Social Teachings Next Papal Encyclical's Focus

The Vatican Secretary of State, Tarciso Cardinal Bertone confirmed to the Italian newspaper, La Repubblica the reports about the next encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI will be on “international social problems, with special focus on developing nations,” Friday, February 29.

The Cardinal also noted that this encyclical will be released in the near future but with no appropriate date as of now. But Vatican observers predict that this encyclical will appear in March or early April this year.

In an earlier release by the French newspaper, La Croix, in early February, it speculated that the encyclical will reflect the “collective labor” of several different departments of the Vatican.

Deus Caritas Est (2005) and Spe Salvi (2007), the first two encyclicals of Pope Benedict XVI were focused on the theological virtues and the documents reflecting the Pope’s background as an academic theologian.

(Rodney P Vertido)