Benedict XVI: "By contemplating the pierced side of Christ, we can understand that 'God is love.' The eucharist is the enduring presence of Jesus' self-oblation."

Deus Caritas Est (Latin for "God is Love") is the first encyclical written by Pope Benedict XVI, on the subject of Christian love, as expressed by its subtitle De Christiano Amore. The encyclical reflects on the concepts of eros (possessive, often sexual, love), agape (unconditional, self-sacrificing love), logos (the word), and their relationship with the teachings of Jesus. Like the first encyclical of Pope John Paul II (Redemptor Hominis), Deus Caritas Est is expected to set the tone for Benedict's pontificate. Deus Caritas Est and God is love may refer to: God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1536x2048, 1133 KB) en: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI since 2005) on May 10, 2003, during the celebration of the 750th anniversary of the canonization of Saint Stanislaus in Szczepanów, Poland. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1536x2048, 1133 KB) en: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI since 2005) on May 10, 2003, during the celebration of the 750th anniversary of the canonization of Saint Stanislaus in Szczepanów, Poland. ... Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: ; born April 16, 1927 as Joseph Alois Ratzinger in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany) is the 265th reigning pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... An encyclical was a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Christian church. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Eros ( érōs) is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Love is any of a number of emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong affection or profound oneness. ... AgapÄ“ (IPA: or IPA: ) (Gk. ... Love is any of a number of emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong affection or profound oneness. ... Look up logos in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion Pope John Paul II (Latin: , Italian: Giovanni Paolo II, Polish: Jan PaweÅ‚ II) born   []; 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) reigned as the 264th Pope of... Redemptor Hominis (Latin for The Redeemer of Man) is the name of the first encyclical written by Pope John Paul II. It lays a blueprint for his pontificate in its exploration of contemporary human problems and especially their proposed solutions found in a deeper understanding of the human person. ...

The encyclical contains almost 16,000 words in 42 paragraphs. The first half is said to have been written by Benedict in German, his mother tongue, in the summer of 2005; the second half is derived from uncompleted writings left by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.^[1] The document was signed by Pope Benedict on Christmas Day, 25 December 2005.^[2] Some reports attribute the delay to problems in translating the original German text into Latin; others to disputes within the Vatican over the precise wording of the document.^[3][4] First language (native language, mother tongue, or vernacular) is the language a person learns first. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion Pope John Paul II (Latin: , Italian: Giovanni Paolo II, Polish: Jan PaweÅ‚ II) born   []; 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) reigned as the 264th Pope of... Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ...

The encyclical was promulgated on January 25, 2006, in Latin and officially translated into seven other languages (English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish). It is also the first encyclical to be published since the Vatican decided to assert copyright in the official writings of the Pope.^[5] Promulgation is the act of formally proclaiming new legislation to the public. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Copyright symbol Copyright is a set of exclusive rights regulating the use of a particular expression of an idea or information. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Pope (from Latin...

Title

"ὁ θεòς ἀγάπη ἐστίν" on a stele in Mount Nebo.

The Latin title of an encyclical is taken from its first few words. This encyclical begins with a quotation from the First Letter of St. John, chapter 4, verse 16 (for example, the Vulgate^[6]) translated from the original Greek, "ὁ θεòς ἀγάπη ἐστίν" (ho theos agape estin).^[7] The Douai Bible translates this into English as "God is charity",^[8] while in most contemporary English translations it reads "God is love" (since the word "charity" is derived from the Latin caritas, or "love").^[9][10] The Latin version of the First Letter of St. John uses the same formulation, "Deus caritas est", at the end of chapter 4, verse 8,^[6] translating the same phrase in Greek.^[7] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 813 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) M Disdero Mount Nebo 19/02/2007 Filename : P1040642. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 813 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) M Disdero Mount Nebo 19/02/2007 Filename : P1040642. ... The Brazen Serpent sculpture Mount Nebo (Arabic: جبل نيبو; transliterated: Jabal Nebo) is an elevated ridge that is approximately 817 metres (2680 feet) above sea level, in what is now western Jordan. ... The First Epistle of John is a book of the Bible New Testament, the fourth of the catholic or general epistles. ... The Vulgate Bible is an early 5th century version in Latin, partly revised and partly translated by Jerome on the orders of Pope Damasus I in 382. ... The Douai Bible, also known as the Rheims-Douai Bible or Douay-Rheims Bible and abbreviated as D-R, is a Catholic translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate into English. ...

