I just finished reading the Holy Father’s new encyclical Lumen fidei (Latin for “The Light of Faith”), which was made available today (July 5) even though it was promulgated on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29, 2013.

A new encyclical by two Popes!

My initial reaction: I loved it!

Notably, it’s the first encyclical written by two popes – Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Pope Benedict had written an encyclical on the theological virtue of faith but resigned before he could publish it. It seems that the core is Benedict but the intro and other elements are Francis. That’s my impression after one reading.

Here what the encyclical is about in 15 simple points:

He begins with referring to Nietzsche as the pioneer of non-faith for our era. Consequently, “humanity renounced the search for a great light, Truth itself.” He then refers to Dante, who in the Divine Comedy, after professing his faith to Saint Peter, describes that light as a “spark, which then becomes a burning flame and like a heavenly star within me glimmers.” The encyclical builds on Saint Peter’s initial faith when he said, “You are Christ, the Son of the Living God!” Next, he traces the history of faith from Abraham and up on through the Hebrews of the Old Testament. The Incarnation reveals the ultimate object of faith – Jesus Christ. “In many areas in our lives we trust others who know more than we do. We trust the architect who builds our home, the pharmacist who gives us medicine for healing, the lawyer who defends us in court.” But why don’t we trust God? Trust or faith is a natural part of life. Faith transforms those who love. This is why we are saved by faith in Christ. Unless you believe, you will not understand (Is 7:9). In our age, we need to understand the bond of faith and truth. We will never understand the truth unless we believe in Christ who is the Truth. We must once again associate “love” with “truth.” This divorce between love and truth is a grave error of our time. Faith connects seeing and hearing. The eyes “see” and the ears “hear” but the soul or heart “believes.” Hence, the soul that doesn’t believe is like a blind eye or a deaf ear. Clearly this imagery comes from Christ Himself. He then focuses on John Paul II’s encyclical Fides et Ratio – that Faith and Reason always work together. Theology should never be seen as in competition with philosophy or science. All truth is God’s truth. Faith implies a journey and a discovery. Faith itself is not the completion or the arrival. It’s a journey. Abraham and the Magi signify this journey. “It is impossible to believe alone.” Faith is always communal. This means that faith always requires the Church. Since we live in time, the faith is handed down in community. The sacraments are the chief means by which faith is transmitted to others and through time. Although faith is personal, it is one and unchanging. Each person experiences faith differently, but the object and content are ever the same – because God is unchanging. Practical ending – Faith must be apart of family life. Faith must be part of society. The encyclical ends with Mary who is the one human person who had perfect faith from beginning to end. The Holy Father then finishes by entrusting us to the prayerful attention of the Mother of God.

Please read it for yourself. You won’t regret it. Feel free to use the 15 points above as a guideline.

Question: Which of the points above hit you the hardest? Please leave a comment. For me it’s the idea that “faith is always communal” and the strong Marian ending. Please share your thoughts in the comments below.



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