Pope Benedict's Social Encyclical: Charity in Truth
(Caritas in Veritate)
[Intro., Ch. One, Ch. Two (pp. 1-46)]
Rubrics for the Day (Discussion Points)
1. Paul in Ephesians 4:15: "truth in charity" also requires "charity in truth" (page 2; paragraph 2);
2. "Love" is abused so it comes to mean the opposite (3; paragraph 3);
3. Charity = grace (charis)=in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5) (4; para. 5);
4. Charity includes justice but goes beyond to "gratuitousness" (5, 6; paras. 6);
5. "To love someone is to desire that person's good and to take effective steps to secure it" (6; para. 7), Intelligence and Love (41; para. 30);
6. St. Augustine's City of God in the earthly city (7; para. 7);
7. No break with Paul VI's vision of human development (8, 9; paras. 8, 9);
8. Paul VI: Ch. 1:
a. Without God, we do not reach higher (12-13, 22; paras. 11, 18);
b. Beware the worship of technology (16; para. 14);
c. Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life): completely and truly healthy sex is social justice (17; para. 15);
d. Social doctrine is essential to evangelization (18; para. 15);
e. Urgent matter: "the love of Christ urges/impels us" (2 Cor. 5:14) (23; para. 20);
9. The Situation Today: Ch. 2
a. Profit is not God (26; para. 21);
b. Glaring inequality is a scandal (28; para. 22);
c. Internationalism (30; para. 24), globalization (44; para. 33);
d. Safety Net Frays (31; para. 25);
e. Right to Food, Right to Water, Right to Life (35; para. 27);
f. Terrorism; Lack of Religious Freedom; Practical Atheism (38; para. 29);
g. Steady Employment for Everyone (42; para. 32).