Theological Notebook: Benedict XVI Issues Social Justice Encyclical with Global/Economics Focus

[novak]

The big theological news of the day - or the last several days - is really the new social justice encyclical that Pope Benedict has published. While my areas of academic interest and competence are more in the historical and artistic kind of things I mentioned in my last entry, I have to sit up and take notice of something this significant.

Comments

real teeth

[crookedfingers]

thanks for sharing-I have been planning on reading the Pope's social justice encyclical since I heard about it last week on PBS Bill Moyer's Journal-peace

Re: real teeth

[novak]

Glad to help!

[daysprings]

Thanks for all the articles, handily collected in one place, Mike!

It will be interesting to watch the more politically conservative Catholics question Benedict's points without sounding like the cafeteria Catholics they seem to loathe. Didn't William F. Buckley, Jr. take umbrage at previous popes' criticisms of capitalism? I'm sure there are plenty of other Catholic conservatives who can take up the mantle now.

[novak]

As always, I'm pleased if these things I do for my convenience end up being equally convenient for others.

Yes, the silly and self-serving use of that "cafeteria Catholicism" accusation always irks. One gifted scholar of Catholic spirituality wisely pointed out that everyone in Catholicism is a "cafeteria Catholic" - and necessarily so. There is just too much diversity of theology and spirituality within orthodox Catholicism for any one person (and much less any one "party") to exemplify all that is within Catholicism. We have 33 "Doctors of the Church," whose teachings are held to provide such exemplification of what the Church holds, and they disagree with one another all across the board. They don't differ in creedal matters, of course, but those who are incapable of seeing the possibilities of diversity in orthodoxy are a dangerous lot

[daysprings]

This is such a great comment (sorry I'm so late to return to it). Just wanted to tell you that I appreciated it, and have quoted parts of it at least three times since you replied. Thanks. :)

[daysprings]

also, all the Catholic blogs I read have been virtually SILENT on the Pope's new encyclical. It's been v. disappointing. I expected SOME engagement, even if they disagreed.