Caritas in Veritate - The Pope Speaks Out on Social Justice

The young adult Catholics whom we meet through CTU’s Catholics on Call program are inspired by the church’s teaching on social justice. Even those who struggle with various aspects of church teaching find Catholic doctrine about peace, human rights and economic justice to be very relevant to their lives of faith. Pope Benedict XVI has authored another chapter in this rich tradition through his encyclical Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), published in July.

Caritas in Veritate is a lengthy and complex letter in which the pope addresses contemporary issues, such as the economic recession that has gripped nations around the globe. It is addressed not just to Catholics but to “all people of good will.” The pope wants to enter into dialogue with all who are committed to the flourishing of the human family. Benedict consciously builds on the work of Paul VI, particularly the encyclical Populorum Progressio (The Progress of Peoples), published in 1967. Benedict says that in that letter and in other writings Paul VI “illuminated the great theme of the development of peoples with the splendor of truth and the gentle light of Christ’s charity” (n. 8). Caritas in Veritate is much too comprehensive to summarize in a brief reflection; I will simply lift up three themes which struck me as of particular relevance to our contemporary situation.

1. Catholics should be committed to the material and spiritual welfare of all people. Referring to a letter of Paul VI on evangelization (Evangelii Nuntiandi), Benedict articulates a principle that is of critical importance for the mission of the church and of every Christian: “Testimony to Christ’s charity, through works of justice, peace and development is part and parcel of evangelization, because Jesus Christ, who loves us, is concerned with the whole person” (n. 15). Echoing Paul VI, Benedict speaks of “integral” development, meaning the promotion of the good of every person and of the whole person in all of the dimensions of life. The pope points out that while the world’s wealth is growing in absolute terms, inequalities between rich nations and poor nations, and between the rich and the poor within nations, are on the increase. He challenges more affluent nations to allocate larger portions of their gross domestic products to development aid. He warns those of us who live in advantaged societies not to turn a deaf ear to the poor: “While the poor of the world continue knocking on the doors of the rich, the world of affluence runs the risk of no longer hearing those knocks, on account of a conscience that can no longer distinguish what is human” (n. 76). Though the church does not offer technical solutions to problems related to poverty, it promotes a Christian humanism rooted in the gospel, which points the way to authentically human development. This vision includes “a recognition that the human race is a single family working together in communion, not simply a group of subjects who happen to live side by side” (n. 53).

2. Economics needs ethics. Recent scandals in the financial industry, as well as serious problems resulting from deregulation of that industry, have alerted us to the relevance of ethical principles for economic activity. Benedict observes that the economic sphere is not ethically neutral but “is part and parcel of human activity and precisely because it is human, it must be structured and governed in an ethical manner” (n. 36). This ethic should be people-centered. In a telling statement the pope says, “Human costs always include economic costs, and economic dysfunctions always involve human costs” (n. 32). Benedict offers a number of provocative observations related to economic reform, including a challenge to businesses to exercise responsibility toward all of their stakeholders – not only investors but also workers, clients, suppliers, and the local community (n. 40). Most importantly, the pope emphasizes that economic activity must be guided by something greater than mere commercial logic; it needs to be directed toward the pursuit of the common good.

3. There is an intrinsic relationship between human and environmental ecology. Benedict affirms that an essential dimension of social justice is care for creation, God’s first gift to the human family. As he puts it, “The environment is God’s gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole” (n. 48). The pope proceeds to argue that Catholic teaching on respect for human life at every stage and on concern for the environment are mutually related. When there is a lack of respect for the right to life, natural death and other dimensions of human dignity, “the conscience of society ends up losing the concept of human ecology and, along with it, that of environmental ecology” (n. 51).

These are just three themes that are present in Benedict’s wide-ranging and substantive letter on social justice. While the encyclical is not an “easy read” (don’t take it with you to the beach!), it repays the effort of careful study. The pope’s message is a challenging one, particularly at a time when we in the U.S. are preoccupied with our own financial security. Some of his arguments and recommendations will undoubtedly be debated by experts in the field of economics. Nonetheless, with this letter Pope Benedict has made a valuable and timely contribution to the Catholic tradition on social justice.

Robin Ryan, cp