Days before its October 4 release, social media was already ablaze with vitriol over the impending release of Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum. For many of us, this made it tempting to rush to a judgment concerning the document’s merit without first giving the pope the benefit of reading his actual words. For better or worse, this is the mass media culture we inhabit, and it makes an examination of conscience all the more necessary before we speak publicly on a matter related to the faith—especially so controversial a one as a papal statement on the issue of climate change. Attempting to bear that caution in mind, I recently published some thoughts on Pope Francis’s recent missive at the outstanding news outlet Catholic World Report.
Man, the Priest of Creation
Matthew Ramage
October 19, 2023
