Laudate Deum: Pope Francis’ Mistaken Apocalypse, by Kennedy Hall

As easy as it is to criticize the actions and statements of Pope Francis, especially in light of how popes have traditionally spoken and acted, there is something about his pontificate that is not wholly different than his predecessors’. I hear him speak of his insistence on a moral decay present in the world, often described in apocalyptic tones.

This week, Pope Francis released his apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum, dubbed as a sequel or follow-up to his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si. At the risk of seeming like I am downplaying the significance of his most recent document, it should be noted that it was not written as an encyclical, which traditionally has been held to be higher in dogmatic value than an exhortation. That being said, Amoris Laetitia was also written as an exhortation, and we all know how that has turned out. Also, the document was not addressed to the Church or the bishops but instead to “all people of good will.” ….

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