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Many conservative Catholics are sceptical about global warming. For them environmentalism is the new communism. This echoes the paranoia of the '50s and '60s are clear, when anyone with an interest in social justice was suspect.
Reflections on the 40th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing can help us understand the major themes of Pope Benedicts's social encyclical, and explain why many critics of this radical document have missed the point.
Last week, Pope Benedict gave Kevin Rudd a copy of his new encyclical Caritas in Veritate. Rudd gave the Pope a copy of the National Apology. I wonder what the radical Redfern priest Ted Kennedy would have made of this exchange of literary gifts.
The Pope's social encyclical comes at a time when Australian churches increasingly have to provide charity to those who have been failed by the state. For charity to constitute true giving, social organisations must also be prepared to commit politically.
This week's release of the new social encyclical Caritas in Veritate expands moral teaching to promote a concept of 'human ecology' that covers both human life and the environment. It would seem that Benedict is not a climate change sceptic.
The Pope's encyclical on social teaching is not a strident critique of capitalism, but it does confront abuses in the global economy. Benedict is critical of the free market ideology which extolled wealth creation but ignored the need for equity and social justice.
In East Timor, I was able to see close up the work of Caritas in war torn conditions. There could be no reconciliation without justice. Caritas worked tirelessly to proclaim the message.
When it comes to international aid, Australians pride themselves on their generosity. There is a similar dimension to events such as World Youth Day, which play a formative role in the lives of young people from developing countries.
Aid agencies are working hard, but some fear that once the emergency phase is over, access will again be denied. This would have unspeakable consequences for the people of Burma, who need long-term help to recover from Cyclone Nargis.
Beth Doherty currently works for Caritas Australia, the international aid and development agency of the Catholic Church. She has worked in Cambodia with the Jesuit Refugee Service, is a freelance writer for Jesuit Communications, and a former assistant editor of Eureka Street.
Kaylea Fearn is the coordinator of Simply Sharing Week, a joint program of Caritas Australia and the National Council of Churches in Australia commission for Christian World Service.
The poignant story of the poor baby born in a stable is a reminder that God-with-us means God for every last one of us. Yet it is becoming apparent that God's caritas is being appropriated for the political convenience of the State.
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