The light of faith is passed from one pontiff to another like a baton in a relay, thanks to "the gift of the apostolic succession." This gift assures "the continuity of the Church's memory," as well as "certainty in attaining the pure source from which the faith flows." So we feel an altogether particular joy in receiving the encyclical Lumen Fidei (LF).

Its shared mode of transmission illustrates in an extraordinary way the most fundamental and original aspect of the encyclical: its development of the dimension of communion in faith. The encyclical in fact speaks not with a "royal 'We'," but with a "we" of communion. It describes faith as an experience of communion, of the expansion of the "I" and of solidarity in the Church's journey with Christ for the salvation of the human race. I will limit myself here to illustrating this viewpoint.

The encyclical presents the Christian faith as a light that comes from listening to the Word of God in history. It is a light that allows us to see the love of God at work, establishing his covenant with humankind. This light can already be perceived in the works of the Creator, but it shines forth as love in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Continue reading

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• ABC Religion and Ethics

"It makes us aware of a magnificent calling, the vocation of love," he says. "It assures us that this love is trustworthy and worth embracing, for it is based on God's faithfulness which is stronger than our every weakness."

The encyclical celebrates Christian faith as the guiding light of a "successful and fruitful life", inspiring social action as well as devotion to God, and illuminating "every aspect of human existence", including philosophy and the natural sciences.

The encyclical was begun by Pope Benedict XVI, before his resignation, and completed by Pope Francis, who referred to the document as the work of "four hands".

Pope Francis writes that anyone who shows love for others is taking the first steps toward faith: "Anyone who sets off on the path of doing good to others is already drawing near to God, is already sustained by his help, for it is characteristic of the divine light to brighten our eyes whenever we walk towards the fullness of love."

The Pope emphasises that faith is "not a private matter, a completely individualistic notion or a persona opinion".

"It is impossible to believe on our own," he writes. "By its very nature, faith is open to the 'we' of the church; it always takes place within her communion."

He also insists that faith without truth "does not provide a sure footing", but is only "something capable of satisfying us to the extent that we are willing to deceive ourselves".

The truth of faith, however, shouldn't make believers "presumptuous" or "inflexible". Reiterating one of his favourite themes, the Pope stresses that the "security of faith sets us on a journey; it enables witness and dialogue with all".

In the family, he says, children grow in faith as they learn to trust in the love of their parents. "This is why it is so important that within their families parents encourage shared expressions of faith which can help children gradually to mature in their own faith."

Sources:

Catholic News Service

National Catholic Reporter

Lumen Fidei text (The Holy See)

Image: Yahoo! News

The first encyclical of a pope is always closely watched, because it frequently signals the way in which he intends to govern the Church.

This new encyclical is even more intriguing because much of it was actually written by former Pope Benedict.

Here are 14 things you need to know . . .

1. What is an encyclical?

An encyclical is a kind of letter. Papal encyclicals usually deal with matters of Church teaching (doctrine). Popes write them when they feel they have something important to say about particular teachings.

Although they are not infallible, encyclicals are authoritative.

The word "encyclical" comes from the Greek word for "circle," indicating that it is to be circulated among different people.

The encyclical Lumen Fidei is addressed to "the bishops, priests, and deacons, consecrated persons, and the lay faithful." This indicates a broad audience.

You can read the full encyclical here.

2. How did this encyclical come to be?

The encyclical was originally begun by Pope Benedict in order to commemorate the Year of Faith and to complete a trilogy of encyclicals he had been writing on the three theological virtues—faith, hope, and charity.

The preceding two were Deus Caritas Est, on the theological virtue of charity, and Spe Salvi, on the virtue of hope.

Pope Benedict's health did not allow him to remain in office, however, and so the draft of the encyclical was inherited by Pope Francis, who chose to complete it.

3. Has this ever happened before?

Yes. In fact, Pope Benedict's first encyclical was based, in part, on an encyclical that John Paul II had begun preparing but had not finished. Continue reading

Sources

• National Catholic Register
• Image: GreenwichTime.com

"It's an encyclical written with four hands, so to speak, because Pope Benedict began writing it and he gave it to me," Pope Francis said. "It's a strong document. I will say in it that I received it and most of the work was done by him and I completed it."

The new encyclical will complete the trio begun by Benedict XVI with his Deus Caritas Est (2005) on charity, and Spe Salvi (2007) on hope.

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