Laudato Si’ in the Business Curriculum: Sharing Catholic Social Teaching for Sustainability

A values-based business curriculum at a Jesuit business school has the opportunity to share Catholic social teaching in general and Laudato Si’ in particular. The root of modern Catholic social teaching is reflection on the condition of the worker as a sign of the times. As climate change has become a sign of the times, Catholic social teaching has placed greater emphasis on caring for the earth in Laudato Si’. This paper analyzes the contributions of Laudato Si’ to a values-based business curriculum. As businesses commit to global citizenship through participation in the UN Global Compact, the Sustainable Development Goals provide a framework for measuring impact. These SDGs include contributions from the Holy See, as well as its support which Pope Francis expressed in his 2015 speech to the United Nations. This speech was just three months after Pope Francis taught about sustainability in Laudato Si’. This paper provides a framework for students to evaluate the values of Catholic social teaching at work in the Communications on Progress from corporations participating in the UN Global Compact.