Pope Francis: Gaudete Et Exsultate, and Pope Benedict at Aparecida, Do Not Forget the Poor

Today we will learn and reflect on the Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Francis
Gaudete et Exsultate, or On the Call to Holiness in Today’s World, issued in 2018.
The teaching by Pope Francis on Abortion and Social Media were quite
controversial, but these issues were part of the message, the main message is
how we can live a godly life of holiness in the modern secular world, a modern
world that often lacks compassion for the poor among us.
We must not forget the namesake for Pope Francis, who is St Francis of Assisi,
whose entire ministry was based on extolling lady poverty, and taking care of
the lepers and the poor.

Saint Francis
of Assisi
giving alms,
by Édouard
Alexandre
Odier,
painted 1842

At the end of our talk, we will discuss the sources used for this
video, and my blogs that also cover this topic. Please, we
welcome interesting questions in the comments, sometimes
these will generate short videos of their own. Let us learn and
reflect together!

SlideShare contains scripts for my YouTube
videos. Link is in the YouTube description.
© Copyright 2021

YouTube Video:
Pope Francis: Gaudete et Exsultate
Discusses Abortion and Social Media
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https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20180319_gaudete-et-exsultate.html

YouTube Video:
Pope Francis Mentions Abortion in Gaudete et
Exsultate, With a Prayer from Pope Benedict
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Old woman praying, Nicolas Laurens

St Francis, Albert Chevallier Tayler, painted 1898

In 2018 Pope Francis and the Vatican issued an official Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete Et Exsultate,
or in English, On the Call to Holiness In Today’s World. In the spirit of Vatican II, Pope Francis is not
only addressing Catholics, he is addressing the challenges all Christians face when living in the
modern world. This is an official Vatican document, which means that there is collegial support in
the Vatican and the Catholic Church for the basic contents of this exhortation.
Included in this Apostolic Exhortation are sections that caution against unwise use of social media,
and also caution against having ONLY the issue of abortion define your Christian faith, and we
have a video on that topic where we begin by examining the detailed teachings on abortion in the
Catholic Catechism. Pope Francis cautions that, in essence, the right to life does not end at birth,
that abortion is only one issue among many social justice issues. He warns against being a one-
issue voter, but if Christians insist, then that one single issue should be social justice.
We hope to entice the reader to read Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation for himself by
summarizing the main ideas of the entire document of which his comments on abortion and social
justice are a small portion.

Pope Francis begins:
1. “REJOICE AND BE GLAD (Mt 5:12),
Jesus tells those persecuted or
humiliated for his sake. The Lord asks
everything of us, and in return he offers
us true life, the happiness for which we
were created. He wants us to be saints
and not to settle for a bland and
mediocre existence. The call to holiness
is present in various ways from the very
first pages of the Bible. We see it
expressed in the Lord’s words to
Abraham: “Walk before me, and be
blameless” (Gen 17:1).”
The Call To Holiness

We are encouraged in our call to tread in the path of holiness
by the examples of the Old Testament patriarchs, the martyrs
and saints of all Christian traditions, and by the kindnesses
shown by our considerate neighbors and the kindnesses of
ordinary believers.

Pope Francis reminds us:
16. “This holiness to which the Lord calls you will
grow through small gestures. Here is an example:
a woman goes shopping, she meets a neighbor
and they begin to speak, and the gossip starts. But
she says in her heart: ‘No, I will not speak badly of
anyone’. This is a step forward in holiness. Later, at
home, one of her children wants to talk to her
about his hopes and dreams, and even though she
is tired, she sits down and listens with patience
and love. That is another sacrifice that brings
holiness. Later she experiences some anxiety, but
recalling the love of the Virgin Mary, she takes her
rosary and prays with faith. Yet another path of
holiness. Later still, she goes out onto the street,
encounters a poor person and stops to say a kind
word to him. One more step.”
Old woman praying, Nicolas Laurens

As Christians we must love our neighbor and Love
God truly in our heart, we must strike a spiritually
healthy balance between the activity and the
bustling busy-ness of Martha and the
contemplation of Mary, as Pope Francis states:
31. “We need a spirit of holiness capable of filling
both our solitude and our service, our personal
life and our evangelizing efforts, so that every
moment can be an expression of self-sacrificing
love in the Lord’s eyes. In this way, every minute
of our lives can be a step along the path to
growth in holiness.”
Christ in the House of Martha and Mary,
Johannes Vermeer, painted 1656

32. Do not be afraid of holiness. It will take away
none of your energy, vitality or joy. On the
contrary, you will become what the Father had in
mind when he created you, and you will be
faithful to your deepest self. To depend on God
sets us free from every form of enslavement and
leads us to recognize our great dignity. We see
this in Saint Josephine Bakhita: “Abducted and
sold into slavery at the tender age of seven, she
suffered much at the hands of cruel masters. But
she came to understand the profound truth that
God, and not man, is the true Master of every
human being, of every human life. This
experience became a source of great wisdom for
this humble daughter of Africa”.

