Good morning, this is Paula. A week after he was buried in the Vatican, Benedict, the first pope in 600 years to retire, is remembered by leaders of Catholic aid groups for how he promoted their cause.
In spite of his conservative views and controversies over ongoing sexual abuse in the Church, the world’s second largest humanitarian network tells us how his writings on charity provided inspiration. |
|
Benedict’s legacy for humanitarian action
|
|
A Caritas office in Puerto Maldonado, in Peru’s southeastern Amazon region of Madre de Dios, 12 December 2018. (Geneva Solutions/Paula Dupraz-Dobias)
|
|
As Pope Benedict’s legacy is being written in the days following his death, his retirement – the first for a pontiff in six centuries – is vying for the top position among reasons for him to be remembered. But for some humanitarians, the importance that he awarded to charity may be even more lasting.
Known within the Church as the head of the Vatican department in charge of defending Catholic doctrine before ascending to the papacy, the late pope set to quickly publish his own views once he was elected to the position.
The former professor’s first encyclicals, or papal documents on church doctrine, focused on the concept of caritas – meaning both charity and love in Latin. The first of these, called Deus Caritas Est or God is love, was about the love of God and how this is linked to the love people have towards each other, particularly those in need. For Benedict, the faithful had a duty to be charitable in life.
Read the full story on Geneva Solutions (EN)
|
|
Here’s what else is happening
|
|
GS news is a new media project covering the world of international cooperation and development. Don’t hesitate to forward our newsletter!
Have a good day!
|
|
|
Avenue du Bouchet 2
1209 Genève
Suisse
|
|
|
|
