That Pope Francis’ forthcoming encyclical on the environment will be an important event for both the church and global civil society is abundantly clear in the very public jostling to disarm and discredit it before its release.
Francis will exercise his teaching authority into a headwind provided by the profoundly skilled messaging professionals at various climate denial and neo-liberal think tanks. These will do anything to change the subject from the major theological arguments of the encyclical. We’ve already seen the several arguments that will be deployed: papal authority cannot pronounce on a matter of science, environmental concern equals population control, the pope will alienate conservative Catholics. The smoke screen industry will find ready support in the press. The political read is an easier story to tell.
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