New Encyclical Truly a Spiritual ”˜Light,’ Vatican Publisher Affirms

Father [Giuseppe] Costa observed that Lumen Fidei, which translates as “The Light of Faith,” contains a style that is “part Benedict’s and part Francis’s, especially the introduction where Pope Francis makes the encyclical his own.”

However, unlike other commentators, he said that he would not describe the encyclical as being “written by four hands.”

“Pope Francis presents the encyclical as his,” the priest explained. “This was a gesture of spiritual fraternity between his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis himself. This is why I would not say that the encyclical has been written by four hands.”

In the document’s introduction, Pope Francis notes that Benedict XVI had worked before his resignation to nearly finish a first draft of the encyclical. Pope Francis explains that “as his brother in Christ I have taken up his fine work and added a few contributions of my own.”

Read it all.

print
Posted in * Religion News & Commentary, Other Churches, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis, Roman Catholic, Theology