Among the civil and ecclesial authorities speaking were the Salesian Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga; Enrico Letta, former Italian Prime Minister; Franco Frattini, former Foreign Minister; the Bishop of Verona, Msgr Giuseppe Zenti; the debate was moderated by Daniele Cunego.
In his report, the Salesian Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and member of the Council of 9 Cardinals of Pope Francis, defined the encyclical as a universal document facilitating the ethical, economic and geopolitical debate on the current environmental crisis and on development.
"Undoubtedly," said the Cardinal, "the social movements and appeals of Pope Francis, with the support of leading religious leaders, have an important impact in this process of international political decision-making. The Laudato Si' has also become a reference point for international politics as well."
He emphasized that "the ethical values promoted by Laudato Si' are fundamental" to overcoming the shortcomings or lack of the current political-environmental debate. The primary necessity is an "ecological conversion" that, of course, involves an ethical conversion, "which is the most profound conversion that must be done by every person, every community."
The solution, he said, was an "evolutionary ethical learning, which is a process of conversion and education. In this way, everyone learns something and the whole community can do so by sharing information, dialogue, integration of visions, which does not mean one unique vision, but a combination of diversities to build something new and shared."
In conclusion, Card. Maradiaga pointed out that, "The Encyclical Laudato Si' demands co-responsibility (...) as the making of a historical vocation we must assume at the moment that we are all aboard the same train. Although not all of us are in the same carriage, we have a timely appointment with a common destination."
