ACTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS LOVE NEVER FAILS Perspectives 10 years after the Encyclical Deus Caritas Est LOVE NEVER FAILS LOVE ACTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS THE INTERNATIONAL OF ACTS Vatican City February 25-26, 2016 EN LOVE NEVER FAILS Perspectives 10 years after the Encyclical Deus Caritas Est INDEX Pontifical Council Cor Unum - Introduction p. 5 Audience with Pope Francis p. 9 Holy Father’s Address Secretary’s address to the Holy Father Programme p. 15 3 Welcome address p. 19 Msgr. Giampietro Dal Toso Index Deus Caritas Est: Love and Truth Create a New World p. 25 Pontifical Council H.E. Card. Gerhard Ludwig Müller Cor Unum The Encyclical Deus Caritas Est: Challenges for Palazzo San Pio X Catholic Charitable Organizations p. 37 Via della Conciliazione, 5 Dr. Michael Thio V-00120 Vatican City The Jewish Perspective on Biblical Love p. 47 Tel.: + 39.06.69889411 Rabbi David Shlomo Rosen Fax: + 39.06.69.88.11.62 www.corunumjubilaeum.va The Muslim Perspective of Mercy p. 57 email: [email protected] Prof. Saeed Ahmed Khan The Christian Message of Charity: New Insights for Modern Man p. 67 Prof. Fabrice Hadjadj The Ongoing Relevance of Deus Caritas Est for the Church’s Cover Image: Gift of the Mantle, Giotto, fresco, (ca. 1295-99). Archivio fotografico del Sacro Convento di San Francesco in Assisi Service of Charity p. 81 H.E. Card. Luis Antonio G. Tagle Photo credit: Osservatore Romano Cristian Gennari LOVE NEVER FAILS Perspectives 10 years after the Encyclical Deus Caritas Est Guidelines of Christian Anthropology for the Church’s Service of Charity in Light of the Encyclical Deus Caritas Est p. 91 INTRODUCTION Prof. Fr. Paolo Asolan The Encyclical Deus Caritas Est: Perspectives for a Theology of Charity p. 105 Prof. Rainer Gehrig Testimonies p. 127 Marina Almeida Costa, Caritas Cabo Verde Roy Moussalli, Syrian Society for Social Development Alejandro Marius, Asociación Civil Trabajo y Persona Eduardo M. Almeida, Inter-American Development Bank Established by Pope Paul VI in 1971, tions when disasters occur, or in the Final remarks p. 157 Msgr. Giampietro Dal Toso the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, in the field of integral human promotion; words of Benedict XVI, is in charge of • To encourage and coordinate the in- Eucharistic Concelebrations - Homilies p. 165 directing and coordinating the organi- itiatives of Catholic Aid Organizations H.E. Card. Paul Josef Cordes, February 25, 2016 zations and charitable initiatives of the through the exchange of information H.E. Card. Robert Sarah, February 26, 2016 4 Catholic Church. and by promoting cooperation; 5 Meditations p. 173 The Dicastery carries out diverse activ- • To foster the catechesis and theolo- Rev. Francesco Giosuè Voltaggio ities covering three main areas: gy of charity. Index Introduction • To assist the Pope and be his instru- In this context, The Encyclical Deus List of Participants p. 185 ment for carrying out special initia- Caritas Est, published on January 25, tives in the field of humanitarian ac- 2006, is a magisterial document that LOVE NEVER FAILS Perspectives 10 years after the Encyclical Deus Caritas Est profoundly contributed to achieve The Congress, besides being a great many important results, promoting the moment of ecclesial communion- in service of charity as one of the core particular thanks to the words of the missions of the Catholic Church. Pope- emphasized the relevance of In the year that marks the 10th anni- the message of the Encyclical Deus versary of its promulgation, the Pon- Caritas Est. tifical Council Cor Unum, with the en- The several contributions highlighted, couragement of Pope Francis, has from different points of view, how this therefore organized the International papal document is still a valid bench- Congress “Love never fails” (1 Cor 13:8). mark for the Church’s ministry of chari- Perspectives 10 years after the Encyc- ty, by which millions of people are uni- lical Deus Caritas Est, which took place versally reached, and thanks to which at the Vatican City, New Synod Hall on the Church offers a great testimony of February 25-26, 2016, year of the Jubi- God’s love for man. lee of Mercy. In thanking the participants and all We are glad to present you the Acts of those who contributed to the realiza- 6 this International Congress that testified tion of the Congress, we are glad to 7 the participation of representatives of the offer these Acts so that they may take Introduction Episcopal Conferences, charitable organ- on a new life in the individual ambits of Introduction izations, the Roman Curia, as well as Am- work in which we carry out our service bassadors accredited to the Holy See. for the people. LOVE NEVER FAILS Perspectives 10 years after the Encyclical Deus Caritas Est THE ENCYCLICAL DEUS CARITAS EST: PERSPECTIVES FOR A THEOLOGY OF CHARITY Prof. Rainer Gehrig Introduction encyclical was defined as a “catalyst A little over ten years ago I was here, for the subsequent