Summary

In this encyclical, Benedict reflects on the concepts of eros, agape, and logos, and their relationship with the teachings of Jesus. Eros and agape are two of the various Greek words for love, each of which has a slightly different shade of meaning: agape is descending, ablative love in which one gives of oneself to another; eros is ascending, possessive love which seeks to receive from another. Logos is often translated into English as "word", but can also mean thought, speech, reason, principle, standard, or logic, among other things. For example, the prologue of the Gospel of John calls Jesus the Logos: the opening verse in the King James Version of the Bible reads: "In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word [Logos] was with God, and the Word [Logos] was God." There are a number of different Greek words for love, as the Greek language distinguishes how the word is used. ... AgapÄ“ (IPA: or IPA: ) (Gk. ... Eros ( érōs) is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. ... Look up logos in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Word (disambiguation). ... A prologue (Greek πρόλογος, from προ~, pro~ - fore~, and lógos, word), or rarely prolog, is a prefatory piece of writing, usually composed to introduce a drama. ... For other uses, see Gospel of John (disambiguation). ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ...

The document explains that eros and agape are both inherently good, but that eros risks being downgraded to mere sex if it is not balanced by an element of spiritual Christianity. The opinion that eros is inherently good follows a school of thought in the Catholic church known as the "Caritas tradition", and contrasts with the view expressed, for example, by Anders Nygren, a Lutheran bishop, in his mid-20th century book Eros and Agape, that agape is the only truly Christian kind of love, and that eros is an expression of the individual's desires and turns us away from God.^[11] These two positions have been an ongoing cause for debate in both Catholic and Protestant theology. The continuity of these two forms of love follows the traditional Catholic understanding, which is influenced by the philosophy of Plato, Augustine, Bonaventure and ancient Jewish tradition. The Nygren position was favoured by the Reformed theologian Karl Barth while the Caritas position was supported by the liberal Protestant theologian Paul Tillich. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Anders Theodor Samuel Nygren (15 November 1890 – 20 October 1978) was a Swedish, Lutheran theologian. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... Eros and Agape (ISBN 0844660515) is the title of a two-volume treatise written by the Swedish theologian Anders Nygren, first published in Swedish in 1930-1936. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... PLATO was one of the first generalized Computer assisted instruction systems, originally built by the University of Illinois (U of I) and later taken over by Control Data Corporation (CDC), who provided the machines it ran on. ... “Augustinus” redirects here. ... Saint Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (Italian: San Bonaventura) (1221 – 15 July 1274), born John of Fidanza (Italian: Giovanni di Fidanza), was the eighth Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, commonly called the Franciscans. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... -1... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Liberal Christianity, sometimes called... Paul Johannes Tillich (August 20, 1886 – October 22, 1965) was a German-American theologian and Christian existentialist philosopher. ...

The first half of the encyclical is more philosophical, tracing the meaning of the Greek words for "love". In considering eros, Benedict refers to a line from Virgil's Eclogues, Book X, line 69, "Omnia vincit amor, et nos cedamus amori" ("Love conquers all, let us also yield to love"), and the opinion of Friedrich Nietzsche that Christianity has poisoned eros, turning it into a vice. He refers to the conjugal love exhibited in the Song of Songs, and analyzes passages from the First Letter of St. John which inspired the title. The encyclical argues that eros and agape are not distinct kinds of love, but are separate halves of complete love, unified as both a giving and receiving. The philosopher Socrates about to take poison hemlock as ordered by the court. ... For other uses, see Virgil (disambiguation). ... The Eclogues is one of three major works by the Latin poet Virgil. ... Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900) (IPA: ) was a 19th-century German philosopher. ... Vice is a practice or habit that is considered immoral, depraved, and/or degrading in the associated society. ... Song of Solomon is also the title of a novel by Toni Morrison. ... The First Epistle of John is a book of the Bible New Testament, the fourth of the catholic or general epistles. ...

