Catholic Social Teaching and Pope Benedict's Upcoming Encyclical

[rest_in_thee]

It appears that July 6 or so is the date we can expect the release of the much-anticipated encyclical from Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate - Charity in Truth. This encyclical has been in the works for about two years, and has apparently undergone some major revisions to account for the major circumstances of the current economic crisis.

Comments

[forensicgirl]

That website is really interesting-thanks for sharing it! I like the part under Government where it says:

"The state has a positive moral function. It is an instrument to promote human dignity, protect human rights, and build the common good."

That's what I keep saying too. Now, if we could just get Stephen Harper (Prime Minister of Canada) to believe it...*sigh*

[rest_in_thee]

This encyclical is going to be interesting, because I think, just based on what I am hearing, on one hand it is likely to affirm capitalism, on the other hand it is likely to show that most countries don't have the first clue what capitalism is - meaning, it's not about the massive accumulation of wealth at the expense of everyone else. Capitalism of itself can be good, but it must always take a special consideration for the weak, for the poor, for the sick, and so forth. In modern day we tend to see capitalism as the partner of radical individualism - I make the money as I please and do with it what I please. What we need instead is a system that respects the right of the individual to be creative and to earn for himself insofar as he is capable, but that also is governed by a moral principal that recognizes the communal nature of man, that cares for the least among us and does not oppress the weak. And, and obviously this is but speculation, but I imagine these are the sorts of arguments that we will see in the encyclical

[forensicgirl]

What we need instead is a system that respects the right of the individual to be creative and to earn for himself insofar as he is capable, but that also is governed by a moral principal that recognizes the communal nature of man, that cares for the least among us and does not oppress the weak.

That's exactly it. I've been using the term "accountable capitalism" to describe it, since there isn't a proper term yet, but generally the idea is the same-that someone is free to make money as long as they do so without interfering with the rights or well-being of other humans, animals, and the environment, and provide services for the good of all.

It will also likely be the one time that those who might not be so comfortable with this pope find in him a great ally. That's just my own humble speculation :)

I'll have to see what the encyclical says before I form am opinion on it. There are some things I like about Pope Benedict and there are other things about him that I have issues with.

[rest_in_thee]

By the way, that notion of government is something that goes all the way back to Aristotle. He argued more or less that the goal of government is to direct society as a whole towards the moral good, and to play its part in enabling its citizens to achieve ευδαιμονια, eudaimonia, which roughly translates as "the happy life". It would be good for all governments to recognize this function of the state, in my opinion.