development of among the participants in the Interna- the theology of charity” (Baumann, tional Conference on Charity (January 2014, p.111), “an inspired theological 105 2006), animated by great curiosity, program for a renewed practice of the waiting for the first encyclical of Pope Church” (Pompey, 2007, p.9). Although Benedict XVI, which, in addition, was the Holy Father’s aim was not to iden- Charity of Theology a for Perspectives The Encyclical precisely on charity. For those who tify, in this document, the frame of follow this theme, the document con- reference of the theology of charity in stituted recognition and necessary terms of a theological science, it does guidance, for the theology of charity contain some basic perspectives. Est: Deus Caritas had long been unaddressed in terms Along with the subsequent encyclical, of a reflection by papal Magisterium Caritas in Veritate, 2009, charity in truth (Pompey, 2007, p. 20). Right before the became, from that moment on, a cen- publication of the Encyclical, during tral doctrine for the development of a the audience the Pope gave us a clear theological foundation of the charita- message, proposing an introduction ble service of the Church. I will here- and guidance to the understanding of by present several reflections, without his document: “in this Encyclical, the attempting to provide an exhaustive themes ‘God’, ‘Christ’ and ‘Love’ are dissertation, i.e. not to be considered fused together as the central guide as a regulatory framework for the de- of the Christian faith” (Benedict XVI, velopment of a theology of charity 2006b). The answers in the theolog- but rather as a proposal for a dialogue ical context were many, whereby the among the coordinators of social and LOVE NEVER FAILS Perspectives 10 years after the Encyclical Deus Caritas Est charitable service and its workers. My explanations are addressed to a Chri- along with a coordination of charitable in academic departments of Theolo- goal is to prompt a more systematic stian, observant readership expecting activities, first at national level (1897) gy, notably after the Second Vatican reflection, engrained and practiced in systematic theological guidance. So- and then at diocesan level, that took Council. Comparing various defini- the realms of theological education ciety is presented as the recipient of the name of Caritas. In this context the tions of the theology of charity (Pom- and formation, with special emphasis charity, in terms of its social dimen- theology of charity is articulated as: pey, 1997, 1999, 2001; Haslinger, 2004, on the charitable action of the Church sion. Systematic clarity is centered on “a science of charity that deals with 2009; Hilpert, 1997) makes it possible and her structures. the individual and on his effort to grow the respective Christian virtues, in so to summarize a set of common points in the virtue of charity, expounding on far as it is revealed in Christian com- shared by the same authors: 1. How should we conceive a theolo- the What, When and How Much in the munity life, understood as freedom of All authors agree that the theolo- gy of charity today? practice of charity, but failing to delve expression based on the conscience gy of charity/science of charity is a In his first Encyclical Benedict XVI into the accompaniment of a needy and will of the community inspired by theological discipline with a specif- identified a key-element to answer this person, on how to make concrete use the supernatural realm, in the free, ur- ic role. question, raised by Church magiste- of faith in charitable activity, how to or- gent support to the community (emer- It falls in the area of practical rium. The theological understanding ganize communities for action, how a gency), which arises from strength and sciences, the science of action. of charity revolves around the theolo- charitable structure should be organi- motivation from the supernatural love The field of study and research gical and anthropological dimensions zed, and how to address the causes of of God.” (Keller, 1925, p.45, unofficial is the practice of charity by the of love, which the Pope addresses structural impoverishment and injusti- translation) Church. 106 with thorough philosophical, biblical ce in our globalised world. Before this As a practical science, this theology It dialogues with other social and 107 and theological discourse. It is neces- traditional moral explanation, still in avails itself of various auxiliary scienc- human sciences. Perspectives for a Theology of Charity of Theology a for Perspectives The Encyclical sary to reaffirm this centrality today, for use to spell out the theological featu- es (human sciences), it carries out an Research includes the empirical Charity of Theology a for Perspectives The Encyclical the theology of charity is being que- res of Christian diakonia (Oriol Tataret, historical survey of charitable activity and theoretical analysis of relevant stioned in various environments, some 2000, pp.