Encyclical<i>-Laudato si’</i> what do the laity know about biodiversity conservation and the care of the natural environment in Jos, Nigeria?

Abstract

An assessment of the level of awareness of Catholic laity on the Catholic Social Teaching (CST) based on the Laudato si (Francis 2015), and their perceptions on the care for nature and the environment, was conducted to test their understanding of the biblical instruction in Genesis 1:28 (KJV) to ‘have dominion’ over nature. The aim was to determine whether or not the laity knew about the pope’s declaration and how practical it was among them. Stratified Random and Purposive Sampling methods were employed in data collection, analyzed using descriptive statistics. Overall, 82(68.33%) had heard a sermon on nature/environment, while 33 (27.5%) had not. Additionally, perception of ‘dominion’ was predominantly authoritarian. Furthermore, 37(30.8%) knew the existence of the Laudato si, while 60 (50%) were unaware. In conclusion, there is need for more exposure to the Laudato si and more frequent teachings on nature and conservation in homilies.