Baffled by intrusion of a higher authority into its domain, Pope Francis’s encyclical on climate change has ignited frenzied response by hard-line neoliberals who view Pope’s stance to prevent catastrophic environmental destruction as a challenge to their most cherished beliefs.

As the Pope calls out for the indispensible need to counteract climate changes and questions the notion of infinite economic growth, the right, hardwired with neoliberal dogma seems to have started feeling betrayed.

The week-long fury, vented out arrogant denunciation and rebuff with the most varied criticisms; some assert that the economics in the document are wrong and so is the climate science while others argue that the Catholics don’t need to engage with the encyclical and the pope isn’t qualified to talk about economics or science.

The encyclical is charged with being too flippant, feel-good and juvenile but at the same time, its refutation of the conservative worldview is accused to be too comprehensive.

Among several others, Paul Kelly stated, “The encyclical is a moral vindication of the left, remarkable in its sweep and intensity which reveals Francis and his advisers as environmental populists and economic ideologues of a quasi-Marxist bent”. Kelly said the conservatives’ collective tantrum over the pope has been a wonder to behold.

James Grant, Catholic priest and adjunct fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs, has reassured Catholics that they should react to the pope’s views about climate change.

Further, Angela Shanahan, weekly columnist has found the pontificate of Francis particularly troubling. Shanahan questions if climate change is always an oppressive thing for the poor and even speculates that Francis’s papacy for health reasons might not last much longer than another four years!