Pope Francis warns against the two
subtle enemies of holiness, the
modern versions of the ancient
heresies of Gnosticism and
Pelagianism. The modern versions
of Gnosticism can lead to an
intellectual understanding of the
faith without God and without flesh,
a doctrine without mystery,
promising falsely simplistic solution
to complex moral issues.
We hear many TED talks that solve
all of life’s problems in fifteen-
minute amusing talks, many are
more amusing than true.
Two Subtle Enemies of Holiness

Pope Francis gives us this
example:
46. “When Saint Francis of
Assisi saw that some of his
disciples were engaged in
teaching, he wanted to
avoid the temptation to
Gnosticism. He wrote to
Saint Anthony of Padua: ‘I
am pleased that you teach
sacred theology to the
brothers, provided that…
you do not extinguish the
spirit of prayer and devotion
during study of this
kind.’ Francis recognized the
temptation to turn the
Christian experience into a
set of intellectual exercises
that distance us from the
freshness of the Gospel. St Francis, Albert Chevallier Tayler, painted 1898

St Bonaventure, St Francis’ successor, on
the other hand, pointed out that true
Christian wisdom can never be separated
from mercy towards our neighbor: ‘The
greatest possible wisdom is to share
fruitfully what we have to give… Even as
mercy is the companion of wisdom,
avarice is its enemy’. ‘There are activities
that, united to contemplation, do not
prevent the latter, but rather facilitate it,
such as works of mercy and devotion.’”
Saint Bonaventure inspired to write,
Rebecca Dulcibella Orpen, painted 1890

Pope Francis reminds us of these teachings of the
Church to avoid Pelagianism, which falsely states that
man can live a godly life by his own free will unassisted
by the Holy Spirit:
52. “The Church has repeatedly taught that we are
justified not by our own works or efforts, but by the
grace of the Lord, who always takes the initiative. The
Fathers of the Church, even before Saint Augustine,
clearly expressed this fundamental belief. Saint John
Chrysostom said that God pours into us the very source
of all his gifts even before we enter into battle. Saint
Basil the Great remarked that the faithful glory in God
alone, for ‘they realize that they lack true justice and are
justified only through faith in Christ’”.
Mosaics of the Capella Palatina in Palermo, St. Basil the
Great and St. John Chrysostom of Constantinople, 1150

In this document Pope Francis also reviews the interplay between
grace, faith, works, and justification, briefly discussing the of the
ancient Second Synod of Orange, which did not endorse an extreme
Augustinian stance, and the Trent and Vatican II doctrines that are
reflected in the Catechism. Our blog has more detailed quotes, but in
brief, the Catholic Church teaches that we must cooperate with grace
to live a godly life, salvation is never automatic, we must choose
salvation.
Pope Francis ponders the Beatitudes, and how the virtues championed
by the Beatitudes can help us in facing the challenges the Church faces
as it continues to confront the modern world and culture.

What is holiness? Jesus explained
holiness in the Beatitudes, and
Pope Francis here discusses each of
the Beatitudes, and how when we
properly understand the
Beatitudes, it should be unsettling.
64. “The word ‘happy’ or ‘blessed’
thus becomes a synonym for
“holy”. It expresses the fact that
those faithful to God and his word,
by their self-giving, gain true
happiness.”
In the Light of the Master

“Blessed are the poor in spirit."
67. “The Gospel invites us to peer into the depths of
our heart, to see where we find our security in life.
Usually, the rich feel secure in their wealth, and think
that, if that wealth is threatened, the whole meaning
of their earthly life can collapse.”
We see this in the Parable of the Rich Fool.
68. “Wealth ensures nothing. Indeed, once we think
we are rich, we can become so self-satisfied that we
leave no room for God’s word, for the love of our
brothers and sisters, or for the enjoyment of the most
important things in life. In this way, we miss out on the
greatest treasure of all. That is why Jesus calls blessed
those who are poor in spirit, those who have a poor
heart, for there the Lord can enter with his perennial
newness.”

