Delia Gallagher touted Pope Francis's upcoming encyclical on the environment on Wednesday's Wolf program on CNN by claiming how "Church leaders say that this is the first time the release of a papal encyclical has been so anticipated." Gallagher spotlighted an "epic theatrical trailer for the Pope's words" from an environmentalist group in Brazil," and hyped that "with the Pope's popularity, this encyclical will be a milestone that places the Roman Catholic Church at the forefront of one of the major scientific and moral issues of our times." [video below]
The correspondent also underlined that "Francis is the first pope ever to dedicate an entire encyclical to ecological concerns – a move which has worried conservatives – who fear it will be seen as an endorsement of a liberal agenda on climate change and population control, and be bad news for big business and oil."
Anchor Wolf Blitzer led into Gallagher's report (which also aired earlier in the day on CNN Newsroom) by noting that "from the first days of his papacy, the Pope has preached about the importance of the environment....Now, Pope Francis is expected to call for action to halt climate change when he sets out the Catholic Church's position on global warming. His views will be revealed in an encyclical, or public letter, to be released on Thursday." He added that "the Pope's statement hasn't been published yet, but it's already attracting lots of criticism out there."
During the segment, Gallagher explained that encyclicals are "the most authoritative teaching document a pope can issue, and signifies a high-priority issue for the Pope." She also pointed out that "encyclicals aren't infallible, but they're not just the Pope's opinion, either – and Catholics are called to take them seriously." She also gave a brief summary on past papal statements on the environment.
It will be interesting to see if the media will pay attention to the pontiff's "condemnations of abortion,' "rejection of gender theory," and his "recognition of the right to private property" that are reportedly included in the upcoming document, as highlighted by the LifeSiteNews blog on Wednesday.
The full transcript of Delia Gallagher's report from Wednesday's Wolf program on CNN:
WOLF BLITZER: From the first days of his papacy, the Pope has preached about the importance of the environment. In one speech, he issued this warning – and I'm quoting: 'Safeguard creation, because if we destroy creation, creation will destroy us.' Now, Pope Francis is expected to call for action to halt climate change when he sets out the Catholic Church's position on global warming. His views will be revealed in an encyclical, or public letter, to be released on Thursday. And he gave a preview at his weekly audience earlier today.
POPE FRANCIS (through translator): This, our home, is being ruined and damaged, and it's affecting all of us – especially the poor. And so, mine is an appeal to responsibility on the basis of the task that God has entrusted to men, in creation, to cultivate and to guard the garden that God has placed man.
BLITZER: As Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher explains, the Pope's statement hasn't been published yet, but it's already attracting lots of criticism out there. Listen to this.
DELIA GALLAGHER (voice-over): It's called 'Laudato Si' – 'Praised Be: On the Care of Our Common Home' – Pope Francis's encyclical on the moral aspects of climate change and protecting the environment. Church leaders say that this is the first time the release of a papal encyclical has been so anticipated. A Brazilian climate change group even created an epic theatrical trailer for the Pope's words.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN 1 (from advertisement by Brazilian 'Observatorio do Clima' group): If we destroy creation, creation will destroy us. It's time to take out the trash.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN 2 (voice-over): A pontiff fighting for God's creation.
GALLAGHER: But what exactly is an encyclical? It's the most authoritative teaching document a pope can issue, and signifies a high-priority issue for the Pope. It's usually written for Catholic clergy and lay people – although Pope Francis has said that his encyclical is addressed to everyone, religious or not. Encyclicals aren't infallible, but they're not just the Pope's opinion, either – and Catholics are called to take them seriously.
Pope Francis is not the first pope to express concern about the environment. Pope Paul VI, back in 1971, talked about the exploitation and degradation of nature by man. John Paul II and Pope Benedict have also added their voices to the topic. But Francis is the first pope ever to dedicate an entire encyclical to ecological concerns-
JEB BUSH, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't get economic policy from – from my bishops or my cardinals or from my pope.
GALLAGHER: A move which has worried conservatives – who fear it will be seen as an endorsement of a liberal agenda on climate change and population control, and be bad news for big business and oil.
As the first pope from the developing world, Pope Francis's emphasis is on the connection between the destruction of the Earth's resources and its impact on the poor. The timing of the document's release is also significant – coming the same year as the United Nations's climate change conference in Paris this December. With the Pope's popularity, this encyclical will be a milestone that places the Roman Catholic Church at the forefront of one of the major scientific and moral issues of our times. Delia Gallagher, CNN, Rome.
