This is my third thread, on excerpts from Pope Benedict’s encyclical “Caritas in veritate”. It continues to be a blessing to me and again, Pope Benedict quotes the theme of Pope Paul’s vision of development as a “vocation”. Hopefully those reading this excerpt will be blessed by it. Today we are concluding Chapter One of “Caritas in veritate”.
Finally, the vision of development as a vocation brings with it **the central place of charity **within that development. Paul VI, in his Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, pointed out that the causes of underdevelopment are not primarily of the material order. He invited us to search for them in other dimensions of the human person: first of all, in the will, which often neglects the duties of solidarity; secondly in thinking, which does not always give proper direction to the will. Hence, in the pursuit of development, there is a need for “the deep thought and reflection of wise men in search of a new humanism which will enable modern man to find himself anew”. But that is not all. Underdevelopment has an even more important cause than lack of deep thought: it is “the lack of brotherhood among individuals and peoples”. Will it ever be possible to obtain this brotherhood by human effort alone? As society becomes ever more globalized, it makes us neighbours but does not make us brothers. Reason, by itself, is capable of grasping the equality between men and of giving stability to their civic coexistence, but it cannot establish fraternity. This originates in a transcendent vocation from God the Father, who loved us first, teaching us through the Son what fraternal charity is. Paul VI, presenting the various levels in the process of human development, placed at the summit, after mentioning faith, “unity in the charity of Christ who calls us all to share as sons in the life of the living God, the Father of all”.
These perspectives, which Populorum Progressio opens up, remain fundamental for giving breathing-space and direction to our commitment for the development of peoples. Moreover, Populorum Progressio repeatedly underlines the urgent need for reform, and in the face of great problems of injustice in the development of peoples, it calls for courageous action to be taken without delay. This urgency is also a consequence of charity in truth. It is Christ’s charity that drives us on: “caritas Christi urget nos” (2 Cor 5:14). The urgency is inscribed not only in things, it is not derived solely from the rapid succession of events and problems, but also from the very matter that is at stake: the establishment of authentic fraternity.
The importance of this goal is such as to demand our openness to understand it in depth and to mobilize ourselves at the level of the “heart”, so as to ensure that current economic and social processes evolve towards fully human outcomes.
Forgive me again, if I underline too much, but I am so blessed by the wisdom God has given to both Pope Paul VI and to Pope Benedict XVI who quotes his predecessor and elaborates. Is it not tragic – these words were not heeded when written? I wonder how many within or outside the Church heard or pondered them or attempted to respond to the urgency for “authentic fraternity”. By God’s Grace, I want to learn more from this encyclical in order to do the Truth I hear, lovingly!
Thanks for your reply – there were over 100 persons who viewed this thread, so I hope they (as we) are grateful for the wisdom given by God to His Church. May we love the Church and by God’s grace do whatever we need to do to build up the Body of Christ, living “Charity in truth”. May the Light of Christ shine through His Church in this dark world.
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thank you for this