Dante and Beatrice gaze upon the highest Heaven; from Gustave Doré's illustrations to the Divine Comedy, Paradiso, Canto XXXI.

The second half, based on a report prepared by the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, is less abstract, considering the charitable activities of the Church as an expression of love which draws its power from contemplative union with God. The second half also refers to the Church's three-fold responsibility: proclaiming the word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia), and exercising the ministry of charity (diakonia). The encyclical says that social justice is the primary responsibility of politics and the laity; the church itself should inform the debate on social justice with reason guided by faith, but its main social activity should be directed towards charity. Charity workers should have a deep prayer life, and be uninfluenced by party and ideology. Benedict rejects both Marxist arguments that the poor "do not need charity but justice", and the merger of church and state functions (theocracy); rather, he encourages cooperation between the church, the state, and other Christian charitable organizations. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (858x952, 205 KB) Dante and Beatrice gaze upon the highest Heaven (The Empyrean); from Gustave Dorés illustrations to the Divine Comedy, Paradiso Canto 31. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (858x952, 205 KB) Dante and Beatrice gaze upon the highest Heaven (The Empyrean); from Gustave Dorés illustrations to the Divine Comedy, Paradiso Canto 31. ... Dante in a fresco series of famous men by Andrea del Castagno, ca. ... Although the details surrounding the life of Beatrice Portinari, pronounced bay-a-treech-eh, (1266-1290) are subject to much dispute, there is little doubt she was a major influence in Dante Alighieris life, influencing particularly his works of La Vita Nuova and La Divina Commedia. ... Doré photographed by Felix Nadar. ... Dante shown holding a copy of The Divine Comedy, next to the entrance to Hell, the seven terraces of Mount Purgatory and the city of Florence, in Michelinos fresco. ... The Pontifical Council Cor Unum for Human and Christian Development is part of the Curia of the Roman Catholic Church. ... abstraction in general. ... In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament is a rite that mediates divine grace, constituting a sacred mystery. ... Allegorical personification of Charity as a mother with three infants by Anthony van Dyck // The word charity entered the English language through the O.Fr word charite which was derived from the Latin caritas.[1] In Christian theology charity, or love (agapÄ“), is the greatest of the three theological virtues... Social justice refers to the concept of a just society, where justice refers to more than just the administration of laws. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. ... Political Ideologies Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      An ideology is an organized collection of ideas. ... Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      For the metal band, refer to Theocracy (band). ...

Paragraph 39 appears to be inspired by Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, reflecting in particular the last canto of "Paradise", which ends before "the everlasting Light that is God himself, before that Light which at the same time is the love which moves the sun and the other stars".^[12] The three concluding paragraphs consider the example of the saints, ending with a prayer to the Virgin Mary. The text mentions the name of Mother Teresa four times, the last as a "saint" (despite the fact that she has not yet been canonised) in such company as Francis of Assisi, Ignatius of Loyola, John of God, Camillus of Lellis, Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac, Giuseppe B. Cottolengo, John Bosco, and Luigi Orione. Dante in a fresco series of famous men by Andrea del Castagno, ca. ... Dante shown holding a copy of The Divine Comedy, next to the entrance to Hell, the seven terraces of Mount Purgatory and the city of Florence, in Michelinos fresco. ... A canto is a significant section of a long poem or the highest part in a piece of choral music. ... In traditional Christian iconography, Saints are often depicted as having halos. ... The term Virgin Mary has several different meanings: Mary, the mother of Jesus, the historical and multi-denominational concept of Mary Blessed Virgin Mary, the Roman Catholic theological and doctrinal concept of Mary Marian apparitions shrines to the Virgin Mary Virgin Mary in Islam, the Islamic theological and doctrinal concept... Mother Teresa (born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu IPA: ) (August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997), was a Roman Catholic nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work. ... In traditional Christian iconography, Saints are often depicted as having halos. ... This article discusses the process of declaring saints. ... Saint Francis of Assisi (September 26, 1181 – October 3, 1226) was a Roman Catholic friar and the founder of the Order of Friars Minor, more commonly known as the Franciscans. ... Saint Ignatius of Loyola, also known as Ignacio (Iñigo) López de Loyola (December 24, 1491 – July 31, 1556), was the principal founder and first Superior General of the Society of Jesus, a religious order of the Catholic Church professing direct service to the Pope in terms of mission. ... Saint John of God (Spanish: Juan de Dios; Portuguese: João de Deus) (March 8, 1495 - March 8, 1550) was a Portuguese-born friar and saint, who has become one of Spains leading religious figures. ... St Camillus De Lellis was born at Bacchianico, Naples, 1550 and died at Rome on the 14 July 1614. ... Saint Vincent de Paul (April 24, 1581 – September 27, 1660) was born at Pouy, Landes, Gascony, France to a peasant family. ... Saint Louise de Marillac (also known as Louise de Marillac Le Gras) (12 August 1591–15 March 1660) was a French nun and is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church She was born illegitimately in Ferrieres-en-Brie near Meux, France. ... Saint Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo (3 May 1786 – 30 April 1842) was the founder of the Societies of the Little House of Divine Providence and is a saint of the Roman Catholic church. ... Saint Don Bosco, born Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco, and known in English as John Bosco (August 16, 1815 – January 31, 1888), was an Italian Catholic priest, educator and recognized pedagogue, who put into practice the dogma of his religion, employing teaching methods based on love rather than punishment. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ...

