Pope says his “environmental” encyclical is a “social” encyclical – it’s about humanity

“All these are issues with a profound impact on the exercise of human rights, such as the right to life, food, health and development."

Francis often quotes his predecessor in Laudato Si', his 2015 encyclical generally referred to as an environmental document.

But Francis says that Laudato Si' should be viewed as a social encyclical: that is, a document addressed to the situation and needs of human society.

It would thus be alongside the other social encyclical from Pope Francis, his 2020 Fratelli Tutti, meaning that the Pope sees both of the encyclicals that he has penned as properly social encyclicals. (He released Lumen Fidei at the start of his pontificate but noted that he had simply finished the work already begun on that document by Benedict XVI).

The Pope made this case in an interview with Argentina's national news agency, released July 1:

The Pope went on to speak of an expression used by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon rainforest: "living well." He contrasted it with "having a good time" of "dolce vita."

"To them, living well is living in harmony with nature," he said.