As announced last week, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State, was invited by the Italian Senate to present the Pope's third encyclical to its members. He did Tuesday, 7/28, as scheduled, and L'Osservatore Romano carries the full text of his lengthy presentation in its 7/29/09 issue.
A House of Parliament inviting a high-ranking Church representative the Vatican to present a Church document to its members is a phenomenon that can only happen in Italy.
Since Bertone's full speech takes some translating, I will use for now Vatican Radio's account of the speech, which is far shorter.
Cardinal Bertone presents
CIV to the Italian Senate
Translated from
the Italian service of
July 28, 2009
Cardinal Bertone this morning presented to the Italian Senate, at its invitation, the Holy Father's new encyclical
Caritas in Veritate.
"Those who have the delicate and privileged responsibility of representing the Italian people," he said, "can find in the words of teh Pope an inspiration that is both profound and elevated for carrying out their mission, and thus to respond adequately to the ethical, cultural and social challenges which face us today".
Amedeo Lomonaco reports further:
The Secretary of State dwelt on the propulsive force of of truth and love, saying that only by being anchored to these two fundamental criteria is it possible to construct 'authentic good' and respect the natural law 'inscribed in the heart of man'.
He pointed out how truth and love, which should be inseparable, are the cardinal points of Benedict XVI's reflections on the present socio-economic situation.
An important message of the encyclical, said Bertone, is an invitation to overcome the now obsolete dichotomy between the economic and social spheres.
"Economic activity is not something detached and alien from the cardinal principles of the social doctrine of the Church which are the centrality of the human being, solidarity, subsidiarity and the common good."
He said the Church's social doctrine reminds us that a good society is an outcome of the market and of freedom. And that the Church proposes a multidimensional humanism, in which the market is neither fought against nor 'controlled' but seen as an important element in the public sphere when it conforms to basic ethics.
Additionally, Bertone pointed out, there are demands arising from the principle of fraternity which cannot be avoided "nor simply confined to the private sphere or to philanthropy".
"
Caritas in Veritate helps us to be conscious that society has no future unless it abides by the principle of brotherhood - that is, it cannot progress if it exists and develops only on the logic of giving in order to have more, or even giving out of duty. That is why neither the liberal-individualistic view of the world nor the state-centered view of society are proper guides to bring us out of the quicksands in which our society today is mired".
He said the social doctrine of the Church "must not be considered as yet another ethical theory along with so many others that are already out there", but as 'a common grammar' for all social theories because it is based on a specific point of view, that of "taking care of human good'.
Efficiency and justice, he said, do not suffice to assure human development:
"The message of
Caritas in Veritate is that we should think of gratuitousness, giving freely, and therefore of brotherhood, as the sign of the human condition and thus, to see in the exercise of giving the indispensable premise so that the State and the market can function with the common good as the goal.
"Without parties that give freely, certainly there can be an efficient market and an authoritative state (even a just one), but they certainly will not help human beings to realize the joy of living."
He also dwelt on some factors that led to the present crisis:
- The radical change in the relationship between financing and production of goods and services have resulted in a persistent demand for ever more brilliant persistent financial returns.
- The diffusion of the ethos of efficiency as the ultimate criterion of judgment has resulted in legitimizing greed as a civic virtue.
- The crisis poses a double challenge to government authorities: criticism of state intervention does not invalidate the central role of the state as a regulator. But public authorities should allow the birth and reinforcement of a pluralist financial market.
It is hoped, said the Cardinal, that the encyclical may find the attention that it deserves and "bring positive and abundant fruits for the good of every human being and the entire human family, starting with our dear Italian nation".
Senate President Renato Schifani, for his part, affirmed that the encyclical proposes a new "lexicon of peace based on the word hope" and in this context, he said, a profound change in international institutions is needed:
"The Encyclical opens a new millennium after a long period of crisis and is an occasion to rethink the global economy, to find new rules for a society in profound transformation".
CNA has this account:
Cardinal Bertone offers encyclical
as response to society's challenges
Vatican City, Jul 28, 2009 (CNA) - The Italian Senate took time on Tuesday to hear about a topic not usually on their agenda — a papal encyclical.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican's Secretary of State, addressed the senators about
Caritas in Veritate and how it can help them respond to the "ethical, cultural and social challenges of today."
The speech by Cardinal Bertone was delivered at the invitation of the president of the Italian Senate on Thursday morning.
Cardinal Bertone highlighted some of the anthropological and theological aspects of the Pope's latest encyclical, which is devoted to encouraging countries to promote the true development of man, a development that encompasses the material, spiritual and moral arenas.
The Secretary of State also recalled that in 2004 the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had given a "lectio magistralis" in the Senate library on the theme: "Europe. Its spiritual roots, yesterday, today and tomorrow."
On that occasion, he reminded, the future Pontiff had focused on certain themes that are now contained in his third Encyclical, such as "the affirmation of the profound reasons behind the dignity of individuals and their rights," and marriage and the family as elements that have forged European identity.
The cardinal said that he believes the representatives of the Italian people will find the Pope's words to be "an exalted and profound source of inspiration when carrying out their mission." Hopefully, the encyclical will enable them to respond "adequately to the ethical, cultural and social challenges of today."
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 29/07/2009 08:12]