Having read some of the social encyclicals like Rerum Novarum, I think the Pope is trying to say something that we are blocked from hearing clearly because of our secular ideas, including political.
The popes encourage a way which is based on Christ, on love for God and for our neighbors.
It is sometimes difficult for Americans to grasp that the Pope considers events and situations around the world, not just in the US. With 80 million Catholics, only a small percentage of who practice their faith, of the world’s 1 Billion Catholics, he has to think of more than just us!
So consider the environmental thing. He said we have to consider the poor when determining policy.
So let’s look at nations which decided to “go green” and now preen themselves on how they are not polluting. Well, a lot of the items necessary for going green like the windmills require rare earth metals, and the rapid increase in mining for these REM has devastated parts of China. I mean, those places look like warzones.
Had the green-wannabees taken the poor into account, had the government of China taken the poor into account, had the companies involved taken their employees into account, perhaps the process might have been slowed and developed in a way that did not destroy the surrounding land. But noooooo, the greenies had to get what they wanted when they wanted it, and the government and the company had to get their money...
So I think the Pope is still, in the Catholic way, bringing people to repentance and metanoia.
I wish I could agree with you. But when the Pope accepts a gift of a ‘CRUCIFIX’ made of a hammer and sickle this bodes poorly for economic development and raising the poor from poverty.