Editorial

The much expected first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI has taken the world by pleasant surprise. Due to his previous unpopular role as the head of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he had a bad press as he was responsible for defending the orthodoxy of the Faith and disciplining members of the Church.

This encyclical, entitled Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love), praised for its clarity and elegance of style, is divided into two sections. The first part deals with the relationship between eros, or erotic love, and agape, the unconditional, spiritual and selfless love of Jesus. The second part redefines the central core value of the Church, which is charity.

Unlike many Church documents dealing with sex, this encyclical has a refreshingly different approach. The Pope acknowledges that, unfortunately, in the past, the Church has appeared a spoil sport only too keen to "blow the whistle" on the joys of sex which offer us happiness and a foretaste of the Divine.

The Pope reminds us that despite its powerful emotional aspect, love is not merely a sentiment. It demands a process of open-ended purification and maturation in order to approach its full potential, enabling one to move beyond one's self-centred interest and seek that of the other. By its very nature, a mature love leads to exclusivity and a sense of timelessness as experienced in marriage.

In this way, the Pope concludes the first part of the encyclical by focusing on the biblical aspects of this purified love which mirrors the personal relationship between God and Man, where God lavishes His love on us and, in turn, expects us to share it with others. Love of God and love of neighbour are thus inseparable and crystallise our Christian credo.

The second part of Pope Benedict's encyclical, focusing on the ministry of charity, is rumoured to be based on the last prospective encyclical of his predecessor, John Paul II.

The Church must have legally structured organisations to be of service to those in need. The encyclical reviews the rich history of the Church in the organised practice of charity. Yet, it acknowledges that the Church had been late in addressing the dramatic social changes of the 19th century and had not done so adequately. However, it strongly refutes the claim of Marxism that justice makes charity superfluous.

It recognises the clear distinction between the responsibilities of the Church and those of the state, admitting that the pursuit of a just social order is the aim and central responsibility of politics.

However, the Pope insists that the promotion of justice within the state will always be one of the Church's main concerns. The vitality and importance of subsidiarity is emphasised and the state is requested to acknowledge and support NGOs that strive to help the disadvantaged.

Pope Benedict refers to the threefold guideline for Church-run charities, stating that they must address immediate needs, they must be independent of politically partisan interests and they must not be used as a means of proselytism.

In a world where the name of God is invoked to incite people to hatred, vengeance and violence, this encyclical comes as a breath of fresh air. It is addressed to members of the Catholic Church who are expected to inform themselves and invigorate their Christian vocation of love, which is the essence of God. As the Holy Father says, once God has first loved us, love is no longer a mere "command" but the response to the gift of love with which God draws near to us.