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John 1:14

November 26, Spe Salvi Due on Friday!!

Filed under: Blog — admin at 9:16 pm on Monday, November 26, 2007

     It looks as if Pope Benedict is giving the Church an early Christmas present this year. According to Catholic News Service, his encyclical on Hope will be released on Friday, the Feast of St. Andrew. While his encyclical DEUS CARITAS EST was good, I have even higher “hopes” for his one on Hope. Pope Benedict’s most commented upon book is his textbook on Eschatology, which is published by Catholic University of America Press. Anyone who writes on the topic of eschatology, Catholic or Protestant, has taken this work very seriously. Since this book was on the developement of a Catholic Theology of Hope, I am curious to see how he addresses the topic in his Encyclical. After the social encyclical that Church pundits think will be coming out this spring or summer, we can probably count on an encyclical that addresses the virtue of faith. That will round out the Theological virtues.

       What is the significance of this? I think there is one point particular. Pope John Paul II’s first encyclical was Redemptor Hominis. This work set the Christological tone of most of his writings and his Pontificate. I think it was one of proclaiming Jesus to the whole world. Deus Caritas Est  speaks of God’s love, as well as the ways we can respond positively to that gift. In that sense, while John Paul II was focusing on the proclamation of Christ, Pope Benedict has decided to speak about the human response to that proclamation, which is rooted in love, sustained in hope and manifested in faith.

       While Pope John Paul II saw a crisis in the world regarding ther reality of Christ, Pope Bendict builds on this by teaching us how we are to respond to the reality of Christ- faith, hope charity, and love of neighbor (social encyclical). We will have to see what happens.

Pray for all priests and seminarians and support Sacred Heart Radio.

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