Deus Caritas Est
w00t! Benedict XVI’s released his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (God is Love).
In the broadest sense, an encyclical letter is simply one intended for general circulation; in recent centuries, “encyclical” has also come to refer specifically to such a letter written by the Pope, addressed to all Christians, for the purpose of setting out or clarifying important teaching.
In a world where the name of God is sometimes associated with vengeance or even a duty of hatred and violence, [the message of God’s love] is both timely and significant. For this reason, I wish in my first Encyclical to speak of the love which God lavishes upon us and which we in turn must share with others. That, in essence, is what the two main parts of this Letter are about, and they are profoundly interconnected…
(Hat Tip: Jimmy Akin)