Deus Caritas Est, like the encyclicals of many previous popes, including Pope John Paul II, uses the Royal we in the official Latin text ("cupimus loqui de amore"). This is the text that appears promulgated in the Vatican's official gazzete of record, "Acta Apostolicae Sedis". However, in accordance with a practice initiated in the pontificate of John Paul II, the unofficial versions prepared by the Vatican in other 7 languages use the singular ("I wish to speak of love"). Pluralis Majestatis (Majestic Plural) is the use of the plural pronoun in reference to one individual her-, him-, or itself alone. ...

Some key passages

• Opening passage. “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 Jn 4:16). These words from the First Letter of John express with remarkable clarity the heart of the Christian faith: the Christian image of God and the resulting image of mankind and its destiny. In the same verse, Saint John also offers a kind of summary of the Christian life: “We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us”. We have come to believe in God's love: in these words the Christian can express the fundamental decision of his life. (§1)
• Reasons for the encyclical. In a world where the name of God is sometimes associated with vengeance or even a duty of hatred and violence, this message is both timely and significant. For this reason, I wish in my first Encyclical to speak of the love which God lavishes upon us and which we in turn must share with others.... I wanted here—at the beginning of my Pontificate—to clarify some essential facts concerning the love which God mysteriously and gratuitously offers to man, together with the intrinsic link between that Love and the reality of human love. (§1)
• Fulfillment of the true nature of love. Eros and agape—ascending love and descending love—can never be completely separated. The more the two, in their different aspects, find a proper unity in the one reality of love, the more the true nature of love in general is realized... On the other hand, man cannot live by oblative, descending love alone. He cannot always give, he must also receive. Anyone who wishes to give love must also receive love as a gift... Yet to become such a source, one must constantly drink anew from the original source, which is Jesus Christ, from whose pierced heart flows the love of God... Only in the way of contemplation will he be able to take upon himself the needs of others and make them his own. (§7)
• "The love which God lavishes upon us." The one God...loves with a personal love. His love, moreover, is an elective love: among all the nations he chooses Israel and loves her—-but he does so precisely with a view to healing the whole human race. God loves, and his love may certainly be called eros, yet it is also totally agape... This is not only because it is bestowed in a completely gratuitous manner, without any previous merit, but also because it is love which forgives... [I]n Jesus Christ, it is God himself who goes in search of the “stray sheep”, a suffering and lost humanity... His death on the Cross is the culmination of that turning of God against himself in which he gives himself in order to raise man up and save him. This is love in its most radical form. By contemplating the pierced side of Christ (cf. Jn 19:37), we can understand the starting-point of this Encyclical Letter: “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8). It is there that this truth can be contemplated. It is from there that our definition of love must begin. In this contemplation the Christian discovers the path along which his life and love must move. (§9-10, 12, italics added)
• Transition to Part Two. Love of God and love of neighbour are thus inseparable, they form a single commandment. But both live from the love of God who has loved us first. No longer is it a question, then, of a “commandment” imposed from without and calling for the impossible, but rather of a freely-bestowed experience of love from within, a love which by its very nature must then be shared with others. Love grows through love. Love is “divine” because it comes from God and unites us to God. (§18)
• Summary on justice and charity, and the Church's role. The Church cannot and must not take upon herself the political battle to bring about the most just society possible. She cannot and must not replace the State. Yet at the same time she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice. She has to play her part through rational argument and she has to reawaken the spiritual energy without which justice, which always demands sacrifice, cannot prevail and prosper. A just society must be the achievement of politics, not of the Church. Yet the promotion of justice through efforts to bring about openness of mind and will to the demands of the common good is something which concerns the Church deeply... The Church's charitable organizations, on the other hand, constitute an opus proprium, a task agreeable to her, in which she does not cooperate collaterally, but acts as a subject with direct responsibility, doing what corresponds to her nature. (§28-29, italics added)
