ABSTRACT
The Papal Encyclical Laudato Si has recorded a tremendous impact across the world. Yet, little is known about how and what Catholics in Africa have done in response to the central message of the encyclical. This is despite the fact that the central focus of the encyclical (i.e. climate change and poverty) largely concerns Africa. This study examined how Catholics in Africa have responded to Laudato Si in the last five years. Data were sourced from Google and online databases of Catholic-based news agencies such as Vatican News, Association for Catholic Information in Africa (ACIAFRICA), National Catholic Reporter (NCR), etc. A documentary analytical method was used to analyze the data. Findings show that responses to Laudato Si have come in diverse forms: conferences/workshops/ intellectual expositions, environmental initiatives, environmental activism, and government/organizational policy and action. Of these categories, conferences/workshops/ intellectual expositions constitute the most prominent form of response, with 63% in the data. Although the responses are generally poor, most of the responses (i.e. 61%) across all the categories came from East Africa. Implications of findings for the Catholic Church, policy, and research are discussed.
