(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis’ first encyclical entitled "Lumen fidei" or “The
Light of Faith” was released Friday at a press conference in the Vatican. The document
completes the trilogy of papal teachings on the three theological virtues, begun by
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who issued his encyclicals "Deus Caritas Est" on Charity
in 2005 and "Spe Salvi" on Hope in 2007.
This is Philippa Hitchen's
report:
Announcing
the forthcoming publication of his first encyclical, Pope Francis described it as
a work of “four hands”, begun by his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who passed on his
draft for the new pope to complete. The document certainly continues many of Benedict’s
favourite themes, from the complementarity of faith and reason, to the joy of a personal
encounter with Christ. Firmly situated in the Year of Faith, it’s also set in the
context of the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, which re-established
the central role of Faith at the heart of all human relationships.
Divided
into four chapters and a short introduction, the encyclical sets out to show how Faith
in the Risen Christ can lead us beyond the narrow confines of individual existence
into the all-inclusive community of God’s love. Rather than the notion of ‘blind
faith’, which impedes scientific progress and must be kept to the private sphere of
personal convictions, we’re called to rediscover the light that can guide all people
from the darkness of selfish desires towards a more just and fraternal world, grounded
in the faithful promises of God the Creator.
The first chapter takes the reader
on a whirlwind tour of the Old and New Testaments, from Abraham, who first hears God’s
call, through the Israelites travelling towards the light of the Promised Land, to
Jesus’ death on the Cross, the ultimate act of God’s love for humanity. The more we
are touched by the transforming power of that love, writes the Pope, the better we
are able to understand our relationship to all our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Chapter
two insists on the essential link between Faith and Truth, without which our beliefs
seem nothing more than a fairy story, an illusion of happiness, unable to sustain
us when the going gets tough. Contemporary society, the encyclical says, tends to
see technological progress and individual pleasure as the only objective truth, viewing
any broader questions about the origins of our existence with deep suspicion. Without
love in our hearts, truth becomes cold, impersonal, oppressive, unable to transform
the lives of others. But by listening, seeing and believing in Christ’s presence in
our lives today, we can broaden our horizons and find better ways of serving the common
good. The light of our faith in Christ can also contribute to a more fruitful dialogue
with non-Christians and non-believers, showing how all those who search for God or
seek for truth will be welcomed and illuminated by that light.
The third chapter
of the encyclical centres on the Church as the place where the light of faith is safeguarded
and transmitted from one generation to the next. Through the sacraments of Baptism
and Eucharist, through profession of the Creed, praying the Our Father and obeying
the Ten Commandments, the Church teaches the language of faith and draws us into the
Trinitarian relationship of love, so that ‘whoever believes is never alone’. The final
chapter focuses on Faith and the common good and shows how the light of faith can
promote peace and reconciliation, and teach respect for God’s creation. The encyclical
also considers those areas illuminated by Faith, starting with the family based on
marriage, understood as a stable union between man and woman. Faith, writes the Pope,
cannot eliminate suffering in our world, but it can accompany us and bring a new sense
of hope in God’s love. The encyclical ends with a prayer to Mary, Mother of Jesus
and icon of faith, who can lead us into the light of God’s love.