FOR PEOPLE
AND PLANET
Every economic decision has a moral consequence.
- Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, 37
CATHOLICISM AND FINANCE
Catholicism is the largest Christian denomination, with 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide, and a rich history, beliefs and practices. Catholics recognise the Pope, or Bishop of Rome, as the successor to Saint Peter who was appointed by Jesus Christ ('you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church', Mathew 16:18). Catholics believe he holds a special authority and is infallible when speaking on matters of faith and morals ex cathedra (from the chair).
CORE BELIEFS & PRACTICES
The Catholic Church has a hierarchical structure with rules and ordinances expressed in canon law. The Pope is the head of the Church and the bishopric of Rome, or the Holy See, is its central governing authority. Bishops oversee local communities in areas called dioceses, and priests and deacons help deliver pastoral care.
Catholics view the Bible as a source of divine revelation and believe in the importance of both the Old and New Testaments.
Alongside the Bible, the Catholic Church upholds tradition as a source of teachings passed down from the apostles and early Christian communities.
The Catholic Church has a strong tradition of advocating for social justice, including care for the poor, vulnerable, and marginalised.
Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is an area of Catholic doctrine concerning human dignity and the societal common good. Its seven themes promote:
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Life and dignity of the human person
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Call to family, community, and participation
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Rights and responsibilities
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Option for the poor and vulnerable
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The dignity of work and the rights of workers
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Solidarity
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Care for God’s creation.
'We have to realise that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.'
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si', 43
Walsingham pilgrimage procession. Photo: Fr Lawrence Lew
WHAT DOES CATHOLICISM SAY ABOUT WEALTH AND MONEY?
In Catholicism, economy is viewed as a sub-set of society. Wealth is a gift from God for all, and not just the few. However, for wealth to be good, it must respect human dignity, promote integral human development and justice, and be evenly distributed.
Wealth must provide a means to a higher end, rather than a distraction: 'Do not store up yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also' (Matthew 6:19-21).
Catholics believe that you cannot serve God and wealth – this will result in what Pope Francis terms an idolatry of money. Because poverty and treatment of the poor are central issues to Catholicism, wealth creation cannot be at the expense of the poor or marginalised, further social inequality, or create scarcities.
The principles outlined in Catholic Social Teaching provide guidance on how individuals and societies should approach economic matters.
Catholics are encouraged to make investment choices that align with their ethical values. This means avoiding investments in industries or activities that are morally problematic, such as those involved in abortion, pornography, weapons production, and environmental degradation.
WHAT DOES CATHOLICISM SAY ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EARTH?
Catholicism teaches that God is the creator of the universe, including the Earth and all its inhabitants. Human beings are seen as stewards of God's creation, responsible for caring for it in a way that respects its intrinsic value and sustains its well-being for current and future generations. This perspective connects care for the Earth with social justice concerns.
Catholic teaching emphasises the inherent dignity of all created things – the Earth and its creatures have value in themselves and are to be treated with reverence and respect. The Catholic Church calls for responsible stewardship of the environment, including the wise use of resources, the protection of biodiversity, and the preservation of ecosystems.
This teaching is often summarized in the concept of 'integral ecology', which emphasises the interconnectedness of social, economic, and environmental issues. Followers are encouraged to cultivate a sense of awe, wonder, and gratitude for the beauty and diversity of creation.
I saw three properties in the world. The first is that God made it. The second is that God loveth it. The third is that God keepeth it. But what beheld I therein? Verily, the Maker, the Keeper, the Lover.
– Julian of Norwich (1342-1424), Revelations of Divine Love
A SHORT HISTORY OF CATHOLIC ACTION IN THIS AREA
Pope Paul VI established the Pontifical Commission for Justice and Peace, which aimed to promote social justice, human rights, and peace. This marked a step towards addressing environmental issues within a broader Catholic context.
LANDMARK MEETING OF FAITHS AT ASSISI, ITALY
HRH Prince Philip, President of WWF International, invited five major world religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism) to Assisi to discuss how their faiths could help save the natural world. The Catholic Church was represented by Fr Lanfranco Serrini, OFM Conv, Minister General of the Friars Minor Conventuals, who also wrote the Christian Statement on Nature, published in the Assisi Declarations.
DEVELOPMENT OF A GLOBAL MOVEMENT
Laudato Si’ led to the Laudato Si’ Movement, a global network of over 900 Catholic organisations, working to bring Laudato Si' to life. It has also inspired growing numbers of Catholic asset owners to align their investments with social and environmental justice, protection of human dignity, and promotion of the common good. In 2017, several Catholic organisations committed to align their investments to their values in the Zug Guidelines.
