Pope Francis Unlikely to Sway Catholic Republicans on Climate Change

[rug]

Party doctrine will probably trump church doctrine in Congress, experts say, where more than a quarter of lawmakers are Catholics.

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Pope Francis plans this summer to issue an influential and the first-ever encyclical devoted to global warming and its effects on the world's poor. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Aleteia

May 1, 2015
By Katherine Bagley, InsideClimate News

As Pope Francis steps up his moral campaign for global action on climate change, Republican Roman Catholics in Congress are more likely to listen to fossil fuel interests and party leaders than their pontiff, religious and political researchers say, based on lawmakers' track records.

The pope hosted a global warming summit at the Vatican this week with economists, scientists and religious and government leaders. The global leader of the Catholic Church plans this summer to issue the first-ever encyclical, a high-level Catholic teaching document, devoted to global warming and its effects on the world's poor.

But as much sway as the pope has with a sixth of the world's population, party doctrine will probably trump church doctrine in Congress, experts told InsideClimate News. The position of Pope Francis on climate change—and nearly every mainstream climate scientist—bucks that of American conservatives and fossil fuel interests such as the billionaire Koch brothers, who have spent millions of dollars casting doubt on the reality of human-driven climate change and supporting candidates who oppose action to address it.

"If the science hasn't persuaded Republican politicians, the Pope won't," said R.L. Miller, founder of Climate Hawks Vote, a super PAC that works to elect climate-conscious candidates. "American Catholics have been in the habit of mixing and matching parts of Catholic doctrine when it suits them for decades. I don't see this as an exception."

http://insideclimatenews.org/news/01052015/pope-francis-unlikely-sway-catholic-republicans-climate-change

[No Vested Interest]

1. True that. I have lived long enough to realize that

people can and will rationalize any position, philosophy, theory they hold if and when they care to.

[rug]

2. At least their actions will be seen for what they are, craven, profit-oriented politics.

[olegramps]

5. Among Fundamentalists the concept of "stewardship of the earth" is a powerful theme.

It could break the supposed wall of denial that is supposed to be embraced by all Republicans. Their denial of climate change may not, even within the near future, prove to be impenetrable. I have seen change happen virtually overnight. For instance, when the newsreels of the brutal suppression of civil rights marchers were broadcast there was a major shift in public opinion of indifference and racism to outrage of the injustice.

[rustbeltvoice]

3. a man can not have two masters

Too many Catholic Republicans, are Republicans first. The most fundamental characteristic of American Republicans is hypocrisy. A more accurate term would be Republicans who self-identify as "Catholics".

[47of74]

4. I just thought of this;

This thing about the conservative Catholics not listening to Francis made me think of this part of Luke 16;

“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” (Luke 16:29-31)