Caritas in Veritae

From The Distributist Review

Did you ever think you'd read an encyclical that advocated:
-energy efficiency, and the moral duty to reduce energy consumption
-consumer co-ops
-micro-finance
-large-scale redistribution of wealth on a world-wide scale (this one reminds me of what Edmund Burke calls the real "Social Contract": "Society is indeed a contract. It is a partnership in all science; a partnership in all art; a partnership in every virtue, and in all perfection. As the ends of such a partnership cannot be obtained in many generations, it becomes a partnership not only between those who are living, but between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born.")
-intergenerational justice—in the context of environmental resources
-opening international markets, especially in agriculture

As Benedict shows, these ideas are merely consistent developments (or repetitions) of Catholic social teaching. But he is fearless in applying CST in today's arena.Nor does he hesitate to dig into our dirty details:

As Benedict shows, these ideas are merely consistent developments (or repetitions) of Catholic social teaching. But he is fearless in applying CST in today's arena.

Nor does he hesitate to dig into our dirty details:
-NGOs peddling contraceptives and involuntary sterilization to poor countries
-the decline in birth rates
-the hoarding of resources, especially water
-human embryos are sacrificed to research
-the poverty of isolation
-abusive tourism
-usury