Caritas Europa supports the launch of the Living Laudato Si’ survey, the first initiative designed by the ELSiA*network to gain an understanding of Pope Francis’ encyclical-inspired initiatives across Europe.

After completing a pilot phase in Ireland, the survey was launched at the beginning of September 2023 in Portugal, France, Scotland, England and Wales, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Croatia, the Netherlands and Austria. The deadline to complete the survey is 31 October 2023.

All national Conferences of Bishops of Europe, Archdioceses or Dioceses, religious congregations, Catholic NGOs and networks, Catholic movements, church organszations, Catholic schools and universities are invited to take part and fill out the survey online. It is currently available in English, Italian, Portuguese, Croatian, French, Dutch and German. If your language is not yet present, but you are familiar with one of those available and you are located in Europe, we welcome your participation.

A consortium of Catholic universities (St Mary’s University, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Universitat Ramon Llull, Hrvatsko Katoličko Sveučilište and EMD Ecole de Management Marseilles) will be collecting the data and analysing the results. The consortium is coordinated by Dr. Mark Charlesworth.

The results of the survey are meant to highlight the contributions of the Catholics Church to the Care for Creation. The European Laudato Si’ Alliance (ELSiA) is planning to share the findings in a conference next year celebrating its 6th Laudato Si’ Reflection Day in Rome. All members of ELSiA are supporting this initiative as well as the Laudato Si’ Action Platform.

A presentation by ELSIA introducing the survey is available at this link.

If you have any questions or need clarifications (which are not yet listed in the survey FAQ), do not hesitate to contact the ELSiA coordinator.

*The European Laudato Si’ Alliance (ELSiA) is a network of Catholic organisations that aims to adapt the comprehensive approach of the encyclical letter Laudato Si’ and related Church teachings to a European context with a special focus on the institutions of the EU. Caritas Europa is a founding member of ELSiA. Other members of the alliance are: CIDSE, the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), Don Bosco International, Jesuit European Social Centre (JESC), Justice and Peace Europe and the Laudato Si’ Movement.