Integral Ecology
What is Laudato Si'?
Laudato Si’ is an encyclical letter from the late Pope Francis dedicated to the urgent crises of environmental degradation and climate change. Laudato Si’ is a call to action for the care of our common home, linking harm against the environment with the interconnected challenges of global poverty, extractive mindsets, and the technocratic paradigm. Laudato Si’ calls the Church to “realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach. It must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear
both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” (LS #49).
What is Integral Ecology?
Integral Ecology refers to the deep interconnectedness of the environment with economic, social, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of the world.
Integral Ecology was popularized in Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’, but its core values have existed as a philosophical and practical framework for hundreds of years and within dozens of faith traditions. BLI’s Integral Ecology regenerates ecosystems through visions of a civilization of love. Accompanying BLI’s ecological efforts, BLI is committed to combating poverty, practicing solidarity, preserving culture, restoring human dignity, and protecting God’s gift of creation.
"A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beings." Pope Francis, Laudato Si' #91
Living Out Laudato Si'
At BLI, Laudato Si' is not just a theory or vision; it is an everyday practice. On BLI's campus, everything is seen as interconnected––from our goats to the forest to local village conditions. We approach everything holistically, knowing that care for creation includes care for one another.
It is this realization of Integral Ecology in everyday life that has made BLI a leader in the field. In 2025, University of Notre Dame reporters visited BLI's campus and subsequently wrote an article about the ways in which BLI has embraced Laudato Si' and Integral Ecology, titled "What Does It Look Like to Live 'Laudato Si''? You Can See It in Rural Uganda."
Integral Ecology in Practice
Our 2025 Laudato Si' Conference
BLI's place as a global leader in Integral Ecology made it the perfect host for the 2025 Laudato Si' Africa Conference. The Conference brought together over 140 participants from 20 countries. Conference participants included scholars, farmers, students, Church leaders, and so many more, all gathered together on BLI's campus to reflect on the first ten years of Laudato Si' and explore how to continue living out Integral Ecology in the next decade. Read our full report below.
