Pope's first encyclical underlines 'back to basics' theme of papacy

Published: 2006-01-27

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical underlined the "back to basics" approach of his papacy, taking one of Christianity's fundamental beliefs and illuminating it with deeper analysis. In its title, "Deus Caritas Est" or "God Is Love," and throughout its 71 pages, the encyclical presented the faith in a clear and positive perspective. The core mission of Christianity, it said, is to help people accept God's love and share it, recognizing that true love involves a willingness to make sacrifices. In short, love of God and love of neighbor -- that's a message the pope believes many people can agree to, if only they are led to think about it. While challenging the contemporary approach to love and sexuality, the pope avoided the hot-button doctrinal issues that often dominate discussion on religious affairs: abortion, birth control, gay marriage and divorce. It's not that Pope Benedict doesn't care about these issues, but he knows that unless people understand the essentials of the faith these doctrinal teachings will not stick.

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