There's nothing to prevent his next encyclical from being out of the ordinary. No one expected "Spe Salvi." The pope wrote it in solitude, and promulgated it without submitting it for "editing" by the curia. Moreover, the element of surprise cannot be overlooked. It seems unlikely that Benedict XVI would attach his signature to a third encyclical that did not say anything original, and did not bear his extremely strong personal imprint.
But the first part of Deus Caritas Est," and all of "Spe Salvi," are entirely Ratzingerian in character. On the other hand, a few points of social doctrine are included in the second part of "Deus Caritas Est,"the section of the encyclical that most reflects the work of the Vatican offices. It follows that one would expect him to dedicate the third to faith, rather than to social doctrine.
As pope, he dedicated his first encyclical to charity, and the second to hope. As a theologian, Ratzinger has dealt only marginally with social doctrine and economic questions. And three times the pope has sent them back, unsatisfied. The fact is that three drafts of a new social encyclical have already come to the desk of Benedict XVI. The current collapse of the global economy is held by many to be proof of this negative view. It has been judged as too friendly toward the capitalist system. In reality, rather than being outdated, "Centesimus Annus" has never been seriously accepted by the hierarchy or by Catholics as a whole. The Vatican offices most active in this area, especially the pontifical council for justice and peace headed by Cardinal Renato Martino, have made it a point of honor to extract from pope Joseph Ratzinger a document more in keeping with the times. The last socioeconomic encyclical – "Centesimus Annus" by John Paul II – goes back to 1991, and many in the curia consider it outdated. The rumors are not lacking in foundation. ROMA, Decem– At regular intervals, there are rumors about an upcoming encyclical from Benedict XVI, this time dedicated to the social doctrine of the Church. Financing consumption and investment for two or three billion people who are waiting only to improve their lives. This is the proposal of Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, on the front page of the Vatican newspaper.
The Encyclical on Social Doctrine Can Wait.
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