ENCYCLICALLETTER
CARITASINVERITATE
OFTHESUPREMEPONTIFF
BENEDICTXVI
TOTHEBISHOPS
PRIESTSANDDEACONS
MENANDWOMENRELIGIOUS
THELAYFAITHFUL
ANDALLPEOPLEOFGOODWILL
ONINTEGRALHUMANDEVELOPMENT
INCHARITYANDTRUTH
INTRODUCTION
1.Charityintruth,towhichJesusChristborewitnessbyhisearthlylifeandespeciallybyhisdeathandresurrection,istheprincipaldrivingforcebehindtheauthenticdevelopmentofeverypersonandofallhumanity.Love—caritas—isanextraordinaryforcewhichleadspeopletooptforcourageousandgenerousengagementinthefieldofjusticeandpeace.ItisaforcethathasitsorigininGod,EternalLoveandAbsoluteTruth.EachpersonfindshisgoodbyadherencetoGod'splanforhim,inordertorealizeitfully:inthisplan,hefindshistruth,andthroughadherencetothistruthhebecomesfree(cf.Jn8:22).Todefendthetruth,toarticulateitwithhumilityandconviction,andtobearwitnesstoitinlifearethereforeexactingandindispensableformsofcharity.Charity,infact,“rejoicesinthetruth”(1Cor13:6).Allpeoplefeeltheinteriorimpulsetoloveauthentically:loveandtruthneverabandonthemcompletely,becausethesearethevocationplantedbyGodintheheartandmindofeveryhumanperson.ThesearchforloveandtruthispurifiedandliberatedbyJesusChristfromtheimpoverishmentthatourhumanitybringstoit,andherevealstousinallitsfullnesstheinitiativeofloveandtheplanfortruelifethatGodhaspreparedforus.InChrist,charityintruthbecomestheFaceofhisPerson,avocationforustoloveourbrothersandsistersinthetruthofhisplan.Indeed,hehimselfistheTruth(cf.Jn14:6).
2.CharityisattheheartoftheChurch'ssocialdoctrine.Everyresponsibilityandeverycommitmentspeltoutbythatdoctrineisderivedfromcharitywhich,accordingtotheteachingofJesus,isthesynthesisoftheentireLaw(cf.Mt22:36-40).ItgivesrealsubstancetothepersonalrelationshipwithGodandwithneighbour;itistheprinciplenotonlyofmicro-relationships(withfriends,withfamilymembersorwithinsmallgroups)butalsoofmacro-relationships(social,economicandpoliticalones).FortheChurch,instructedbytheGospel,charityiseverythingbecause,asSaintJohnteaches(cf.1Jn4:8,16)andasIrecalledinmyfirstEncyclicalLetter,“Godislove”(DeusCaritasEst):everythinghasitsorigininGod'slove,everythingisshapedbyit,everythingisdirectedtowardsit.LoveisGod'sgreatestgifttohumanity,itishispromiseandourhope.
Iamawareofthewaysinwhichcharityhasbeenandcontinuestobemisconstruedandemptiedofmeaning,withtheconsequentriskofbeingmisinterpreted,detachedfromethicallivingand,inanyevent,undervalued.Inthesocial,juridical,cultural,politicalandeconomicfields—thecontexts,inotherwords,thataremostexposedtothisdanger—itiseasilydismissedasirrelevantforinterpretingandgivingdirectiontomoralresponsibility.Hencetheneedtolinkcharitywithtruthnotonlyinthesequence,pointedoutbySaintPaul,ofveritasincaritate(Eph4:15),butalsointheinverseandcomplementarysequenceofcaritasinveritate.Truthneedstobesought,foundandexpressedwithinthe“economy”ofcharity,butcharityinitsturnneedstobeunderstood,confirmedandpractisedinthelightoftruth.Inthisway,notonlydowedoaservicetocharityenlightenedbytruth,butwealsohelpgivecredibilitytotruth,demonstratingitspersuasiveandauthenticatingpowerinthepracticalsettingofsocialliving.Thisisamatterofnosmallaccounttoday,inasocialandculturalcontextwhichrelativizestruth,oftenpayinglittleheedtoitandshowingincreasingreluctancetoacknowledgeitsexistence.
