{"id":45665,"date":"2022-03-17T17:17:56","date_gmt":"2022-03-17T17:17:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cappusa.wpengine.com\/?p=45665"},"modified":"2026-07-28T16:46:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T16:46:22","slug":"caritas-in-veritate-summary-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/5.capp-usa.org\/es\/2022\/03\/caritas-in-veritate-summary-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"A Summary of Caritas in Veritate Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Join our Newsletter<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

 <\/p>\n

Caritas in Veritate Summary: Catholic Social Action (Part 2 of 5)<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Catholic social action is based on and in faith. Personal conversion is required<\/strong> to implement CST.<\/h5>\n

 <\/p>\n

by CAPP-USA<\/span><\/h5>\n
\u00a0<\/h5>\n
\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Pope Benedict's Caritas in Veritate is seminal<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

NO FAITH - NO CATHOLIC SOCIAL ACTION<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Continuing our summary of<\/span> Caritas in Veritate<\/a>, Pope Benedict XVI\u00a0<\/span><\/span>teaches us that without God \u201cdevelopment<\/strong> is either denied or entrusted exclusively to man\u2026and ends up promoting a dehumanized<\/strong> form of development.\u201d (CIV, 11)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

By making charity the heart of Catholic social teaching<\/strong> Pope Benedict XVI \u201cpersonalizes\u201d Catholic social teaching. <\/span>He moves CST from a focus primarily on \"acts\" to<\/strong> a focus on the motivation<\/strong> for these acts.<\/span><\/p>\n

No matter how noble or extravagant our efforts are, for social action to be \u201cCatholic\u201d it must root itself in<\/strong>\u00a0the theological virtue of charity<\/a> - which itself is based on and requires belief<\/strong>, acceptance<\/strong> and the integration of God<\/strong> in all facets of life and development.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Implementing Catholic social teaching requires personal conversion<\/strong> \u2013 conversion to the gospel message of Jesus Christ:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Adhering to the values of Christianity<\/strong> is not merely useful but essential<\/strong> for building a good society and for true integral human development.\" (CIV, 4)<\/a><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

WITHOUT GOD, SOCIAL ACTION MISSES THE POINT<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

This was well summarized by Paul Cardinal Cordes when he said, \"We have already remarked how for a long time <\/strong>the main emphasis<\/strong> of social instruction was to achieve a more just society<\/strong>. With the latest teaching document, [Caritas in Veritate] the pastoral concern now appears in the widest sense: Social doctrine<\/strong> broadens out to the integral perspective of human salvation and articulates the Gospel<\/strong>.\"<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He continues, \"The victory over death and Christ\u2019s resurrection<\/strong>, embraced by the church since her foundation, has its meaning also for social life<\/strong>\u2026<\/span>We can not separate social instruction from God\u2019s saving word<\/b>.\" (Paul Cardinal Cordes, Not Without the Light of Faith: Catholic Social Doctrine<\/i>, speech at The Australian Catholic University, 27 November 2009)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Social action not based on and in faith - in Jesus Christ - is not Catholic social action<\/strong>. In fact, it may even \"miss the point\".<\/span><\/p>\n

That is why \u201csimple activism\u201d is not enough. (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/span> If our action is not born of a profound and \u201cintimate communion with God\u201d it can even become pointless. (Deus Caritas Est, 18)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

SO, WHAT ARE THE NEW RULES?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

If the focus of Catholic social teaching is no longer only about achieving a just society, what does it mean, practically, that it also requires our actions to \u2018articulate the Gospel\u2019?<\/span><\/p>\n

It means that \"Without God man neither knows which way to go nor even understands who he is\"<\/strong>. (CIV, 78)<\/a><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Pope Benedict XVI notes 8 requirements<\/strong> for Catholic social action: \"Development requires:<\/span><\/p>\n