Pope’s encyclical
POPE Francis has been described by some as subversive; for me I’d say he is a “Rebel Priest.” Why? His words and actions reveal that he is anti-establishment and anti-status quo. He disdains the air of elitism and would rather associate with the poor, the sick and the vulnerable.
In his first two years as Bishop of Rome, he shook the hierarchy by restructuring the administrative and monetary offices in response to the claims of mismanagement and power play at the Vat i can .
For instance, he removed executives and four cardinals from the supervisory board of the Vatican Bank and created a special commission to investigate allegations of corruption and money laundering. He also reined in the spending by rich backers of would-be saints, putting a cap to create “simplicity and fairness in the process.”
Those two years must have been phase 1 for the Pope and can be called “The Housecleaning Years.”
Phase 2 should be the “Laudato Si Years.” As we know, the encyclical, “Laudato Si,” which means “Praise Be to You” and dated May 24, 2015 was officially released on June 18, 2015.
“Laudato Si” touched social issues including consumerism, environmental degradation and global warming, technological progress and genetic manipulation.
The monumental document went beyond its original intent to address the global environmental crisis, as he called on peoples of the world for open debate and dialogue on the difficult issues affecting every human being now and in the future.
The Bishop of Rome said, “Although the postindustrial period may well be remembered as one of the most irresponsible in history, nonetheless there is reason to hope that humanity at the dawn of the twenty-first century will be remembered for having generously shouldered its grave responsibilities.”
Francis warns that “climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day.”
He tied up the “cry of the earth” to the “cry of the poor,” as people in less developed countries will bear the brunt of the effects of climate change. This is happening currently, thus prompt efforts are required to address the situation.
The pope who has been critical of the “throwaway culture” describes the new world order as one that “destroys the environment, oppresses the multitudes, and makes us blind to the beauty of creation.”
“Laudato Si” reveals the courage of Pope Francis to shake up the status quo where peoples and governments define progress in financial statistics, and not in terms of the common good.