A fair bit of ink has been spilt regarding Pope Benedict's new encyclical Caritas in Veritate ('charity in truth'). A dense document, it seems to satisfy no-one: the politically conservative see neo-conservatism held up to the spotlight, while the left see a sustained critique of human rights and some strands of teaching on social justice.
I am sure the last thing on Pope Benedicts's mind over the last month was the 40th anniversary of humanity's first steps on the moon. Yet some of the reflections on that event go some way to helping us understand the major themes of the encyclical and to explaining why many of its critics have missed the point.
After their historic mission, the Apollo astronauts embarked on a multi-nation world tour. In the 2007 documentary In the Shadow of the Moon, Michael Collins talks, as you would expect, about the warmth of the reception he and his colleagues received wherever they went.
But what he found most remarkable was that, whereas he had expected the United States,NASA or the astronauts themselves to be congratulated, he instead heard comments like these: 'We did it! Look at what we accomplished.' He was astonished and profoundly moved by this shared sense of pride and accomplishment.
This sentiment encapsulates one of the major themes of Caritas in Veritate. Benedict has taken the rapid growth of globalisation and reread it with the eyes of an inclusive faith. In doing so he both names the pitfalls of globalisation and, more important, identifies its potential. Through it he hears God's call speaking loudly in our present world. He seems to be saying: 'We can do it. We can make a truly just world!'
This may seem reminiscent of the 'Yes we can' speeches of the Obama campaign: inspiring, yes, but hardly revolutionary. What makes Caritas in Veritate so interesting is how Benedict gets there, particularly how he talks about, and indeed redefines, the 'we' or, more correctly, the 'I'.
Over the course of the 20th century, Catholic Social Teaching developed a comprehensive outlook on human development. In particular, John XXIII's Pacem in Terris and Paul VI's Populorum Progressio, which Benedict uses as his departure point, together analysed the increasing gaps between rich and poor nations and advanced a humanist vision of development, with the United Nations playing a critical role.
But the vision was built on an understanding of human beings