catholicsphere

The same thought occurred to me as it did to Fr. Neuhaus on the First Things blog …

The style is … precise, almost crisp, and relentlessly Christocentric.

…

In striking distinction from John Paul’s fourteen encyclicals, there are few references to past papal pronouncements, and only passing reference to John Paul. It is an emphatically biblical reflection, with very judicious invocations of the early church fathers.

And, there is the matter of which I am just coming to … of the relation of the Church and state …

On this, Neuhaus comments:

Then there is a very suggestive discussion of the relationship between Church and state in the pursuit of justice. This is extremely subtle and I will want to be giving it careful thought. An abiding concern of Benedict, one which he has addressed a number of times during these last months, is to establish a clear understanding of the authentically secular character of the state, leaving the Church free to do what she does in diakonia that is intimately related to her kerygma and leitourgia.

I’ve read other bloggers in the past few hours who have spoken about this, such as Amy Welborn who says,

But, Benedict says, while the Church may advise and discuss and shed light on the problems, and Christians must be involved politically to bring greater justice, that is simply not the Church’s primary mandate, as Church. The risk is that in focusing on what it is not equipped to do, it begins to neglect what it is equipped, mandated, and nourished by the love of Jesus to do.

The Church is not to carry out its mission, its Great Commission, through political agenda and state governance, even though there is a duty for all to participate actively in the process.

Unfortunately, there are many who have, as an Evangelical friend of mine had once said, “confused the kingdoms”.

More later …