In Charity & Truth (Caritas In Veritate)

“Charity in truth, to which Jesus Christ bore witness by his earthly life and especially by his death and resurrection, is the principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all humanity. Love – caritas – is an extraordinary force which leads people to opt for courageous and generous engagement in the field of justice and peace.”  From these opening words, Pope Benedict XVI goes on to explain the central role of charity “at the heart of the Church’s social doctrine.” In Caritas in veritate he defines this as “the principle around which the church’s social doctrine turns, a principle that takes on practical form in the criteria that govern moral action.”