3.Throughthiscloselinkwithtruth,charitycanberecognizedasanauthenticexpressionofhumanityandasanelementoffundamentalimportanceinhumanrelations,includingthoseofapublicnature.Onlyintruthdoescharityshineforth,onlyintruthcancharitybeauthenticallylived.Truthisthelightthatgivesmeaningandvaluetocharity.Thatlightisboththelightofreasonandthelightoffaith,throughwhichtheintellectattainstothenaturalandsupernaturaltruthofcharity:itgraspsitsmeaningasgift,acceptance,andcommunion.Withouttruth,charitydegeneratesintosentimentality.Lovebecomesanemptyshell,tobefilledinanarbitraryway.Inaculturewithouttruth,thisisthefatalriskfacinglove.Itfallspreytocontingentsubjectiveemotionsandopinions,theword“love”isabusedanddistorted,tothepointwhereitcomestomeantheopposite.Truthfreescharityfromtheconstraintsofanemotionalismthatdeprivesitofrelationalandsocialcontent,andofafideismthatdeprivesitofhumananduniversalbreathing-space.Inthetruth,charityreflectsthepersonalyetpublicdimensionoffaithintheGodoftheBible,whoisbothAgápeandLógos:CharityandTruth,LoveandWord.
4.Becauseitisfilledwithtruth,charitycanbeunderstoodintheabundanceofitsvalues,itcanbesharedandcommunicated.Truth,infact,islógoswhichcreatesdiá-logos,andhencecommunicationandcommunion.Truth,byenablingmenandwomentoletgooftheirsubjectiveopinionsandimpressions,allowsthemtomovebeyondculturalandhistoricallimitationsandtocometogetherintheassessmentofthevalueandsubstanceofthings.Truthopensandunitesourmindsinthelógosoflove:thisistheChristianproclamationandtestimonyofcharity.Inthepresentsocialandculturalcontext,wherethereisawidespreadtendencytorelativizetruth,practisingcharityintruthhelpspeopletounderstandthatadheringtothevaluesofChristianityisnotmerelyusefulbutessentialforbuildingagoodsocietyandfortrueintegralhumandevelopment.AChristianityofcharitywithouttruthwouldbemoreorlessinterchangeablewithapoolofgoodsentiments,helpfulforsocialcohesion,butoflittlerelevance.Inotherwords,therewouldnolongerbeanyrealplaceforGodintheworld.Withouttruth,charityisconfinedtoanarrowfielddevoidofrelations.Itisexcludedfromtheplansandprocessesofpromotinghumandevelopmentofuniversalrange,indialoguebetweenknowledgeandpraxis.
5.Charityislovereceivedandgiven.Itis“grace”(cháris).ItssourceisthewellspringoftheFather'slovefortheSon,intheHolySpirit.LovecomesdowntousfromtheSon.Itiscreativelove,throughwhichwehaveourbeing;itisredemptivelove,throughwhichwearerecreated.LoveisrevealedandmadepresentbyChrist(cf.Jn13:1)and“pouredintoourheartsthroughtheHolySpirit”(Rom5:5).AstheobjectsofGod'slove,menandwomenbecomesubjectsofcharity,theyarecalledtomakethemselvesinstrumentsofgrace,soastopourforthGod'scharityandtoweavenetworksofcharity.
ThisdynamicofcharityreceivedandgiveniswhatgivesrisetotheChurch'ssocialteaching,whichiscaritasinveritateinresociali:theproclamationofthetruthofChrist'sloveinsociety.Thisdoctrineisaservicetocharity,butitslocusistruth.Truthpreservesandexpressescharity'spowertoliberateintheever-changingeventsofhistory.Itisatthesametimethetruthoffaithandofreason,bothinthedistinctionandalsointheconvergenceofthosetwocognitivefields.Development,socialwell-being,thesearchforasatisfactorysolutiontothegravesocio-economicproblemsbesettinghumanity,allneedthistruth.Whattheyneedevenmoreisthatthistruthshouldbelovedanddemonstrated.Withouttruth,withouttrustandloveforwhatistrue,thereisnosocialconscienceandresponsibility,andsocialactionendsupservingprivateinterestsandthelogicofpower,resultinginsocialfragmentation,especiallyinaglobalizedsocietyatdifficulttimeslikethepresent.
6.“Caritasinveritate”istheprinciplearoundwhichtheChurch'ssocialdoctrineturns,aprinciplethattakesonpracticalforminthecriteriathatgovernmoralaction.Iwouldliketoconsidertwooftheseinparticular,ofspecialrelevancetothecommitmenttodevelopmentinanincreasinglyglobalizedsociety:justiceandthecommongood.
