[5] Pope Francis revealed the title of Laudate Deum during a meeting on 21 September 2023 at the Vatican with rectors of Catholic and public universities from throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

“This was the message that St. Francis of Assisi proclaimed by his life, his canticles and all his actions.”[2] The main goal of Laudate Deum is to call once again on all people of goodwill to care for the poor and for the Earth.

[1] In this document, the Pope expresses hope that societies around the world will change their lifestyles and intensify grassroots activities aimed at reducing the negative human impact on the natural environment, to prevent even more tragic damage to the Earth.

[11] The document explores resistance and confusion surrounding climate change, identifies human causes, and outlines the damages and risks associated with the crisis.

[12] According to The New York Times, Francis’ message amounted to a tacit acknowledgement that his initial appeal (in Laudato si’) stated to save the planet has gone largely unheeded.

[11] The exhortation calls for a reconsideration of the use of power, cautioning against excessive ambition driven by profit-centric logic, hindering genuine concern for the common home.

[15] Critiquing past approaches to decision-making, Laudate Deum calls for a reconfiguration of multilateralism to address inadequacies in current political mechanisms.

[11] Examining the weakness of international politics in the context of climate change, the exhortation acknowledges shortcomings in implementing agreements due to the lack of effective monitoring and sanctioning mechanisms.

[19][20][21] The document asserts that “Over the decades, international conferences have been held to address the climate crisis, but they have often fallen short in implementing agreements due to the lack of effective monitoring and sanctioning mechanisms.

[25][26] Nicole Winfield and Seth Borenstein stated that “Pope Francis shamed and challenged world leaders [...] to commit to binding targets to slow climate change before it’s too late” and that “using precise scientific data, sharp diplomatic arguments and a sprinkling of theological reasoning, [...] he delivered a moral imperative for the world to transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy with measures that that are “efficient, obligatory and readily monitored.”[27] Father Daniel Horan OFM wrote on the National Catholic Reporter that “While in the buildup to its release some people have been describing this document as a second Laudato Si' or, more colloquially, its "sequel," the pope presents this text as more of an addendum and update to his earlier encyclical.” He point out that the document is “both an exhortation in the truest sense — a written or spoken message that emphatically urges someone to do something — and an apologia, a theological and rhetorical defense of truth and faith.”[28] The new exhortation is “timely,” said Tomás Insua, co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit Laudato Si’ Movement, which works through close to 900 member organizations in 115 countries to foster a Catholic approach to the care of the environment.

[30] Giorgio Parisi, the Nobel-winning physicist who was one of the speakers at the news conference presenting Laudate Deum, stressed that it is “very important that this Apostolic Exhortation is addressed to all people of good faith” rather than just to members of the Catholic Church, “because, like the Pope has said many times, nobody can be saved alone, and we are all connected.”[31] Writing on the National Review, conservative commentator John C. Pinheiro was critical towards the document, accusing the Pope of "resorting to apocalyptic language", of excessive trust towards institutions such as the United Nations and the World Health Organisation (pointing out that both the UN and the WHO support abortion) and of leniency towards the Chinese regime.

[33] Italian traditionalist Catholic commentator Camillo Langone was extremely critical of the Pontiff, accusing him on Il Foglio of "imposing a climatist dogma" and of justifying the violent actions of radical environmentalist groups; he also compared the Pope to Müezzinzade Ali Pasha, commander of the Ottoman fleet during the Battle of Lepanto, and called for his excommunication.