The thing that struck me most about this nonsensical manifesto - because that’s what it is, not an encyclical - is how 1970s it was. Those were clearly his glory days.
He’s an old man now, and he’s having an old man’s Luddite fantasies about how much better things were in the good old days. (I also do think he’s a little bit gaga - some of the things he says make no sense.)
The unfortunate part is that he seems to think he’s the ultimate authority and rather than just being an old man venting in his rocker somewhere, he’s trying to impose his backwardness on the world. Don’t forget, his manifesto was directed not just at Catholics, but at “all people living on the earth.” A little bit of chutzpah, I’d say.
Absolutely right. Someone needs to tell the Pope that the Protestant Reformation happened. Countries are no longer ruled by Kings who can be threatened with hellfire and damnation and excommunication if they don’t adhere to Papal proclamations.
Pope thinks he’s in the Middle Ages (or wishes it were so).