Firstofall,justice.Ubisocietas,ibiius:everysocietydrawsupitsownsystemofjustice.Charitygoesbeyondjustice,becausetoloveistogive,toofferwhatis“mine”totheother;butitneverlacksjustice,whichpromptsustogivetheotherwhatis“his”,whatisduetohimbyreasonofhisbeingorhisacting.Icannot“give”whatisminetotheother,withoutfirstgivinghimwhatpertainstohiminjustice.Ifweloveotherswithcharity,thenfirstofallwearejusttowardsthem.Notonlyisjusticenotextraneoustocharity,notonlyisitnotanalternativeorparallelpathtocharity:justiceisinseparablefromcharity[1],andintrinsictoit.Justiceistheprimarywayofcharityor,inPaulVI'swords,“theminimummeasure”ofit[2],anintegralpartofthelove“indeedandintruth”(1Jn3:18),towhichSaintJohnexhortsus.Ontheonehand,charitydemandsjustice:recognitionandrespectforthelegitimaterightsofindividualsandpeoples.Itstrivestobuildtheearthlycityaccordingtolawandjustice.Ontheotherhand,charitytranscendsjusticeandcompletesitinthelogicofgivingandforgiving[3].Theearthlycityispromotednotmerelybyrelationshipsofrightsandduties,buttoanevengreaterandmorefundamentalextentbyrelationshipsofgratuitousness,mercyandcommunion.CharityalwaysmanifestsGod'sloveinhumanrelationshipsaswell,itgivestheologicalandsalvificvaluetoallcommitmentforjusticeintheworld.
7.Anotherimportantconsiderationisthecommongood.Tolovesomeoneistodesirethatperson'sgoodandtotakeeffectivestepstosecureit.Besidesthegoodoftheindividual,thereisagoodthatislinkedtolivinginsociety:thecommongood.Itisthegoodof“allofus”,madeupofindividuals,familiesandintermediategroupswhotogetherconstitutesociety[4].Itisagoodthatissoughtnotforitsownsake,butforthepeoplewhobelongtothesocialcommunityandwhocanonlyreallyandeffectivelypursuetheirgoodwithinit.Todesirethecommongoodandstrivetowardsitisarequirementofjusticeandcharity.Totakeastandforthecommongoodisontheonehandtobesolicitousfor,andontheotherhandtoavailoneselfof,thatcomplexofinstitutionsthatgivestructuretothelifeofsociety,juridically,civilly,politicallyandculturally,makingitthepólis,or“city”.Themorewestrivetosecureacommongoodcorrespondingtotherealneedsofourneighbours,themoreeffectivelywelovethem.EveryChristianiscalledtopractisethischarity,inamannercorrespondingtohisvocationandaccordingtothedegreeofinfluencehewieldsinthepólis.Thisistheinstitutionalpath—wemightalsocallitthepoliticalpath—ofcharity,nolessexcellentandeffectivethanthekindofcharitywhichencounterstheneighbourdirectly,outsidetheinstitutionalmediationofthepólis.Whenanimatedbycharity,commitmenttothecommongoodhasgreaterworththanamerelysecularandpoliticalstandwouldhave.Likeallcommitmenttojustice,ithasaplacewithinthetestimonyofdivinecharitythatpavesthewayforeternitythroughtemporalaction.Man'searthlyactivity,wheninspiredandsustainedbycharity,contributestothebuildingoftheuniversalcityofGod,whichisthegoalofthehistoryofthehumanfamily.Inanincreasinglyglobalizedsociety,thecommongoodandtheefforttoobtainitcannotfailtoassumethedimensionsofthewholehumanfamily,thatistosay,thecommunityofpeoplesandnations[5],insuchawayastoshapetheearthlycityinunityandpeace,renderingittosomedegreeananticipationandaprefigurationoftheundividedcityofGod.
8.In1967,whenheissuedtheEncyclicalPopulorumProgressio,myvenerablepredecessorPopePaulVIilluminatedthegreatthemeofthedevelopmentofpeopleswiththesplendouroftruthandthegentlelightofChrist'scharity.HetaughtthatlifeinChrististhefirstandprincipalfactorofdevelopment[6]andheentrusteduswiththetaskoftravellingthepathofdevelopmentwithallourheartandallourintelligence[7],thatistosaywiththeardourofcharityandthewisdomoftruth.ItistheprimordialtruthofGod'slove,gracebestoweduponus,thatopensourlivestogiftandmakesitpossibletohopefora“developmentofthewholemanandofallmen”[8],tohopeforprogress“fromlesshumanconditionstothosewhicharemorehuman”[9],obtainedbyovercomingthedifficultiesthatareinevitablyencounteredalongtheway.
