However, he said the church wants to be involved in political life by helping "form consciences in political life and stimulate greater insight into the authentic requirements of justice as well as greater readiness to act accordingly, even when this might involve conflict with situations of personal interest."
He said the church was "duty-bound" to offer such a contribution, and that the lay faithful, who as citizens of the state, are duty-bound to carry it out through works of charity.
While stressing that the church has no direct political role, he did offer a prescription for what the state should do.
"We do not need a state which regulates and controls everything, but a state which, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, generously acknowledges and supports initiatives arising from the different social forces and combines spontaneity with closeness to those in need," he wrote.
The Holy Father's new Encyclical. Read more about it here. Read it elsewhere.
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The Holy Father seems to have taken up THE most critical issue in the church today. When asked what the most important commandment was, Jesus, of course, said it was to Love God with our whole heart and Love our neighbor as ourselves. Why is it that seems to be the most difficult thing for us as Christians to do? If we kept those two commandments there would be no problem with any of the others. We spend all our time fussing and fighting about how you should baptize, or from whom we should receive communion, or what to serve at the Lord's table, or what color to paint the parish hall,etc., etc., etc. No wonder our numbers are not growing. Who would want to be like us??
I believe Pope Benedict is right on target and certainly hearing from God on this one! MMBX
And yet P.Ben. is just as, and in some cased MUCH more, exacting than the rest of us about how to baptize, from whom we can receive communion, what to serve, etc.
But I don't recall "P.Ben" being angry with and arguing with people who disagree with him on those issues. That would be majoring on the minors. The things that separate us Christians are not the things that are necessary to salavation. My point, and that of this encyclical is that we seem to have missed the most important part of Jesus' teaching in the mean time: the real Love of Christ on which this encyclical focuses. IF we really did Love as Christ taught us, all the rest would take care of itself. MMBX
I don't know if he was angry or not, but Ratzinger has spent his professional life for the last twenty years arguing about points of doctrine.
Here are a couple hundred of the documents the CDD produced recently:
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/doc_doc_index.htm
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/doc_sac_index.htm
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/doc_rat_index.htm
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/doc_dis_index.htm
I'll be sure to read them all tonight. In the mean time, my point is that "the church" is so busy getting their doctrine right that we miss Christianity 101. Love. Without further commentary (not easy for me as you well know), apparently Pope Benedict felt the same way. I whole heartedly affirm his encyclical. MMBX P.S. I also affirm theological philosophers! But that's a whole other issue.
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