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ENCYCLICAL LETTER DEUS CARITAS EST OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF BENEDICT XVI TO THE BISHOPS PRIESTS AND iDEACONS MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS AND ALL THE LAY FAITHFUL ON CHRISTIAN LIBRERIA EDITRICE VATICANA A8 771 Benedict's First Shuns Strictures of Orthodoxy By IAN FISHER 'S' IS LOVE' VATICAN CITY, Jan. 25 — Pope . Benedict XVI issued an erudite med- The full text of Pope Benedict XVI's itation on love and on encyclical is online at nytimes.com Wednesday in a long-awaited first /world. encyclical that presented Roman Ca- tholicism's potential for good rather dean of the School of and than imposing firm, potentially divi- Religious Studies at Uni- sive rules for orthodoxy. versity of America, in Washington. The encyclical, titled "God Is "He's saying, this is the big picture, Love," did not mention abortion, ho- and out of that you get a positive, op- . mosexuality, contraception or di- timistic ultimate vision of what Ca- , vorce, issues that often divide Catho- tholicism is." •. lies. But in gentle, often poetic lan- Christian Weisner, spokesman for guage, Benedict nonetheless por- the German of the liberal trayed a tough-minded church that is Catholic group We Are Church, • "duty bound," he wrote, to intervene called the encyclical "a sign of " at times in secular for "the that Benedict would prove to be a attainment for what is just." "human face for and for He also suggested that terrorism the ." — which violates Christ's command He said, however, that he hoped to "love your neighbor" — had helped that the pope's emphasis on love inspire his first major statement. would make him more open to oppos- "In a world where the name of God ing views. "Loving your neighbors is sometimes associated with venge- also means loving critical theolo- ance or even a duty of hatred and vio- gians, he said. "He also has to apply lence, this message is both timely these ideas within the church itself." and significant," he wrote. "For this The Rev. Joseph Fessio, editor of reason, I wish in my first encyclical the conservative St. , to speak of the love which God lav- which publishes Benedict's books in ishes on us and which we in turn English, said the themes and gentle must share with others." tone of the encyclical should finally The encyclical is the highest form put to rest the stereotype of Benedict of papal teaching, and there had been as a conservative ideologue. much anticipation in the church for "I can suggest a subhead for all the Benedict's first, given his long serv- major media: 'Is this the Panzer ice as Pope John Paul II's outspoken, Cardinal?'" Father Fessio said, re- conservative defender of the faith. ferring to a nickname for Cardinal But in contrast to his public rep- Ratzinger that was sometimes used utation, Benedict, 78, who was elect- in the press. ed in April, began his encyclical with Nonetheless, Father Fessio said a perhaps surprising first premise: that in the encyclical Benedict was conceding that the church has at true to traditional church teachings: times viewed sexuality as something his definition of love in it applied to "negative," he placed erotic love be- men and women, married and mo- tween married men and women at nogamous "forever." Benedict's Firstly Uj- 7 - . Shuns Strictures f f By IAN FISHER VATICAN CITY, Jan. 25 — Pope . Benedict XVI issued an erudite med- T\.. , , . ., r itation on love and charity on encyclical is online at nytimes.com j. Wednesday in a long-awaited first /world. : i encyclical that presented Roman Ca- - tholicism's potential for good rather dean of the School of Theology and than imposing firm, potentially divi- Religious Studies at Catholic Uni- sive rules for orthodoxy! versity of America, in Washington. f The encyclical, titled "God Is "He's saying, this is the big picture, . Love," did not mention abortion, ho- and out of that you get a positive, op- . mosexuality, contraception or di- timistic ultimate vision of what Ca- , vorce, issues that often divide Catho- tholicism is." •....•• " ••:;;' i lies. But in gentle, often poetic lan- Christian Weisner, spokesman for guage, Benedict nonetheless por- the German chapter of the liberal trayed a tough-minded church that is Catholic group We Are Church, -' "duty bound," he wrote, to intervene called the encyclical "a sign of hope" at times in secular politics for "the that Benedict,would prove to be a attainment for what is just." "human face for Christianity .and.for He also suggested that terrorism the Catholic Church.^' ;> y:v .;." •'.'.'"