On May 24, 2015, Pope Francis released an encyclical titled On Care for Our Common Home (Laudato Si), in which he discusses the state of our earth, or as he refers to it, our common home. This letter is revolutionary because it is the first time that a Pope has explicitly spoken out about environmental matters such as climate change. The letter is also unique because it is not just addressing the church, but "every person living on this planet”, and calls for a unified approach to saving our planet. The letter takes a uniquely spiritual perspective to the care of our earth which resounds across religions and people groups.

Our Common Home is divided into six distinct sections in which Pope Francis discusses a wide range of issues, both spiritual and environmental. Section one, titled “What Is Happening To Our Common Home”, addresses the real impacts we are experiencing on our earth as a result of our poor care. This section errs on the side of scientific, discussing issues such as pollution, climate change, water shortage, loss of diversity, and global inequality.

The second section, titled “The Gospel Of Creation” takes a more spiritual approach, tying the scientific facts of the first section to theological principals within the Christian faith. This section spans subjects from the beginning of creation to the life of Jesus, and finds biblical explanations for responsible care of our earth.

The third section is “The Human Roots Of The Ecological Crisis.” In this section, Pope Francis gets more pointed in his comments of how humanity has directly contributed to the degradation of the earth. He critiques modern culture as the driver behind the problems discussed in section one. Pope Francis is unafraid to dive into every aspect of our culture, from technology to the economics of labor.

Section four, “Integral Ecology”, offers a progressive and unique approach to the ecology of our common home. Pope Francis asserts that society’s problems are closely related, to the point of being interrelated such that no aspect can be untangled from any other single aspect. His appeal is to address the problem with a vision of integral ecology, which ties together environmental problems with human, family, work-related, and urban contexts. This section is especially interesting to us as designers, because it relates to the way we address problems: as complex, interrelated systems often known as wicked problems. As designers, it is our job to examine these systems, account for each inputting factor, and attempt to better the system in some way.

Sections five and six both discuss ways to move forward within this problem and start to reverse some of our damage. Section five, “Lines Of Approach And Action” outlines many of the policy changes that could be implemented by the global community in order to start caring for our common home. Pope Francis tackles sensitive subjects within this section, such as politics, the economy, and religion vs. science.

Section six is also a line of action, but is given its own section, highlighting its importance to the Pope. “Ecological Education And Spirituality” offers a solution to the problem through the individual. It suggests environmental education and a more deeply rooted spirituality of love could be the ingredients to solve the problem. “We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it.”