On June 29, 2009, our beloved Holy Father, Benedict XVI, issued a letter that follows those of three other Popes, Rerum Novarum, by Leo XIII, Populorum Progressio, by Paul VI, and Centesimus Annus, by John Paul II. All these encyclicals deal with the dignity of man and the justice to which each person is entitled. Many have taken these encyclicals to justify their own particular brand of economics or politics. In fact, the Pope is above all that, and Pope Benedict XVI, in his newest Encyclical, Caritas in Veritatis, is trying to, once again, make the point that, justice cannot exist without love and truth.

Every segment of the media, and every political faction is now claiming that this Vatican document justifies their position. I have not read the encyclical in its entirety yet, and I am going to do so in anticipation of holding a few evenings at Holy Trinity, to go over this very important document. In fact, the Pope does not mention the word “capitalism” or “socialism.” He is not trying to comment on particular economic systems but on general principles. What the Holy Father is saying is that when Christians delegate the task of being charitable to the government, bad things happen. In other words, the Pope is asking every one of us to be personally generous rather than rely upon the government to do it all for us.

As with every teaching of the Holy Father, this letter is meant to challenge each one of us, our ideas, our beliefs, our political choices, by presenting to us the ideal to which Christ is calling us. We cannot avoid this God-entrusted task; we cannot delegate our personal charity to others, and especially not to the government. If we abdicate our duty to personal involvement, we end up trusting in a government that is all too often less than just and less than loving. That will not result in “charity in truth,” only we can do that, with the grace of God and the leadership of the Church.