Anyone who hasn’t heard that our beloved Holy Father, Benedict XVI, sent a letter to the entire world must live in complete isolation. Turn on the radio, open a newspaper, watch TV, and you’ll hear the latest “expert” proclaim what the Encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” (a/k/a, “Charity in Truth”) really means. We have become so accustomed at looking at everything in political terms, that the true key to reading this document, which is: our Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings, is usually left out of the equation. No wonder we get confused!

And yet, the very opening paragraph of His Holiness’ letter is very clear: we, as Christians, can only fulfill our calling to be witnesses to the Truth, when we follow the plan that God intends for our lives. Here is what the Pope says: “Charity in truth, to which Jesus Christ bore witness by His earthly life and especially by His death and resurrection, is the principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all humanity. Love—caritas—is an extraordinary force which leads people to opt for courageous and generous engagement in the field of justice and peace. It is a force that has its origin in God, Eternal Love and Absolute Truth. Each person finds his good by adherence to God’s plan for him, in order to realize it fully… To defend the truth, to articulate it with humility and conviction, and to bear witness to it in life are therefore exacting and indispensable forms of charity.”

The Pope continues, in paragraph 2: “I am aware of the ways in which charity has been and continues to be misconstrued and emptied of meaning, with the consequent risk of being misinterpreted, detached from ethical living and, in any event, undervalued. In the social, juridical, cultural, political and economic fields… it is easily dismissed as irrelevant for interpreting and giving direction to moral responsibility.  Hence the need to link charity with truth.”

And yet another quote from Paragraph 7: “Another important consideration is the common good. To love someone is to desire that person’s good and to take effective steps to secure it… the more we strive to secure a common good corresponding to the real needs of our neighbors, the more effectively we love them.”

Where am I going with this? First, of course, is to encourage everyone to read this document, and to read it in light of the Gospel, rather than one’s personal political preferences. Second, I would like to give an example of “charity” that does not pass the smell of the Gospel truth.

The other afternoon I answered the phone at the parish office, and a young female voice asked: “Is this the church?” I answered “Yes,” she continued: “Do you write checks for abortions?” I was not sure what she meant, so I asked her to explain, and what she said floored me: “You know? I want to have an abortion, and some churches give you a check to go and get one.” Still not convinced I was hearing right, I insisted: “They give you a check to pay for an abortion?” “That’s right.” So I said: “We don’t do that, but if you want the phone number of someone who will help you NOT have an abortion, I’ll be glad to give it to you.” she said: “No thanks,” and hang up.

Not for the first time, after this astonishing phone call, I was reminded that all too often, these days, we confuse personal opinion, belief, desires etc. for the Truth. The churches that write “abortion checks,” I am sure, do so in the belief that an unwanted child is a burden, and “getting rid” of “it” is a “charitable,” even loving, solution. Our government does the same after all: our US government is financing abortions in under -developed countries and even our state of Colorado is providing taxpayers’ funds to support Planned Parenthood.

There are many good people who, horrified at the child abuse they hear in the news or personally witness, are convinced that it would be better for that child to never have been born. It’s an understandable reaction to an incomprehensible evil: harming the innocent and defenseless. But… but, when we stop and think about it, can we honestly say that murder is the answer to a problem? Let me ask you an absurd question: would anyone honestly say that if we killed the poor we would eliminate poverty? What sort of “justice” would that be? Well, no more does abortion eliminate child abuse although, with today’s law, we dare to call it “justice”!

With his usual calm, serenity, love and logic, our wonderful Holy Father is asking us to form our conscience, take responsibility for our Christian calling and act in harmony with the Gospel. Only then can any society or any form of government be called “just.”

When we separate justice from truth, we end up calling “good” what in reality is evil, as Isaiah tells us:

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil: who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah, 5:20)