CATCH · The Catholic Church and the environment.

Fifty-six years ago, historian Lynn White Jr. published his “J’accuse” against the Judeo-Christian tradition, blaming it for fostering a culture that exploited nature. Half a century later, Pope Francis published an environmental manifesto, positioning himself as a champion against climate change. Has the Catholic Church (CC) embraced environmentalism? What have been its key environmental interventions, turning points, and internal and external frictions?CATCH will provide the first comprehensive environmental history of the CC from the 1960s—when Vatican II intertwined with the hopes of the 1960s—to the 2000s, with the election of Bergoglio. Scholars have explored the intersection of religion and the environment from theological and philosophical perspectives, leaving historical relationships unexamined. This oversight is significant given the CC's global influence, including its participation in major environmental conferences and its potential impact on 1.5 billion people. In what ways has the CC shaped environmental visions, politics, and realities?CATCH aims to address this gap by researching the Church’s environmental engagement across multiple scales. Globally, it will examine its role in environmental governance at international conferences and UN debates. Regionally, it will analyze the CC’s diverse experiences of engagement with environmental issues through case studies in South and North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.The PI, with a strong background in environmental history and political ecology, will lead this groundbreaking research. The team will include 5 PhD students, 1 postdoc, and 1 research assistant, supported by 4 senior researchers—each an expert in one of the case studies—and an ethical advisory board with two leading theologians. The project will produce 5 PhD dissertations, a monograph, an edited volume, a special issue, 13 peer-reviewed articles, an open-access oral history repository, and a documentary.