"Charity is not an added extra"... Pope Benedict XVI

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Pope Benedict XVI in his encyclical, “Caritas in veritate” continues to “push us ahead” but also warns us:

1. In this context, the theme of integral human development takes on an even broader range of meanings: the correlation between its multiple elements requires a commitment to foster the interaction of the different levels of human knowledge in order to promote the authentic development of peoples. Often it is thought that development, or the socio-economic measures that go with it, merely require to be implemented through joint action. This joint action, however, needs to be given direction, because “all social action involves a doctrine”. In view of the complexity of the issues, it is obvious that the various disciplines have to work together through an orderly interdisciplinary exchange. Charity does not exclude knowledge, but rather requires, promotes, and animates it from within. Knowledge is never purely the work of the intellect. It can certainly be reduced to calculation and experiment, but if it aspires to be wisdom capable of directing man in the light of his first beginnings and his final ends, it must be “seasoned” with the “salt” of charity. Deeds without knowledge are blind, and knowledge without love is sterile. Indeed, “the individual who is animated by true charity labours skilfully to discover the causes of misery, to find the means to combat it, to overcome it resolutely”. Faced with the phenomena that lie before us, charity in truth requires first of all that we know and understand, acknowledging and respecting the specific competence of every level of knowledge. Charity is not an added extra, like an appendix to work already concluded in each of the various disciplines: it engages them in dialogue from the very beginning. The demands of love do not contradict those of reason. Human knowledge is insufficient and the conclusions of science cannot indicate by themselves the path towards integral human development. There is always a need to push further ahead: this is what is required by charity in truth. Going beyond, however, never means prescinding from the conclusions of reason, nor contradicting its results. Intelligence and love are not in separate compartments: love is rich in intelligence and intelligence is full of love.

1. This means that moral evaluation and scientific research must go hand in hand, and that charity must animate them in a harmonious interdisciplinary whole, marked by unity and distinction. The Church’s social doctrine, which has “an important interdisciplinary dimension”, can exercise, in this perspective, a function of extraordinary effectiveness. It allows faith, theology, metaphysics and science to come together in a collaborative effort in the service of humanity. It is here above all that the Church’s social doctrine displays its dimension of wisdom. Paul VI had seen clearly that among the causes of underdevelopment there is a lack of wisdom and reflection, a lack of thinking capable of formulating a guiding synthesis, for which “a clear vision of all economic, social, cultural and spiritual aspects” is required. The excessive segmentation of knowledge, the rejection of metaphysics by the human sciences, the difficulties encountered by dialogue between science and theology are damaging not only to the development of knowledge, but also to the development of peoples, because these things make it harder to see the integral good of man in its various dimensions. The “broadening [of] our concept of reason and its application” is indispensable if we are to succeed in adequately weighing all the elements involved in the question of development and in the solution of socio-economic problems.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your Faithful. Open our minds and hearts to “be seasoned with salt”; give us the wisdom we need in our lives individually that we may be salt and light for others. Show us how to live “Charity in Truth”.

Yesterday we celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the third apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. On July 13, 1917 Mary appeared to three little shepherd children in Fatima; her request was to pray the Rosary daily. God allowed Mary to show those children a vision of hell. She told them: “You have seen hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. It is to save them that God wants to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If you do what I tell you, many souls will be saved, and there will be peace.” Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother and Model of the Church, pray for us.

Without God we can do nothing, but with Him nothing is impossible.

 

[StudentMI]

I miss Pope Benedict.

 

[Irishmom2]

I don’t even understand what that is saying. Anyone care to paraphrase for me? Started reading it, and as sometimes happens, my eyes started to glaze over.

 

[abucs]

I don’t even understand what that is saying. Anyone care to paraphrase for me? Started reading it, and as sometimes happens, my eyes started to glaze over.

I will try. Basically it looks like a request for the Catholic social doctrine to be supported by political leaders and academics.

How our societies go forward together from the present will require much wisdom from different disciplines. For our own good we should try to agree on the wisdom to take us forward together.

Economic policies to improve peoples lives also need to go hand in hand with a shared cultural understanding. This cultural understanding needs to be well defined and accepted so that the economic policies will also be accepted.

A set of economic policies based on reason must go hand in hand with a cultural spirit of charity. The two are not mutually exclusive but need each other in order to build a better society.

The Church’s social doctrine provides the link by which reasoned economic theories can find the cultural acceptance of the people through a spirit of charity. The church’s social doctrine is a broad philosophy which covers many disciplines and provides a framework for which economic policies may be supported by the population.

 

[fhansen]

I will try. Basically it looks like a request for the Catholic social doctrine to be supported by political leaders and academics.

Yes, Pope Benedict is saying that there’s no conflict between intelligence/science and love. Love must inform our intellect to supplement and direct scientific knowledge in order to resolve the world’s problems.

 

[MariaChristi]

I miss Pope Benedict.

Me too, StudentMI, but I continue to thank God for his writings and the prayers he is continuing for all of us!

 

[MariaChristi]

I don’t even understand what that is saying. Anyone care to paraphrase for me? Started reading it, and as sometimes happens, my eyes started to glaze over.

Irish Mom,

No need to blush – the post is quoting only part of an encyclical and if you are reading anything out of the complete context it is always harder to understand.

“abucs” and “fhansen” both offered help and they may give you some better understanding of what the Pope is saying. However, the quote from St. Teresa of Avila in fhansen’s post is perhaps the best and simplest:

“It is love alone that gives worth to all things.” - St. Teresa of Avila

Social teachings must be imbued with charity. As members of the Church we must recognize that all our knowledge, by itself without love, cannot solve our human problems.