Reading the Encyclical

I'm working my way through Francis's new encyclical. It is a heavier document that "Joy of the Gospel" as befits its subject matter and its place in Church teaching , but contains quotable lines and a lot of food for thought. Like his immediate predecessors, he is extremely negative on the profit motive as the sole justification and rationale for human behavior. It is also amazingly collegial. Of course he cites scripture, past papal teachings, the catechism and so one, but he also cites recent statements from Bishops' Conferences of Portugal, Brazil, Canada, the Philippines, the USA and several others. I don't remember seeing that in John Paul 2 or Benedict 16, or if it was there, not nearly this much. Part of his gift is taking the local churches, with their lived experience, far more seriously than prior popes.

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