ST. LOUIS (CNS) – The U.S. bishops gathered in St. Louis for their spring general assembly heard presentations on the pope’s upcoming encyclical on the environment, the U.S. church’s ongoing work in promoting traditional marriage and the need to remain vigilant in protecting children from abuse.

In the discussion of the pope’s upcoming encyclical on the environment and human ecology, eight days before its scheduled release, the bishops were called on to help Catholics understand its message.

Pope Francis will challenge the assumptions of “both the left and the right” with the document, said Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, New Mexico, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Justice and Peace.

He also said it would have international implications, particularly regarding solidarity with the world’s poor.

Miami Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, said the document will likely highlight climate change as “a moral issue,” pointing out that the poor suffer the most from consequences of improper care of the environment even though “they have contributed the least to climate change.”

He said the pope would not be speaking as a scientist or a politician but as a shepherd and that the bishops, who “aren’t novices” on care for the environment, can’t “opt out” of this conversation.

Addressing the pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, expected in late June, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco said that no matter how the court rules, it “won’t change traditional marriage” and the bishops will continue to defend it as the Church teaches.

‘Courageous Leadership’

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), praised the “courageous leadership” of Archbishop Cordileone in the effort and the bishops gave him a sustained round of applause.

A major topic of the day was Pope Francis’ September visit to the U.S. Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput said the Sept. 22-27 World Meeting of Families – the pope will be there for the last two days – is expected to draw the most participants from the U.S. Canada, Vietnam and the Dominican Republic. He also said an expected crowd of more than one million will be in Philadelphia.

At the start of the meeting, the USCCB’s president noted that for their spring meeting, the bishops were gathered not far from Ferguson and that the bishops’ November general assembly will be in Baltimore – two places roiled in past months by protests, violence in the streets and looting following the deaths of two young African-Americans after confrontations with white police officers.

Archbishop Kurtz urged the bishops to encourage Catholics to take concrete measures to help end racism, including praying for peace and healing, promoting justice for all people, being “truly welcoming” of families of different racial and religious backgrounds. People also should get to know their community’s law enforcement officers, he said.

Archbishop Kurtz added that the bishops, in their work to promote human dignity, marriage, human ecology and an end to racism, have the opportunity to communicate and share God’s beauty with the world.

On the first day of their meeting June 10, there also were reports on the bishops’ efforts to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform and their help in rebuilding work in Haiti, which is still recovering from the 2010 earthquake.

In the second day of the assembly’s public sessions June 11, the bishops heard a report on a draft for priorities and plans for the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops for 2017-2020. The report, which was up for a vote, started a lively discussion about what the bishops’ top focus should be.

Several bishops spoke up about the need to put concern for poverty at the top of the list to keep in line with the message and ministry of Pope Francis. The bishops voted to rework the draft document, incorporating the feedback given.

In an afternoon presentation, married couples talked to the bishops about how they can encourage the vocation of marriage in their dioceses. The bishops also heard from Curtis Martin, founder and CEO of FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. He encouraged them to continue to lead young people to live the Gospel message.