Globalization in Benedict XVI’s Caritas in Veritate

Globalization in Benedict XVI’s Caritas in Veritate

Patrick Flanagan
Copyright: © 2012 |Pages: 16
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61350-332-4.ch005
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Abstract

Benedict XVI, the present pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, published Caritas in Veritate in June 2009. This third papal encyclical of his is distinguished from his others that dealt with the area of theology commonly known as “constructive” or “systematic.” In this most recent publication, Benedict XVI moves his writing into a rich historical arena known as Roman Catholic social teaching. Building upon a solid tradition of popes tackling political, social, and economic issues, Benedict XVI tackles acute contemporary concerns. The key areas Benedict XVI addresses in this encyclical are globalization, the economy, technology, and the environment. Germane to this text, this chapter will seek to explain how globalization is described and critiqued by Benedict XVI in this pivotal letter of his pontificate. While globalization will be the primary focus, because of the interrelationship between the aforementioned topics, attention obviously will also to be given to the other primary areas.
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The Themes Of Roman Catholic Social Teaching

Throughout its rich history, RCST, built upon philosophical and theological foundations, has used the framework of particular themes to underscore the dignity of the human person, the value of human progress and global development, and, the corresponding collective efforts necessary to sustain a dynamic human existence where all might flourish. In 1998, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions. This document probed the difficulty of disseminating RCST to the general public, no less the Roman Catholic faithful. As a response, it proposed creative ways to encourage greater appreciation and implementation of RCST in today’s society. In their efforts, the bishops isolated seven themes which they believe could form the matrix to discuss any socioeconomic or political issue. These themes, the bishops contend, could serve as the foundational lens by which the RCC can use to critique the different facets of society. Daniel Groody (2007) calls these themes “ethical coordinates” in assessing and directing globalization (118). Before attempting to show their usefulness in evaluating globalization, it would be helpful to understand the individual themes.

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