• Urgent need. Prayer, as a means of drawing ever new strength from Christ, is concretely and urgently needed...In the example of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta we have a clear illustration of the fact that time devoted to God in prayer not only does not detract from effective and loving service to our neighbour but is in fact the inexhaustible source of that service...It is time to reaffirm the importance of prayer in the face of the activism and the growing secularism of many Christians engaged in charitable work... A personal relationship with God and an abandonment to his will can prevent man from being demeaned and save him from falling prey to the teaching of fanaticism and terrorism...Even in their bewilderment and failure to understand the world around them, Christians continue to believe in the “goodness and loving kindness of God” (Tit 3:4). Immersed like everyone else in the dramatic complexity of historical events, they remain unshakably certain that God is our Father and loves us, even when his silence remains incomprehensible. (§36-38, italics added)
• Charity and evangelization. Charity, furthermore, cannot be used as a means of engaging in what is nowadays considered proselytism...But this does not mean that charitable activity must somehow leave God and Christ aside. For it is always concerned with the whole man. Often the deepest cause of suffering is the very absence of God. (§31)
• Summary of reflections on love. "If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing" (1 Cor 13:3). This hymn must be the Magna Carta of all ecclesial service; it sums up all the reflections on love which I have offered throughout this Encyclical Letter. Practical activity will always be insufficient, unless it visibly expresses a love for man, a love nourished by an encounter with Christ. (§34)
• Invitation of the Encyclical. Love is the light—and in the end, the only light—that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working. Love is possible, and we are able to practise it because we are created in the image of God. To experience love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world—this is the invitation I would like to extend with the present Encyclical." (§39)
• Conclusion of the Encyclical. The saints are the true bearers of light within history, for they are men and women of faith, hope and love...Outstanding among the saints is Mary, Mother of the Lord and mirror of all holiness....“My soul magnifies the Lord” (Lk 1:46). In these words she expresses her whole programme of life: not setting herself at the centre, but leaving space for God, who is encountered both in prayer and in service of neighbour—only then does goodness enter the world...The testimonials of gratitude, offered to her from every continent and culture, are a recognition of that pure love which is not self- seeking but simply benevolent. At the same time, the devotion of the faithful shows an infallible intuition of how such love is possible: it becomes so as a result of the most intimate union with God, through which the soul is totally pervaded by him—a condition which enables those who have drunk from the fountain of God's love to become in their turn a fountain from which “flow rivers of living water” (Jn 7:38). Mary, Virgin and Mother, shows us what love is and whence it draws its origin and its constantly renewed power. (§40-42, italics added)

Proselytism is the practice of attempting to convert people to another opinion, usually another religion. ... Magna Carta Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter, literally Great Paper), also called Magna Carta Libertatum (Great Charter of Freedoms), is an English charter originally issued in 1215. ...

Other events

At an audience on 18 January 2006, Pope Benedict said that Deus Caritas Est would discuss the concept of love "in its various dimensions, from the love between man and woman to the love that the Catholic Church has for others in its expression of charity". The Vatican, through the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, sponsored a conference in Rome to discuss the themes of the encyclical on 23 January and 24 January 2006, involving Liliana Cavani (director of films including The Night Porter and Ripley's Game) and James Wolfensohn (former head of the World Bank).^[13] is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Liliana Cavani (Carpi (Modena), 1933) is an Italian director and screenwriter, best known for her 1974 feature film Il portiere di notte (The Night Porter). ... Categories: 1974 films | Controversial films | Movie stubs ... Ripleys Game is the third novel in Patricia Highsmiths Tom Ripley series (the Ripliad), written in 1974. ... James D. Wolfensohn (2003) James Wolfensohn AO KBE (born December 1, 1933) was the ninth president of the World Bank Group. ... ...

