What do you think of "Deus Caritas Est" from Pope Benedict

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“Deus Caritas Est” has finally been published.

What do you think of it?

I’m readin it now. I expected it to be good, but it is breathtaking and simply incredible!
 
I’ve just started reading also - I’m up to pt. 1 section7, looks like an interesting topic, I only wish the terminology was easier to grasp!

DD
 
It is timley because one of the issues that I deal with a lot is that there is a lack of understanding of what truly is love. I have not fully assimulated the document yet as I have to think about it for a while but I will get back to you.
 
Just started to read it… however, this is where the fun comes in.

When someone asks me if a “new” pope will be any good, I tell them I believe in the transformational power of the office of the pope.

It seems to me that the man going into the office is nothing like the man when his papacy is about to come to an end.

I love watching the way the Holy Spirit infuses grace, wisdom, and piety on the Pope so he can effictively lead the largest Christian church on earth; no matter what the demands are.

It is starting with Pope Benedict XVI.

Thal59
 
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asteroid:
I’m only up to the end of section 4. A long way to go.

But so far I am liking it a lot.

In case anyone hasn’t found it yet, here it is:

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est_en.html
Click to expand...

It looks quite short - which is a very welcome change​

 
I read the first half this morning, but have been too busy so far to finish it. Its been so good what I read so far!
Josh
 
For me the first part of the encyclical was the most important to what I do. I think that he is correct in the fact that most people do not really know how to define love anymore. Love has been relegated to a passion instead of the heightened reality that it is. He resonated most with me when he spoke about how in the journey through our faith life we may not always feel Divine love but yet we know that it is there. This has been the problem with youth ministry for years. It focuses on the emotional needs of the teens and then when they do not “feel” the love and excitement (Eros) anymore or they are having a low then their faith suffers. This has translated to a couple generations of hyper-emotionalized catholics and it is causing and has caused many problems in the Church.

The second half was well written in the mods of charity as an act of love. It is funny, I remember arguing with professor of mine that pure socialism kills true charity. He, being French-Canadian" to the opposing view. I laughed when I say the same sentiment in the encyclical affirming my position. I am going to have to send a letter to my old professor. In any case I was interested to find that he Holy Father takes a very strict view of Church State relations in the mode of an absolute separation as opposed to the second view of theocratic idealism. I think that it is also good that he addressed some disciplinary issues concerning groups that claim to be catholic charitable groups and affirming their necessity to work with the authority of the Church and not apart from the Bishops.

All in all I was surprised that the encyclical was on this issue in the first place but as I was reading it I realized that it is foundational to a lot of the other problems that we have that I am sure he will be addressing in the near future.
 
Like most others here I have only just begun (as the carpenter’s sond goes!)

I was struck by the following reference: Faith, which sees the love of God revealed in the pierced heart of Jesus on the Cross, gives rise to love. Love is the light—and in the end, the only light—that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working. Love is possible, and we are able to practise it because we are created in the image of God. To experience love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world—this is the invitation I would like to extend with the present Encyclical.

What struck me was that fact that although the Encyclical was due for release in December, providence brought the date of release to the 25th of January, the feast of the Conversion of St Paul. In the story of Paul’s conversion, as we know, there is also a wonderful link between light and love and perhaps, just perhaps, this was God’s mark of approval on the message given from Pope Benedict.
 
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