. E. (2021). Laudato Si’: A Prophetic Message. Journal of Catholic Education, 24,
300–305.