Fr Tim Finigan of the Hermeneutic of Continuity reflects on Pope Benedict's recent encyclical:
The Holy Father’s new encyclical Caritas in Veritate is typical of his writing generally. Each individual sentence is perfectly lucid and yet taken as a whole it is a dense read, demanding full attention and often requiring the reader to go back again to take in the full impact of the powerful ideas expounded. My personal reaction after finishing it was that this is a superb exposition of the Church’s social teaching, tailored expertly to our present time. As well as being magisterial in the theological sense, it is a fine example of the work of our “papa professore”.
Beginning in a way that reflects the best quality of the Holy Father’s German academic background, an orderly and logical approach to complex topics, the introduction offers an exposition of the mutual relationship between charity and truth, explaining that truth must be sought and expressed within the “economy” of charity but that charity in its turn must be “understood, confirmed and practised in the light of truth” (n.2) because without truth, charity is an empty shell. A key principle is the nature of love itself which, almost in passing, Pope Benedict reminds us, is to desire the good of the other (n.7)
On this basis, the encyclical proceeds, considering first of all Paul VI’s Populorum Progressio in the light of the hermeneutic of continuity. Importantly, Pope Benedict reminds us that the Church’s public presence cannot be limited to charitable activities; a limitation that is a significant danger in secular legislation and a danger also in Catholic schools and parishes where it can sometimes seem as though the only worthwhile activity is raising money for one or other charity. Worthy as these activities are, they must not derail the Church’s missionary mandate.
The encyclical does not shy away from the question of financial activity, placing this too within the context of mutual relationship in society, decrying the purely speculative approach to the market and calling for a “new humanistic synthesis” in the face of globalisation – which is, after all, simply an aspect of relationships between human persons made inevitable by increased communication. For those of us interested in the opportunities presented by the internet, the passing remark criticising the “unduly rigid assertion of the right to intellectual property” (n.22) applies not only to the field of health care which the Holy Father mentions, but also within the Church to the accessibility of liturgical texts.
In the third chapter, on fraternity, economic development and civil society, Pope Benedict puts the doctrine of original sin firmly in its proper place as the root explanation for the evils we experience in society. As the antidote for this, he speaks at length on the “spirit of gift”, the genuine charity which is gratuitous, rather than driven by necessity. As a deepening of the spirit of philanthropy (which itself could surely be a lesson we could learn from some of the great Victorians) he courageously proposes that gratuitousness must find a place even within economic activity.
To read the conclusion, go here.