The encyclical was published on the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul and on the last day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Pope Benedict led an ecumenical prayer service at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, a traditional site for such celebrations, on the evening after the encyclical was published. Presiding at vespers, he said in his homily: "God is love. On this solid rock the entire faith of the church is based."^[14] The Forum for European-Australian Science and Technology Cooperation (FEAST) is a non-government organisation aimed at highlighting and developing collaborative research activities between Europe (European countries and the European Union) and Australia. ... The Road to Damascus is a Biblical reference to the conversion of a persecutor of Christians named Saul on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus in the Roman province of Syria in AD 36. ... Paul of Tarsus (b. ... The word ecumenical comes from a Greek word that means pertaining to the whole world. ... Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura — known in English as the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls or St Paul-without-the-Walls — is one of five churches considered to be the great ancient basilicas of Rome. ... Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. ... In the Roman Catholic Church and in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a homily is usually given during Mass (or Divine Liturgy for Orthodox) at the end of the Liturgy of the Word. ...

See also

• Interior life (Catholic theology)

Interior life is a life which seeks God in everything, a life of prayer and the practice of living in the presence of God. ...

References

The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1788. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1788. ... January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1788. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Vulgate Bible is an early 5th century version in Latin, partly revised and partly translated by Jerome on the orders of Pope Damasus I in 382. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... The Douai Bible, also known as the Rheims-Douai Bible or Douay-Rheims Bible, was a Roman Catholic translation of the Holy Bible from the Latin Vulgate into English. ... In 1970, the New American Bible (NAB) was first published. ... The Revised Standard Version (RSV) is an English translation of the Bible published in the mid-20th century. ... The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago. ... is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Pontifical Council Cor Unum for Human and Christian Development is part of the Curia of the Roman Catholic Church. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Full text of the encyclical in English
• Full text of the encyclical in other languages
• Commentary on the Encyclical by Catholic Educator's Resource Center
• Benedict XVI's own introduction to the Encyclical
• God is Love
• A Eucharistic Encyclical

v • d • e Pope Benedict XVI

Biography · Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith · 2005 Conclave · Theology · Works · Coat of Arms · Travels · Islam This article is becoming very long. ... This article covers the early life of Pope Benedict XVI, from his birth in 1927 to his finishing his education and becoming ordained in 1951. ... Pope John Paul II with Cardinal Ratzinger in 1978. ... The Papal conclave of 2005 was convened due to the death of Pope John Paul II on April 2, 2005. ... His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI The Theology of Pope Benedict XVI is based on staunch Catholicism and ancient Tradition. ... These are the works written by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, elected Pope Benedict XVI: As Joseph Kardinal Ratzinger (original titles) Dialektik der Säkularisierung (En: The Dialectics of Secularization), Freiburg im Breisgau 2005, ISBN 3-451-28869-9 Werte in Zeiten des Umbruchs (En: Values in a Time of Upheaval), Freiburg... Initial rendering of the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI The coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI was designed by then Archbishop Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo (who later was created a Cardinal) soon after the papal election. ... Pope Benedict has not been as active in visiting other countires as his predecessor, John Paul II was, but has nonetheless made several trips a year to foreign countries. ... Main article: Pope Benedict XVI The Pope strongly condemned the Mohammed cartoons, first published by a Danish newspaper and later in other European papers, saying In the international context we are living at present, the Catholic Church continues convinced that, to foster peace and understanding between peoples and men, it... Dominus Iesus · Deus Caritas Est · Sacramentum Caritatis Dominus Iesus (Latin for Lord Jesus) is a document by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, then prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the Congregations then secretary, Tarcisio Bertone. ... Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Charity) is the first post-synodal (i e, after the synod held in Rome, October 2-23, 2005) apostolic exhortation by Pope Benedict XVI. It was signed February 22, 2007. ...