Fighting hunger, beefing up unions part of pope’s new social encyclical [John Allen]

[Catholic_Press]

In his long-awaited new encyclical on the economy, Pope Benedict XVI appears set to call for new global “synergies” among labor unions in order to resist cuts in social safety nets, stronger efforts to combat world hunger, and greater protections for the “ecological health of the planet.”

Beyond those policy matters, the pontiff also will apparently strike three vintage personal themes:

• Social justice depends upon individual conversion, and the roots of the present crisis are in an “ethical deficit” within economic structures, especially greed;
• The defense of the poor and the defense of unborn life, implying opposition to abortion and artificial birth control, are necessarily linked.
• Preaching Christ is not a distraction from building a better world, but “the principal resource at the service of the true development of every single person and of all humanity.”

Benedict’s new social encyclical, titled *Veritas in Caritate *(“Truth in Charity”), will likely not be released until early July, but this morning’s Corriere della Sera, Italy’s leading daily newspaper, carried lengthy extracts.

More…

 

[human_being]

In his long-awaited new encyclical on the economy, Pope Benedict XVI appears set to call for new global “synergies” among labor unions in order to resist cuts in social safety nets, stronger efforts to combat world hunger, and greater protections for the “ecological health of the planet.”

Beyond those policy matters, the pontiff also will apparently strike three vintage personal themes:

• Social justice depends upon individual conversion, and the roots of the present crisis are in an “ethical deficit” within economic structures, especially greed;
• The defense of the poor and the defense of unborn life, implying opposition to abortion and artificial birth control, are necessarily linked.
• Preaching Christ is not a distraction from building a better world, but “the principal resource at the service of the true development of every single person and of all humanity.”

Benedict’s new social encyclical, titled *Veritas in Caritate *(“Truth in Charity”), will likely not be released until early July, but this morning’s Corriere della Sera, Italy’s leading daily newspaper, carried lengthy extracts.

More…

I personally cannot wait to read this. I read the link. I heard it was to come out June 29th. Where and when can I find it when it is released. If the church would make a bigger deal on some of these economic points I think it would change alot of other problems such as abortion and such. The unions are and have been a strong part of capitalism and unfortunately, the party we are supposed to favor on abortion issues tends to be in strong disagreement on union issues. I can’t wait to read it.

 

[Joe_5859]

Just keep checking here on the Vatican’s website:

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/index_en.htm

It should show up the day it get’s released. I, too, had heard it would be released today (June 29, Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul), but it looks like that is not the case. It looks like it won’t be too long, though.

 

[Dale_M]

It should show up the day it get’s released. I, too, had heard it would be released today (June 29, Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul), but it looks like that is not the case. It looks like it won’t be too long, though.

The Times (of London) is reporting that release of the encyclical is being delayed a week or so.
timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6597078.ece

 

[Joe_5859]

The Times (of London) is reporting that release of the encyclical is being delayed a week or so.
timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6597078.ece

I guess we’ll just have to wait.

We can use the time to brush up on Rerum Novarum in anticipation.

 

[mkingdomlvr]

I personally cannot wait to read this. I read the link. I heard it was to come out June 29th. Where and when can I find it when it is released. If the church would make a bigger deal on some of these economic points I think it would change alot of other problems such as abortion and such. The unions are and have been a strong part of capitalism and unfortunately, the party we are supposed to favor on abortion issues tends to be in strong disagreement on union issues. I can’t wait to read it.

The argument will likely be made that the abortion issue trumps the support of unions, but it seems at first glance that the Holy Father feels all those issues are inter-related.

 

[abukamoon]

Something that seems to escape the “social justice” crowd is the idea of honest weights and measures. This is right out of the Bible.

Imagine if when we went to buy gasoline, the gallon was smaller. Or, we bought chicken at the market and discovered that the pound was a little lighter than it was last week.

Well, this has been happening to our dollar for almost a hundred years. Why hasn’t the Catholic Church commented on honest money that doesn’t inflate. Inflation is stealing. How can “social justice” people be so disinterested in stealing.

I think most of the “social justice” crowd are really just socialists. They aren’t really concerned with justice for all.

We will never have economic justice until we have honest money.

 

[Joe_5859]

It looks like the new encyclical will be released on July 7th:

**ENCYCLICAL “CARITAS IN VERITATE” TO BE PRESENTED ON 7 JULY **

VATICAN CITY, 1 JUL 2009 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday 7 July a press conference will be held to present Benedict XVI’s new Encyclical “Caritas in veritate”.

Participating in the conference will be: Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino and Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace; Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”, and Stefano Zamagni, professor of political economy at the University of Bologna, Italy and consultor of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
OP/ENCYCLICAL/…VIS 090701 (110)
link

According to Zenit, the encyclical will still be “back-dated” to June 29 (as often happens). One more week!

