Rome, Italy, Dec 5, 2009 / 03:54 am
The Cardinal Van Thuan International Observatory has written and published the first report on the Social Doctrine of the Church in the world, a 187-page book containing information compiled from all five continents.
According to officials at the Observatory, the book was published by Edizioni Cantagalli Siena and is already on sale in bookstores in Italy. In the preface for the book, Cardinal Renato Martino comments, “This is an absolutely new and extremely useful instrument.”
Directed by Msgr. Giampaolo Crepaldi, president of the Observatory, and Stefano Fontana, the report presents analysis of the Magisterium as well as the “emerging problems on the five continents.”
The press release notes that the report “is an essential tool of information for research and dialogue. It makes one understand where the Catholic Church is headed with her social doctrine, its strong points and weak points, its advances and setbacks. It sets a course, as do sailors on the sea.”
This first report is intended to be a point of reference for all those interested in the Social Doctrine of the Church.”