Social encyclical coming next?

Journalistic sources close to the Vatican are saying that Pope Benedict XVI's second encyclical will focus on economic issues. If this is the case, it would be a very positive sign for this pontificate.

While the first encyclical, which was released in January 2006, focused on God as Love, the second encyclical would be focusing on the logical conclusion of this love in the socio-economic field. Thus the Pope would have covered micro and macro subjects within the space of two years in two different encyclicals.

This would be more significant because a short time after his election, the Pope had said he did not expect to issue many papal documents. This statement surprised many people, given that he was such a prolific writer in his previous role as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, theologian and guardian of the faith.

Vatican officials have not confirmed or denied the reports that are being circulated. However in July, as Pope Benedict began his vacation in the Alps, Fr Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, told reporters that the Pope would spend part of his time working on a new encyclical.

The topic was given a new life following the report written by the Panorama Vaticanist Ignazio Ingrao. He wrote that the focus of the new papal statement will be the process of globalisation. According to this report the Pope will emphasise the need for economic structures and regulations that promote solidarity and favour the equitable distribution of resources.

This year would be a good year for a social encyclical. In fact the story is that the Pope is preparing the document for the 40th anniversary of Populorum Progressio, the social encyclical released in 1967 by Pope Paul VI. We'll wait and see.