Peserving Climate through Dialogue

Sa？etak This theological reflexion explores climate as a common good and looks at how dialogue can contribute to climate preservation. The paper is structured around three main points. The first point – Raising awareness of the meaning of the common good – starts with a question – how much awareness of the common good is present at this time of particularism and fragmentation of life. The central purpose is the actualization of the common good, ？a central and unifying principle of social ethics？ (Laudato si’, no. 156). Its fundamental role stems from its direct connection with global society, and, thus, the common good connects us all at a very fundamental level. The second point – Climate protection as a common good – centres around the farreaching consequences of climate change that create new forms of injustice and impoverishment of human beings on the planetary level. It is possible to encourage new forms of mutual collaboration and organization only through solidarity and shared preferential option for the poor. This ought to develop in the direction of thorough and cross？linked interdisciplinary discussions about the common good that will contribute to activities which preserve life on the planet and enable new generations to have a future. The third point – Dialogue as the way forward – highlights the key significance of dialogue when considering the issue of championing the common good. The path that leads to the common good ought to reach the whole through the realisation of the integral development of all societal stakeholders, which at the same time, includes a step towards gathering around climate protection as a common good. In this context, social teaching of the Catholic Church, with an interdisciplinary dimension (cf. Centesimus annus, no. 59), enables collaboration in the service of the common good