Progressive Catholics in Brazil and the Struggle for an Ecological Conversion

Abstract Based on qualitative fieldwork conducted in 2023, this article investigates the ecological commitment of progressive Catholics in Brazil. After retracing the historical environmental record of the Brazilian Church, it focuses on organizational and ideological aspects of Catholic environmentalism today. Subsequently, it deals with the personal profiles of activists and the challenges they face in the context of serious threats directed against environmental defenders. I also consider Liberation Theology’s role in the movement’s development. Finally, I list four assets that allowed the Brazilian Church to assume a leading position in environmental defense, and I conclude by examining its weaknesses. The study aims to contribute to empirical assessment of the role the Catholic Church might play in achieving a just and sustainable global ecological transition, with an eye to the obstacles that limit its action.