Pope Francis’ emphasis on
showing compassion to the
poor continues with the
Beatitude, “Bless be the meek:”
74. Meekness is yet another
expression of the interior
poverty of those who put their
trust in God alone. Indeed, in
the Bible the same word –
anawim – usually refers both to
the poor and to the meek.

Pope Francis reflects on the message this Beatitude proclaims
to modern man in particular:
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”
75. The world tells us exactly the opposite: entertainment,
pleasure, diversion and escape make for the good life. The
worldly person ignores problems of sickness or sorrow in the
family or all around him; he averts his gaze. The world has no
desire to mourn; it would rather disregard painful situations,
cover them up or hide them. Much energy is expended on
fleeing from situations of suffering in the belief that reality
can be concealed. But the cross can never be absent.
76. A person who sees things as they truly are and
sympathizes with pain and sorrow is capable of touching
life’s depths and finding authentic happiness.

Again, Pope Francis shows how this
Beatitude urges us towards compassion for
the poor:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will be filled.”
79. True justice comes about in people’s
lives when they themselves are just in their
decisions; it is expressed in their pursuit of
justice for the poor and the weak. While it
is true that the word “justice” can be a
synonym for faithfulness to God’s will in
every aspect of our life, if we give the word
too general a meaning, we forget that it is
shown especially in justice towards those
who are most vulnerable: “Seek justice,
correct oppression; defend the fatherless,
plead for the widow” (Is 1:17).

Again, Pope Francis shows how this Beatitude urges us
towards compassion for the poor:
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy”
80. Mercy has two aspects. It involves giving, helping
and serving others, but it also includes forgiveness and
understanding. Matthew sums it up in one golden rule:
“In everything, do to others as you would have them do
to you” (7:12).
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”
85. Certainly there can be no love without works of
love, but this Beatitude reminds us that the Lord
expects a commitment to our brothers and sisters that
comes from the heart.

“Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they
will be called children
of God”
89. It is not easy to
“make” this evangelical
peace, which excludes
nobody but embraces
even those who are a
bit odd, troublesome
or difficult,
demanding, different,
beaten down by life or
simply uninterested. It
is hard work; it calls for
great openness of
mind and heart.”

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for
righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven”
91. In living the Gospel, we cannot expect that
everything will be easy, for the thirst for power and
worldly interests often stands in our way. Saint John
Paul II noted that “a society is alienated if its forms of
social organization, production and consumption make
it more difficult to offer this gift of self and to establish
this solidarity between people”. In such a society,
politics, mass communications and economic, cultural
and even religious institutions become so entangled as
to become an obstacle to authentic human and social
development. As a result, the Beatitudes are not easy
to live out; any attempt to do so will be viewed
negatively, regarded with suspicion, and met with
ridicule.

This exhortation is written as a personal exhortation from Pope
Francis himself, and we will quote in full all paragraphs from this
section:
100. “I (Pope Francis) regret that ideologies lead us at times to two
harmful errors. On the one hand, there is the error of those
Christians who separate these Gospel demands from their
personal relationship with the Lord, from their interior union with
him, from openness to his grace. Christianity thus becomes a sort
of NGO (non-government organization) stripped of the luminous
mysticism so evident in the lives of Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint
Vincent de Paul, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, and many others. For
these great saints, mental prayer, the love of God and the reading
of the Gospel in no way detracted from their passionate and
effective commitment to their neighbors, quite the opposite.”
Ideologies Striking at the Heart of the Gospel

Pope Francis continues:
101. “The other harmful ideological error is
found in those who find suspect the social
engagement of others, seeing it as
superficial, worldly, secular, materialist,
communist or populist. Or they relativize it,
as if there are other more important
matters, or the only thing that counts is one
particular ethical issue or cause that they
themselves defend.”
“Our defense of the innocent unborn, for
example, needs to be clear, firm and
passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a
human life, which is always sacred and
demands love for each person, regardless
of his or her stage of development.”

Pope Francis continues with 101. “Equally sacred,
however, are the lives of the poor, those already
born, the destitute, the abandoned and the
underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly
exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human
trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of
rejection. We cannot uphold an ideal of holiness that
would ignore injustice in a world where some revel,
spend with abandon and live only for the latest
consumer goods, even as others look on from afar,
living their entire lives in abject poverty.”
Now we understand why Pope Francis preceded this
discussion with a review of the Beatitudes,
emphasizing the compassion we need to show to the
poor.
Gleaning, Arthur Hughes, late 1800’s, the poor in ancient
and modern times gleaned wheat after the harvest.