- — which.violates Christ's command He said,-, however, that he „ hoped to "love your neighbor" — had helped that the pope's emphasis, Ton-: love inspire his first major statement. would make him more open to oppos- "In a world where the name of God ing views. "Loving your neighbors; is sometimes associated with venge- also means loving critical theolp-, ance or even a duty of hatred and vio- gians, he said. "He also'has. to apply lence, this message is both timely . these ideas within the church itself." and significant," he wrote. "For this The.Rev. Joseph Fessio, editor of reason, I wish in my first encyclical the conservative St. Ignatius Press, to speak of the love which God lav- which publishes Benedict's books in . ishes on us and which we in turn English, said the themes and gentle ; must share with others." tone of the encyclical; should finally The encyclical is the highest form put to rest the stereotype' of Benedict ', of papal teaching, and there had been as a conservative ideologue. • much anticipation in the church for "I can Suggest a subhead for all the '•• Benedict's first, given his long serv- major media: 'Is,this the Panzer ' ice as Pope John Paul II's outspoken, Cardinal?'." Father Fessio said, re- ; conservative defender of the faith. ferring to a nickname for Cardinal But in contrast to his public rep- Ratzinger that was sometimes used utation, Benedict, 78, who was elect- : in the press. . ' . ed in April, began his encyclical with..' Nonetheless, Father Fessio said a perhaps surprising first premise:. that in the encyclical Benedict was conceding that the church has at true to traditionaTchurch teachings: times viewed sexuality as something ..his definition of love in it applied to "negative," he placed erotic love ber men and women,' married and mo- tween married men and women at nogamous "forever." .,,-_-.,- .— J tBeTe?"" Father Fessipi;aske'du;"He/.is1saying no di- • v.orce/V:He isV;isaying'iip ipromiscuity. A gentle, erudite He;!itf5 saying' no multiple^wiyes. No e^bffivif'yQU' accepjt; the teaching, ^meditation on love i""- V-P1'**'^ -<*!. ,.'vi "ii '•_/"' *,, '• •/*• -.v--'. V J' • and charity. '

to re- —^the-center-of God^s-planv—~—^- ••«•• '-• 4y S Sex, he wrote, should mature into' celibat? •priest? talking about love as •- unselfish concern for the other, cre- : tney ^quld^a blind ' manVtalking , ating a love that leads to working for about cqioVs." ' ;-.;^j '^K . rf^F /charity and justice for others, .VBiitifiieencytiicai preseirffs^ove as ; "Love is indeed 'ecstasy,'" he a fundaifientaf idrgei: •/antf^Benedict ; wrote in a document that ran 71 sough^ to" ^ite^th||jde)&ipf;sekual i pages in the English translation. love and;.:a Broaa.e.r,'>;nipfelaltruistic f "Not in the sense of a moment of in- love. He paraphras^^et&ctie- as ; toxication, but rather as a journey, saying/ Chnsti^^yV^nipral^rules .•'an ongoing exodus out of,the closed had blown "the whistie"aon sexuality, , inward-looking self towards its liber- a vital part1 of liumatf'rtaiure.'Berie- ation through self-giving, and thus dict admitted.ttie chargejb: some de- ; toward-authentic self-discovery and \. indeed the discovery of God." { In some measure, this is an encyc- ; lical of two : its second half, on past is .pfteh^!Critici?ed;t?a|j;haying ; charity and the role of the church in been opposey.;tO;ife/fcc(y|^id 'it: is ;' society, was begun under John Paul, quite truie 'that tendenciesjiif this sort ;' who died in April. But church offi- have alWay's,;eMstedj"^he^said.;-y.'Yet cials said the finished document, be- ;, ginning with a section on love, was very much the work of Benedict. . "You cannot say that this pope commodity^/" a ;.mere • /'(Jhlh'g'rtto be ;- added the first^or the second part," boughtprsbld^;.^^^^*K^f;'Pii said Paul Josef Cordes, '!• the pope's top adviser on charities. * "You have to see that this pope is al- and wprnen.'lpye. grew ahd;was""less '•t ways following the steps, the traces, and less, concerned." .with ;ltsejf; in- :- of John Paul II, and in this way it is a creasingly seeks the happiness of the ; continuation, but not much." . other." 71iis/loye,;he^,wr,ote^mir.rofs ; Before becoming pope, when he God's love, -..'fat ih'uqkiikihd^reflects - was known as Cardinal Joseph Ratz- Christ's sacrifice on the"Crpss;'rahd c inger, Benedict was often seen as a, ; leads to, a larger love for neighbors, / divisive figure, lauded by conserva- then forrricinkind; . S;''X ,v,7' '•• ' ; tive Catholics for his devotion to or- •• This leads tb.the second part of the \ thodoxy and criticized by liberal ; encyciicai,; oh Charity,, which he said ., ones for not sharing their vision for a -represented . Ibye' as .f^aii -?iBordered T ,! changing, more modern church. - service to the,9pmmuni'ty.";:.;.; j But Benedict's elaboration on love •The" new document"also carefully '? and charity was largely praised outlines the;church's i'raiibriale for • across the church on Wednesday as a. weighing in on political issues. document that sought to express v .-."The church cannot arid must not what is common to all Catholics. take upon herself the political battle '•'. "He's not wagging his finger aboutf to bring about the, mpst just society •what's wrong with contemporary . possible,"' Benedict wrote. "She can- ' culture," said Msgr. Kevin W. Irwin, not and must riot replace the state.'' "Yet at the same time;" he added, ; Laurie Goodstein contributed report- "she cannot and must not remain on ' ing from New York for this article. the sidelines in the fight fpr justice."