What would you like to know about the new papal encyclical?

What I know is that Jimmy Akin knows much more than I do:

Pope Francis has just released his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei, or “the light of faith.”

The first encyclical of a pope is always closely watched, because it frequently signals the way in which
he intends to govern the Church.

This new encyclical is even more intriguing because much of it was actually written by former Pope Benedict.

Here are 14 things you need to know . . . 

1. What is an encyclical?

An encyclical is a kind of letter. Papal encyclicals usually deal with matters of Church teaching (doctrine). Popes write them when they feel they have something important to say about particular teachings.

Although they are not infallible, encyclicals are authoritative.

The word “encyclical” comes from the Greek word for “circle,” indicating that it is to be circulated among different people.

The encyclical Lumen Fidei is addressed to “the bishops, priests, and deacons, consecrated persons, and the lay faithful.” This indicates a broad audience.

You can read the full encyclical here. 

2. How did this encyclical come to be?

The encyclical was originally begun by Pope Benedict in order to commemorate the Year of Faith and to complete a trilogy of encyclicals he had been writing on the three theological virtues—faith, hope, and charity.

The preceding two were Deus Caritas Est, on the theological virtue of charity, and Spe Salvi, on the virtue of hope.

Pope Benedict’s health did not allow him to remain in office, however, and so the draft of the encyclical was inherited by Pope Francis, who chose to complete it.

3. Has this ever happened before?

Yes. In fact, Pope Benedict’s first encyclical was based, in part, on an encyclical that John Paul II had begun preparing but had not finished. 

4. Does Lumen Fidei acknowledge Pope Benedict’s role in its composition?

Yes. In it, Pope Francis writes:

These considerations on faith — in continuity with all that the Church’s magisterium has pronounced on this theological virtue — are meant to supplement what Benedict XVI had written in his encyclical letters on charity and hope. He himself had almost completed a first draft of an encyclical on faith. For this I am deeply grateful to him, and as his brother in Christ I have taken up his fine work and added a few contributions of my own. [LF 7]. 

5. Does Lumen Fidei sound like Pope Benedict?

Much of it does. It includes many of the characteristic touches and themes of his writings.

For example, it contains many references to history, including early Christian history, Jewish history, and pagan history.

It contains references to the thought of historical figures, including the Church Fathers Justin Martyr and Irenaeus.

It also refers to the thought of recent intellectual figures, including the Catholic thinker Romano Guardini, the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, the agnostic philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, and the atheist philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. 

6. Do particular passages sound like Pope Francis?

This is harder to judge. He is mostly known for his speaking style, and his own voice for a document of this nature may take time to emerge.

One touch that is distinctly Pope Francis, though, is the way he signs the encyclical.

Normally popes give their name in Latin, followed by “PP” (a Latin abbreviation for “pope”) and followed by their number.

Pope Benedict, for example, signed Spe Salvi by writing “Benedictus PP XVI.”

Pope Francis, being the first pope to use this name, does not have a number, so you wouldn’t expect that in his signature.

He does, however, seem to prefer not to use the title “pope,” preferring “bishop of Rome,” instead.

Thus he leaves out the “PP” in his signature and simply signs the encyclical “Franciscus.” 

7. How is the encyclical structured?
The encyclical, which takes about two hours to read in full, is structured this way:

·      Introduction (1-7)

·      Chapter One: We Have Believed in Love (8-22)

·      Chapter Two: Unless You Believe, You Will Not Understand (23-36)

·      Chapter Three: I Delivered To You What I Also Received (37-49)

·      Chapter Four: God Prepares a City for Them (50-60) 

8. What does the introduction cover?

The introduction introduces the idea of “the light of faith” (Latin, lumen fidei) and the role it plays in our lives.

It discusses the inadequacy of pagan, pre-Christian faiths and the neglect of faith in our own time. It also stresses the need to rediscover the role that the light of the Christian faith can and should play in our lives and in society.

A favorite quote, right from the beginning of the encyclical is this:

The pagan world, which hungered for light, had seen the growth of the cult of the sun god, Sol Invictus, invoked each day at sunrise.

Yet though the sun was born anew each morning, it was clearly incapable of casting its light on all of human existence.

The sun does not illumine all reality; its rays cannot penetrate to the shadow of death, the place where men’s eyes are closed to its light.

“No one — Saint Justin Martyr writes — has ever been ready to die for his faith in the sun” [LF 1].

Of course there’s more and it’s most interesting and educational.  Check it out.

And check out The Anchoress, who links to a roundup that includes the poignant observation that the encyclical is “a heartfelt attempt to speak to anyone still searching for God.”

Finally, there’s Thomas Peters providing what he believes are the top 15 quotes from Lumen Fidei, including my favorite from those 15:

“For transmitting a purely doctrinal content, an idea might suffice, or perhaps a book, or the repetition of a spoken message. But what is communicated in the Church, what is handed down in her living Tradition, is the new light born of an encounter with the true God, a light which touches us at the core of our being and engages our minds, wills and emotions, opening us to relationships lived in communion. There is a special means for passing down this fullness, a means capable of engaging the entire person, body and spirit, interior life and relationships with others. It is the sacraments, celebrated in the Church’s liturgy.” 

All the more reason to engage anew or engage again the faith.

Stop and think on these things dear reader.  There is no better time.  None.

Carry on.