The following comes from a July 7 Catholic San Francisco article by Christina Gray:

Here’s a sampling of reaction to Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudito Si’,” by archdiocesan parishioners, men and women religious, church workers and Catholic leaders who finished reading the 180-page, 40,000-word document.

“The Sisters of the Presentation are especially delighted with Pope Francis’ encyclical on climate change. He has affirmed one of our congregational justice goals – to do all in our power to fight the conditions that lead to global climate change. His integral approach to the moral and justice issues that are related to, or flow from climate change – poverty, hunger, migration of peoples, always disproportionally affecting the poor – is an approach that calls all of us to action for justice; justice for the Earth and for all its peoples.
Presentation Sister Rosemary McKean, San Francisco

“I’m pleased that Pope Francis talked about concern for the protection of nature being incompatible with the justification of abortion, research using human embryos, and population control. But I think he missed an opportunity to elaborate on examples explaining why resorting to contraception and abortion to slow population growth is shortsighted. Not only does this disrespect God’s greatest creation – mankind – but in practice, population control has been used as a weapon against the poor, which has not met with acceptable environmental or humanitarian results.

Vicki Evans, Respect Life Coordinator, Archdiocese of San Francisco

“It was kind of a pleasant surprise that it was so holistic and so well organized and really focused on how we change our view of what human life and human happiness and fulfilment is.”
Jesuit Father Joseph Fessio, founder of Ignatius Press, San Francisco

“I am very glad to read that Pope Francis repudiated any form of population control as a means of addressing today’s environmental concerns. ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it,’ God’s first commandment to humans in the Bible, is as relevant today as it was ‘In the beginning.’”
Rob Graffio, vice chancellor, Archdiocese of San Francisco

“The Mercy Sisters see the encyclical as a reinforcement of their longtime efforts and their advocacy for a policy which strongly supports the environment. We believe climate change is one of the great moral issues of our time and for us a compelling and urgent call to respond … In our ministries throughout the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Philippines, we see vividly the links between climate change and environmental degradation and the plight of immigrants, women and children, and those victimized by violence and racism.”
The Institute of the Sisters of Mercy, Burlingame

 

“This pontificate is marked by a very pastoral approach to human problems. I was surprised that his pastoral approach comes out so strongly. I was expecting more political-economic gobbledygook or Vatican boilerplate and I was really struck, and moved even, by the profound understanding he has of the human condition and how he sees our ecological problems of symptomatic of a larger problem.”
Vivian Dudro, editor, Ignatius Press, San Francisco