Summary of the encyclical “lumen fidei” (The Light of Faith)

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agnes_therese said:
Personally, I don’t feel qualified to tell him “You should be talking about X instead.” He’s the one chosen by the Holy Spirit to guide the Church.
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In regards to this conversation about what the Pope should or shoudn’t be emphasizing, I was very happy to see that this encyclical mentioned traditional marriage.

Since the topic was Faith, the subject of marriage didn’t have to come up at all, and I certainly wouldn’t have thought it would be mentioned. But the fact the Pope Francis left it in there I think is very good. It means he went (a little) out of his way to mention a “controversial” subject and support traditional marriage when he didn’t have to.
 
Here is CatholicCulture.com’s news release and analysis:

Pope Francis’ 1st encyclical released
catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=18369

There’s so much “good stuff” to contemplate on in this encyclical. I like the few excerpts posters offered above. Here are a couple more (bolded is mine):
  1. The unity of the Church in time and space is linked to the unity of the faith: “there is one body and one Spirit… one faith” (Eph 4:4-5). These days we can imagine a group of people being united in a common cause, in mutual affection, in sharing the same destiny and a single purpose. But we find it hard to conceive of a unity in one truth. We tend to think that a unity of this sort is incompatible with freedom of thought and personal autonomy. Yet the experience of love shows us that a common vision is possible, for through love we learn how to see reality through the eyes of others, not as something which impoverishes but instead enriches our vision. Genuine love, after the fashion of God’s love, ultimately requires truth, and the shared contemplation of the truth which is Jesus Christ enables love to become deep and enduring. This is also the great joy of faith: a unity of vision in one body and one spirit. Saint Leo the Great could say: “If faith is not one, then it is not faith”…
  2. Since faith is one, it must be professed in all its purity and integrity. Precisely because all the articles of faith are interconnected, to deny one of them, even of those that seem least important, is tantamount to distorting the whole. Each period of history can find this or that point of faith easier or harder to accept: **hence the need for vigilance in ensuring that the deposit of faith is passed on in its entirety **(cf. 1 Tim 6:20) and that all aspects of the profession of faith are duly emphasized. Indeed, inasmuch as the unity of faith is the unity of the Church, to subtract something from the faith is to subtract something from the veracity of communion…
(I wish bishops would require all clergy, RCIA instructors, catechists, Bible study leaders, etc., to read this last part!)

And I just emailed a beautiful section entitled “Consolation and strength amid suffering” (56-58) to a friend of mine, who has been maturing in her faith because of her recent suffering, but who is still seeking answers.

closing prayer:
  1. Let us turn in prayer to Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of our faith.
    Mother, help our faith! **
    Open our ears to hear God’s word and to recognize his voice and call.
    Awaken in us a desire to follow in his footsteps, to go forth from our own land and to receive his promise.
    Help us to be touched by his love, that we may touch him in faith.
    Help us to entrust ourselves fully to him and to believe in his love, especially at times of trial, beneath the shadow of the cross, when our faith is called to mature.
    Sow in our faith the joy of the Risen One.
    Remind us that those who believe are never alone.
    Teach us to see all things with the eyes of Jesus, that he may be light for our path. And may this light of faith always increase in us, until the dawn of that undying day which is Christ himself, your Son, our Lord**
 
quiet52 said:
  1. Since faith is one, it must be professed in all its purity and integrity. Precisely because all the articles of faith are interconnected, to deny one of them, even of those that seem least important, is tantamount to distorting the whole. Each period of history can find this or that point of faith easier or harder to accept: **hence the need for vigilance in ensuring that the deposit of faith is passed on in its entirety **(cf. 1 Tim 6:20) and that all aspects of the profession of faith are duly emphasized. Indeed, inasmuch as the unity of faith is the unity of the Church, to subtract something from the faith is to subtract something from the veracity of communion…[/INDENT]
(I wish bishops would require all clergy, RCIA instructors, catechists, Bible study leaders, etc., to read this last part!)
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I agree.

Can’t wait to read the encyclical in its entirety.
 
livingwordunity said:
If Pope Francis were a liberal he would have taken this opportunity to show it by deleting the part about marriage being between one man and one woman. He is not a liberal.
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He said MORE liberal. Not A liberal. And it’s true. He isn’t as conservative as Benedict was. That doesn’t mean he isn’t what the church believes. It’s just his own style.

As my father said: “Let Pope Francis be Pope Francis and let Pope Benedict be Pope Benedict”
 
livingwordunity said:
If Pope Francis were a liberal he would have taken this opportunity to show it by deleting the part about marriage being between one man and one woman. He is not a liberal.
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The term “liberal” has a meaning which is quite misused around here.

One can be liberal in terms of the role of government and financial environment but hold Catholic moral teaching.

The same can be true (or untrue) among those termed “conservative”.

You are simply furthering the muddying of the definition of “liberal” so common around here and seeking to demonize those who identify themselves as liberal.

In other words. . . . . . .
“conservative”= American style right-leaning (GOP and/or libertarian), God fearing, moral and devout Catholic.
“liberal”= American style left-leaning Democratic Party, secularist, modernist, statist, and non-devout Catholic.

That’s not what “liberal” and “conservative” mean by definition.

Your characterization is insidious, targeted, agenda-drivien, inaccurate, and driven by either ignorance or out-right dishonesty.
 
ringil said:
The term “liberal” has a meaning which is quite mis-used around here.

One can be liberal in terms of the role of government and financial environment but hold Catholic moral teaching.

The same can be true (or untrue) among those termed “conservative”.

You are simply furthering the muddying of the definition of “liberal” so common around here and seeking demonize those who identify themselves as liberal.

In other words. . . . . . .
“conservative”= American style right-leaning (GOP and/or libertarian), God fearing, moral and devout Catholic.
“liberal”= American style left-leaning Democratic Party, secularist, modernist, statist, and non-devout Catholic.

Tat’s not what “liberal” and “conservative” mean by definition.

Your characterization is insidious, targeted, agenda-drivien, inaccurate, and driven by either ignorance or out-right dishonesty.
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Thank you!
 
Gricken said:
He said MORE liberal. Not A liberal. And it’s true. He isn’t as conservative as Benedict was. That doesn’t mean he isn’t what the church believes. It’s just his own style.

As my father said: “Let Pope Francis be Pope Francis and let Pope Benedict be Pope Benedict”
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Popes are not “conservative” or “liberal”- especially when speaking through encyclicals… They are Orthodoxy itself.
 
ringil said:
The term “liberal” has a meaning which is quite mis-used around here.

One can be liberal in terms of the role of government and financial environment but hold Catholic moral teaching.

The same can be true (or untrue) among those termed “conservative”.

You are simply furthering the muddying of the definition of “liberal” so common around here and seeking demonize those who identify themselves as liberal.

In other words. . . . . . .
“conservative”= American style right-leaning (GOP and/or libertarian), God fearing, moral and devout Catholic.
“liberal”= American style left-leaning Democratic Party, secularist, modernist, statist, and non-devout Catholic.

Tat’s not what “liberal” and “conservative” mean by definition.

Your characterization is insidious, targeted, agenda-drivien, inaccurate, and driven by either ignorance or out-right dishonesty.
Click to expand...
You’re right. We should use the terms as they are defined by the Church (“if” they are defined by the Church…for example, liberal is defined. Not sure if “conservative” is – other than by saying not(liberal))
 
ringil said:
Popes are not “conservative” or “liberal”- especially when speaking through encyclicals… They are Orthodoxy itself.
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My point was that each pope has their own unique style.
 
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