Encyclical on environment sparks hope among academics, activists

May 26, 2015
By Thomas Reese
National Catholic Reporter

The encyclical on the environment, which Pope Francis is expected to release in June or July, is stimulating a great deal of discussion and hope in academia and the environmental movement.

The pope wants to make the environment one of the signature issues of his papacy. As he explained to reporters three days after his election, one reason he took the name Francis was that St. Francis of Assisi is “the man who loves and protects creation.”