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1.5. Regulatory Concepts in Environmental Codifications
broader movements.” The focus of our study is not to present ecocide but to
explore its role within the framework of environmental protection approaches.
The final document of the Pan-Amazonian Synod, held in October 2019,
specifically addressed the issue of environmental protection. On November
15, 2019, the Pope spoke to participants at the World Congress of the
International Criminal Law Society, emphasizing the importance of
environmental protection within the Church and stating that acts committed
at the expense of the environment may also be considered sins.”
On November 15, 2019, the Holy Father, in his address to the World
Congress of the International Association of Penal Law,” entitled “In the
Church’s Evangelizing Mission and in the Service of Justice and Peace,”
highlighted a global phenomena.
According to Pope Francis, an elementary sense of justice requires that
certain behaviours, for which companies are often responsible, do not go
unpunished. These include “ecocides,” such as the mass pollution of air, land,
and water resources, the large-scale destruction of flora and fauna, and any
actions that could cause an ecological catastrophe or destroy an ecosystem.
The Pope emphasized that ecological sins — sins against our common home
— must be recognized and incorporated into Catholic teachings, viewing this
as a moral duty. In this context, the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon
Region proposed defining an ecological sin as an act or omission against God,
neighbour, community, and the environment. Such a sin affects future
generations and manifests in actions and habits that cause environmental
pollution, disrupt the harmony of the environment, violate the principles of
interdependence, and undermine the networks of solidarity among creatures.
“It is true that the criminal response comes when the crime has been
committed, that it does not repair damage or prevent repetition, and that
it rarely has dissuasive effects.(...)
Instead, an elementary sense of justice would require that certain conduct,
for which corporations are usually responsible, does not go unpunished. In
particular, all those that can be considered as “ecocide”: the massive
contamination of air, land and water resources, the large-scale destruction
5 Orsolya Johanna Sziebig, “A häborü csendes áldozata: Gondolatok a környezet védelméről
fegyveres konfliktusok idején, különös tekintettel az ökocídium kérdésére," Pro Futuro 14,
no. 2 (2024).
75 Synod of Bishops, Special Assembly for the Pan-Amazonian Region, The Amazon: New
Paths for the Church and for an Integral Ecology. Final Document of the Synod on the Pan-Amazon
Region (Vatican, 26 October 2019), https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/
rc_synod_doc_20191026_sinodo-amazzonia_en.html.
” Pope Francis, Address to Participants at the World Congress of the International Association of
Penal Law (Sala Regia, 15 November 2019), https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/
speeches/2019/november/documents/papa-francesco_20191115_diritto-penale.html.
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