Chilean rector calls Caritas in Veritate ‘essential reading’

Santiago, Chile, Jul 27, 2009 / 18:45 pm

The rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Pedro Rosso, said last week that the new encyclical by Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, is essential to read in order to defend the document against misguided media reports.

 

In remarks about the general perspective of the encyclical, Rosso pointed out that few in the media have attempted to review the document in its entirety, focusing instead on one or two aspects they consider relevant and of most interest to the public. “As a result, it is very difficult to capture the full message Benedict XVI is conveying in his new encyclical,” he said.

 

Rosso said the document’s message goes well beyond the social realm and “directly challenges Christians about how we live our faith.”

 

“The Pope achieves this goal by confronting us with the problem of development and subtlety asking us, ‘What have you done for your brother?’ At the same he points out with conviction and hope that building a better world is a task we will only be able to carry out if we are capable of transmitting the love and truth of Christ.”

 

Caritas in Veritate encourages humanity to work together on a plan centered on the good, on truth and justice, and it strongly proclaims the need for fraternal communion based on freedom and mutual responsibility,” Rosso said.