Pastor’s Page –
"Charity In Truth"- Pope Benedict XVI’s New Social Encyclical

"Love God and love your neighbor as yourself."
We cannot have one without the other Christ tells us. So to, Pope Benedict in his latest encyclical, recognizes that Catholic social teaching is a package deal. Peace and love only come about when human beings are treated justly.

How can you say you love God whom you cannot see, when you do not love your brother or sister whom you do see?

Commentators on Pope Benedict's encyclical state that he offers a Christian humanism for the world's economy.
Echoing the past century and a half of Catholic teaching on social relations, the Pope argues for basic human rights that society is challenged to promote, safeguard and protect. Like the body of Catholic social teaching coming primarily from papal encyclicals, this Pope grounds his theological and philosophical arguments in the dignity of the human person created in the image and likeness of God. He joins charity to justice: "Justice is inseparable from charity, and intrinsic to it."

Appealing to people of good will around the world, the Pope states that economic policies must be
rooted in a comprehensive vision of human well-being both physical needs and spiritual.
True human development requires a vision of the human person growing in holiness. Faith in God is essential for full human development. Writing neither as a Republican nor a Democrat, Benedict calls for strong government intervention in the economy and endorses labor unions. He continues his unyielding opposition to abortion, birth control and the gay marriage since he sees these sexual ethics issues as linked intimately with the dignity of the human person and the proper use of human freedom. These last concerns do not occupy a large segment of the 30,000 word encyclical.

The Pope supports fighting hunger and poverty by aggressive governmental action. He presents himself as a strong steward of the earth, calling for environmental protections on Earth's land and water resources. He is in favor of nations assuring every citizen a job and a decent standard of living to support a family. He would like to see wealthier nations like our own contributing a higher percentage of their gross national product to poorer, less developed nations. The Pope is supportive of more generous immigration policies around the world.
Pope Benedict asks for the reform of the United Nations so that this international institution may have real teeth when it comes to safeguarding human rights and preventing violations.

Like Jesus Christ our Lord, the church that is his body, has a special care for those beaten-down by poverty, violence and war. We must make our voice heard when the goodness and beauty of life is threatened. Pope Benedict XVI’s "Charity and Truth" echoes the voice of Christ in our modern age.


Peace,
Father Bruce