The manifesto “Integral Ecology: A Narrative to Understanding the Planetary Socio-Environmental Crisis”, was released in June by the Special Commission for Integral Ecology and Mining (CEEM) of the Brazilian Bishops’ National Conference (CNBB). It is an invitation to reflection and, above all, to action in the face of the responsibility of caring for the planet that will be left to future generations. Its message is urgent and unequivocal: the time to save the world of life is now.
The document offers the Church a perspective and a roadmap to face the socio-environmental crisis and proposes a deep reflection and a call to action in response to the global climate crisis.
Although the manifesto was launched in June, it arrives at a meaningful moment: the Season of Creation, when Christian communities worldwide unite in prayer and action for our Common Home. This year’s theme for the Season of Creation invites us to embrace hope, justice, and care for all living beings, which is the spirit echoed in the new manifesto. The publication also coincides with the 2025 Jubilee of Hope and the COP30, which will be held in Brazil next November.
It is in this context that the document is presented as a “call to hope”. This is not a passive hope, but one that drives prophetic movements towards a new time, seeking to “awaken society to the promotion of fraternal paths and care for the Common Home” as well as to establish a new pact with Mother Earth.
160 participants joined the online launch event on 25 June 2025. The webinar was moderated by the anthropologist and theologian Moema Miranda. Speakers included the theologian Leonardo Boff and Dom Vicente de Paula Ferreira, president of the Special Commission for Integral Ecology and Mining (CEEM).
The manifesto is more than just a document; it is a tool for proposing changes. Following the commission’s debates, the text dives into the human roots of the socio-environmental crisis, denouncing a lifestyle model held hostage to global capitalism, where profit is imposed on life and human dignity.
Cover photo: Manifesto publication cover. Credit: Brazilian Bishops’ National Conference (CNBB).