Pope Francis is set to visit the U.S. in just a few days, and the Koch spin machine is already firing on all cylinders to attack his teachings because they threaten the billionaire brothers’ bottom line. Today, the Koch-backed Heartland Institute is holding a press conference in Philadelphia to target the pope’s teachings on climate change and the economy.

For months, ever since Pope Francis signaled that he would be issuing an encyclical definitively stating that climate change is man-made and calling for swift action, the Koch brothers’ network has been trying to get ahead of the narrative.

CNN has described the Koch-funded Heartland Institute as “the headquarters for the U.S.-based opposition to Pope Francis’ climate change plans.” Heartland has “churned out podcasts, videos, and white papers, and recently arranged a trip to Rome — all in an effort to build opposition to the pope’s environmental message.”

From Eddie Vale, Vice President of American Bridge 21st Century: 

“Pope Francis hasn’t even arrived in the U.S. and the climate change-denying Koch network is already on the attack. The bottom line is the Kochs are terrified of the pope’s teachings because they threaten what they worship most, their bank accounts.”

Recently, Bridge Project released a Spanish-language web ad focusing on the Kochs’ efforts to strongarm the Holy Father, and despite their protestations, the Kochs’ philosophy is not “the least bit consistent” with the Catholic Church’s teachings on social justice. The Koch network’s advocacy has gone against statements by the pope and other leaders in the church not just on climate change, but also on livable wages, access to affordable health care, and fair labor issues.

Want to know more about how different arms of the Kochs network have attacked the pope and how their self-enriching agenda is on the wrong side of the pope’s teachings? Stay tuned for a new Bridge Project report in the next few days, “A Koch Confessional.”