Ten years later, Pope John Paul II's 1981 encyclical Laborem Exercens (On Human Work), acknowledged the importance of the environment and criticised the exploitation of nature for economic gain. The connection between peace, ecology and human development was also emphasised in John Paul II's Message for World Day of Peace in 1990 and 2001.
LAUDATO SI': A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE
One of the most important milestones in recent years was the 2015 publication of Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Si' (On Care for Our Common Home). This explicitly addressed environmental and climate change issues. It highlighted the ethical, moral, and spiritual dimensions of the environmental crisis and called for urgent action to 'hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor', to protect the planet and its most vulnerable inhabitants.
In November 2021, the Laudato Si' Action Platform was launched as a collaboration between the Vatican, Catholic organisations, and 'all men and women of good will', to inspire practical action by organisations and individuals. As our contribution to this global effort, FaithInvest launched Living Laudato Si' – a dedicated resource hub for groups seeking to implement Ecological Economics, one of key goals for bringing Laudato Si' to life.
KEY CATHOLIC STATEMENTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
There are many Catholic statements on the environment; here are a few of them.
Pope Francis issued a new encyclical eight years after Laudato Si', saying: 'I have realised that our responses have not been adequate, while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point'. In more urgent language he calls for immediate action.
Global Climate Change: A Plea
2001
Subtitled 'A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good', this document was issued by US Catholic Bishops, who said: 'Climate change poses the question: "What does our generation owe to generations yet unborn?" ... We cannot leave this problem for the children of tomorrow.'
Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home, 2015
Pope Francis's landmark 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si', has galvanised awareness and action on the environmental crisis in the Catholic Church and also among other groups. It is said to have inspired the Muslim world to produce Al Mizan, a Muslim perspective on the environment, in 2024.
The ecological crisis and our responsibility
1990
In 1990 John Paul II chose the theme The Ecological Crisis: A Common Responsibility for his message for World Peace Day. In it, he says: 'We cannot continue to use the goods of the earth as we have in the past', and calls for a new solidarity between developing and industrialised nations.
Healing a Broken World
2011
This document, produced by the Jesuit Ecology Task Force, applies the see-judge-act method of Catholic Social Teaching to assess the state of the environment 'as honestly and globally as possible', and applies Jesuit reflections with recommendations for action.
HRH Prince Philip, then International President of WWF International, invited five major religions to Assisi to discuss how faiths could work with environmental groups to protect the planet. The Christian statement on Nature was written by Franciscan Fr Lanfranco Serrini, OFM Conv.
Subtitled 'God's Invitation and the Human Response', this publication by Catholic Bishops in England and Wales says 'care for the environment presents a major challenge for the whole of humanity in the 21st century'. It takes a Catholic Social Teaching perspective to the issue.
HOW WE WORK WITH CATHOLIC GROUPS ON FAITH-CONSISTENT INVESTING
LIVING LAUDATO SI' RESOURCE HUB
As mentioned briefly above, FaithInvest has a dedicated 11-page Living Laudato Si' resource hub on our website.
This online space provides insights and inspiration to support organisations to deliver on their ecological economics goals, inspired by the Pope's landmark 2015 Laudato Si' encyclical which calls on us all to 'hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor'.
The hub provides inspiring stories, resources and guides to help them as they consider how to use their financial assets and investments for the common good. It includes some sector-specific guides translated into French, German, Italian, Kiswahili, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Tagaog.
WEBINARS, 'DEEP DIVES' AND CASE STUDIES
We work with Catholic organisations in a variety of ways:
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On specific one-on-one projects to help them assess the extent to which their investment policy is aligned to their values. You can read an example of this in our case study on working with the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.
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Leading webinars for their members or congregations to provide a deep dive into faith-consistent investing (FCI), such as the roundtable we held in-person in Rome (and live-streamed online) with UISG, the International Union of Superiors General in November 2023.
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Partnering with Catholic organisations such as the Laudato Si' Movement, Laudato Si' Action Platform and Francesco Collaborative/Catholic Impact Investing Collaborative, to hold webinars and trainings on ecological economics, FCI and Laudato Si'. Examples include our webinar, Practical Conversations on Ecological Economics, held in April 2024, which was co-hosted by FaithInvest and the Vatican's Laudato Si' Action Platform and saw 1,066 registrations across 62 countries.
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Catholic organisations participate in our FCI trainings
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
FaithInvest works with all major faith traditions to promote faith-consistent investing and grow the FCI Movement. We also offer a range of services including supporting faith groups to develop investment policies and guidelines aligned to their faith values; governance and communication; training on faith-consistent investing; and FCI scoring and benchmarking.
SUPPORT US
By donating to FaithInvest, your gift helps us develop the free-to-access tools, programmes and resources needed to support faith groups as across as wide a range of geographies and capacities as possible. We are very grateful for any support you can give us.