 

[Earnest_Bunbury]

Something that seems to escape the “social justice” crowd is the idea of honest weights and measures. This is right out of the Bible.

Imagine if when we went to buy gasoline, the gallon was smaller. Or, we bought chicken at the market and discovered that the pound was a little lighter than it was last week.

Well, this has been happening to our dollar for almost a hundred years. Why hasn’t the Catholic Church commented on honest money that doesn’t inflate. Inflation is stealing. How can “social justice” people be so disinterested in stealing.

I think most of the “social justice” crowd are really just socialists. They aren’t really concerned with justice for all.

We will never have economic justice until we have honest money.

“Honest” money will be a product of honest people. Social justice is rooted in the teachings and love of Jesus in His Church. Abortion reduction, justice, hunger, respect, are all products of the acceptance of the values and virtues of God in us. Economics is also a product of man, a production of trade that we use and is controlled by those we put in charge of government as well as outside market forces such as supply and of course, demand for items that are traded. Value of an item is determined by what a thing is worth as well as what someone will pay. Selfishness in selling meets selfishness in buying (I must have it no matter how much it costs!) makes that product more expensive for the next person. This cannot be controlled by just the value of money. When God and our fellow man means more to us than what we own or our own material status, we will have money that has proper value, and that is to say, not much. I look forward to such days.

 

[human_being]

It looks like the new encyclical will be released on July 7th:

According to Zenit, the encyclical will still be “back-dated” to June 29 (as often happens). One more week!

I wonder if it means VAtican City time or what? What time is that compared to Eastern Standard Time. Is there a link with time Zones?

 

[Joe_5859]

I wonder if it means VAtican City time or what? What time is that compared to Eastern Standard Time. Is there a link with time Zones?

According to the Vatican News Service, the new encylical will be presented at 11:30am, (Vatican time, I presume, as the news blurb is coming from the Holy See’s Press Office). I think they’re 6 or 7 hours ahead of EST, so that means 4:30/5:30am here in the U.S… I don’t think I’ll wait up, but hopefully by the time I wake up, I’ll be able to find the encylical on the Vatican website. (It’s not there just yet, I checked ).

 

[Joe_5859]

It’s here!

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.html

Start your reading!

 

[Joe_5859]

Here’s the Vatican’s summary of the encyclical source]:

**SUMMARY OF ENCYCLICAL “CARITAS IN VERITATE” **

VATICAN CITY, 7 JUL 2009 (VIS) - Given below is a summary of Benedict XVI’s new Encyclical “Caritas in veritate” (Charity in Truth) on integral human development in charity and truth.

The Encyclical published today - which comprehends an introduction, six chapters and a conclusion - is dated 29 June 2009, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles.

A summary of the Encyclical released by the Holy See Press Office explains that in his introduction the Pope recalls how “charity is at the heart of the Church’s social doctrine”. Yet, given the risk of its being “misinterpreted and detached from ethical living”, he warns how “a Christianity of charity without truth would be more or less interchangeable with a pool of good sentiments, helpful for social cohesion, but of little relevance”.

[read more]

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I personally cannot wait to read this. I read the link. I heard it was to come out June 29th. Where and when can I find it when it is released. If the church would make a bigger deal on some of these economic points I think it would change alot of other problems such as abortion and such. The unions are and have been a strong part of capitalism and unfortunately, the party we are supposed to favor on abortion issues tends to be in strong disagreement on union issues. I can’t wait to read it.

As well as most unions here in the States seem to support abortion and pro-abortion candidates.

 

[human_being]

As well as most unions here in the States seem to support abortion and pro-abortion candidates.

Anything can change.

I made a copy at the library. 50 pages long. I’m glad it’s hear and I’ve had this site to keep me informed.

 

[Ridgerunner]

As well as most unions here in the States seem to support abortion and pro-abortion candidates.

I haven’t read it all, but I skimmed most of it. I think it will be read by many to be an economic blueprint or roadmap. I don’t think it is. Premising all of the labor, financial, consumer, trade, governmental stuff is a religious foundation; God and the brotherhood of human beings that should be there.

I think we’re a long, long, long way from acting on those premises. What we really have going is an excessively adversarial environment; one in which even those who purport to support justice or charity toward one group are utterly without regard to how it may affect others or the whole. I might cite the political loosening of lending standards by way of an example that most would agree did not benefit those it was intended to benefit, but significantly contributed to bringing the whole economy down.

The Pope emphasizes the value of populations and the wrongness of efforts at population reduction. He emphasizes the value of life and the wrongfulness of abortion and embryonic stem cell research.

Looking at it as a whole (and I need to study it more) it seems to make clear that we’re not likely to cure any of the lesser social ills if we pursue the culture of death which is now so enshrined politically, because the selfishness underlying that culture infects everything else. Until we truly embrace human life, we are not likely to genuinely embrace other humans.

Many, I think, will miss the point.