AtadistanceofoverfortyyearsfromtheEncyclical'spublication,IintendtopaytributeandtohonourthememoryofthegreatPopePaulVI,revisitinghisteachingsonintegralhumandevelopmentandtakingmyplacewithinthepaththattheymarkedout,soastoapplythemtothepresentmoment.ThiscontinualapplicationtocontemporarycircumstancesbeganwiththeEncyclicalSollicitudoReiSocialis,withwhichtheServantofGodPopeJohnPaulIIchosetomarkthetwentiethanniversaryofthepublicationofPopulorumProgressio.Untilthattime,onlyRerumNovarumhadbeencommemoratedinthisway.Nowthatafurthertwentyyearshavepassed,IexpressmyconvictionthatPopulorumProgressiodeservestobeconsidered“theRerumNovarumofthepresentage”,sheddinglightuponhumanity'sjourneytowardsunity.
9.Loveintruth—caritasinveritate—isagreatchallengefortheChurchinaworldthatisbecomingprogressivelyandpervasivelyglobalized.Theriskforourtimeisthatthedefactointerdependenceofpeopleandnationsisnotmatchedbyethicalinteractionofconsciencesandmindsthatwouldgiverisetotrulyhumandevelopment.Onlyincharity,illuminedbythelightofreasonandfaith,isitpossibletopursuedevelopmentgoalsthatpossessamorehumaneandhumanizingvalue.Thesharingofgoodsandresources,fromwhichauthenticdevelopmentproceeds,isnotguaranteedbymerelytechnicalprogressandrelationshipsofutility,butbythepotentialoflovethatovercomesevilwithgood(cf.Rom12:21),openingupthepathtowardsreciprocityofconsciencesandliberties.
TheChurchdoesnothavetechnicalsolutionstooffer[10]anddoesnotclaim“tointerfereinanywayinthepoliticsofStates.”[11]Shedoes,however,haveamissionoftruthtoaccomplish,ineverytimeandcircumstance,forasocietythatisattunedtoman,tohisdignity,tohisvocation.Withouttruth,itiseasytofallintoanempiricistandscepticalviewoflife,incapableofrisingtothelevelofpraxisbecauseofalackofinterestingraspingthevalues—sometimeseventhemeanings—withwhichtojudgeanddirectit.Fidelitytomanrequiresfidelitytothetruth,whichaloneistheguaranteeoffreedom(cf.Jn8:32)andofthepossibilityofintegralhumandevelopment.ForthisreasontheChurchsearchesfortruth,proclaimsittirelesslyandrecognizesitwhereveritismanifested.ThismissionoftruthissomethingthattheChurchcanneverrenounce.Hersocialdoctrineisaparticulardimensionofthisproclamation:itisaservicetothetruthwhichsetsusfree.Opentothetruth,fromwhicheverbranchofknowledgeitcomes,theChurch'ssocialdoctrinereceivesit,assemblesintoaunitythefragmentsinwhichitisoftenfound,andmediatesitwithintheconstantlychanginglife-patternsofthesocietyofpeoplesandnations[12].
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[1]Cf.PaulVI,EncyclicalLetterPopulorumProgressio(26March1967),22:AAS59(1967),268;SecondVaticanEcumenicalCouncil,PastoralConstitutionontheChurchintheModernWorldGaudiumetSpes,69.
[2]AddressfortheDayofDevelopment(23August1968):AAS60(1968),626-627.
[3]Cf.JohnPaulII,Messageforthe2002WorldDayofPeace:AAS94(2002),132-140.
[4]Cf.SecondVaticanEcumenicalCouncil,PastoralConstitutionontheChurchintheModernWorldGaudiumetSpes,26.
[5]Cf.JohnXXIII,EncyclicalLetterPaceminTerris(11April1963):AAS55(1963),268-270.
[6]Cf.no.16:loc.cit.,265.
[7]Cf.ibid.,82:loc.cit.,297.
[8]Ibid.,42:loc.cit.,278.
[9]Ibid.,20:loc.cit.,267.
[10]Cf.SecondVaticanEcumenicalCouncil,PastoralConstitutionontheChurchintheModernWorldGaudiumetSpes,36;PaulVI,ApostolicLetterOctogesimaAdveniens(14May1971),4:AAS63(1971),403-404;JohnPaulII,EncyclicalLetterCentesimusAnnus(1May1991),43:AAS83(1991),847.
[11]PaulVI,EncyclicalLetterPopulorumProgressio,13:loc.cit.,263-264.
[12]Cf.PontificalCouncilforJusticeandPeace,CompendiumoftheSocialDoctrineoftheChurch,76.