Catholics should not be one-issue voters, even when that one
issue is abortion, but if Catholics do wish to be one-issue voters,
that one issue should be social justice, which includes abortion
and concern for the poor, the sick, the elderly. Black lives
indeed matter very much to the Church.

102. “We often hear it said that, with respect to
relativism and the flaws of our present world, the
situation of migrants, for example, is a lesser
issue. Some Catholics consider it a secondary issue
compared to the ‘grave’ bioethical questions. That
a politician looking for votes might say such a thing
is understandable, but not a Christian, for whom
the only proper attitude is to stand in the shoes of
those brothers and sisters of ours who risk their
lives to offer a future to their children. Can we not
realize that this is exactly what Jesus demands of
us, when he tells us that in welcoming the
stranger, we welcome him (cf. Mt 25:35)
Ruth and Boaz, Barent Fabritius, painted 1660. Ruth was an immigrant to Israel.

Saint Benedict did so readily, and though it might have
“complicated” the life of his monks, he ordered that all
guests who knocked at the monastery door be
welcomed ‘like Christ, with a gesture of veneration’;
the poor and pilgrims were to be met with ‘the greatest
care and solicitude’.”
The Rule 53 of St Benedict cited in the footnotes
include this instruction regarding how we should treat
the poor, disadvantaged, and immigrants, regardless of
their technical legal status:
“In the reception of the poor and of pilgrims
the greatest care and solicitude should be shown,
because it is especially in them that Christ is received;
for as far as the rich are concerned,
the very fear which they inspire
wins respect for them.” St Benedict, Juan Rizi, painted 1655

Pope Francis elaborates on the need for Christians to be
compassionate to all immigrants:
103. “A similar approach is found in the Old Testament:
‘You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you
yourselves were strangers in the land of Egypt’ (Ex 22:21).
‘When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall
not oppress him. The stranger who resides with you shall
be to you as the citizen among you; and you shall love him
as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt’
(Lev 19:33-34). This is not a notion invented by some Pope,
or a momentary fad. In today’s world too, we are called to
follow the path of spiritual wisdom proposed by the
prophet Isaiah to show what is pleasing to God. “’You
should share your bread with the hungry and bring the
homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked,
to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn.’ (58:7-8)”
Operation Allies Refuge: Afghans evacuate
on a US Air Force plane, Fall of Kabul (2021

Pope Francis also reminds us that in the Holy Scriptures
love and charity are one and the same, they are
synonymous, you cannot love your neighbor and not
show charity to your neighbor. Earlier in Gaudete Et
Exsultate Pope Francis states need to love our
neighbor:
60. (Pope Francis reminds us that) “there is a hierarchy
of virtues that bids us seek what is essential. The
primacy belongs to the theological virtues, which have
God as their object and motive. At the center is
charity. Saint Paul says that what truly counts is ‘faith
working through love’ (Gal 5:6). We are called to make
every effort to preserve charity: ‘The one who loves
another has fulfilled the law… for love is the
fulfilment of the law’ (Rom 13:8.10). ‘For the whole
law is summed up in a single commandment, You
shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Gal 5:14).
Sermon on the Mount, I.Makarov, 1889

Pope Francis then discusses how
the life we live affects our worship
of our God:
104. “We may think that we give
glory to God only by our worship
and prayer, or simply by following
certain ethical norms. It is true that
the primacy belongs to our
relationship with God, but we
cannot forget that the ultimate
criterion on which our lives will be
judged is what we have done for
others. Prayer is most precious, for
it nourishes a daily commitment to
love. Our worship becomes
pleasing to God when we devote
ourselves to living generously, and
allow God’s gift, granted in prayer,
to be shown in our concern for our
brothers and sisters.”

Pope Francis warns us both of the spiritual dangers of our
consumer culture and our superficial social media culture. Pope
Francis warns us of the spiritual dangers of twittering:
108. “Hedonism and consumerism can prove our downfall, for
when we are obsessed with our own pleasure, we end up being
all too concerned about ourselves and our rights, and we feel a
desperate need for free time to enjoy ourselves. We will find it
hard to feel and show any real concern for those in need, unless
we are able to cultivate a certain simplicity of life, resisting the
feverish demands of a consumer society, which leave us
impoverished and unsatisfied, anxious to have it all now. Similarly,
when we allow ourselves to be caught up in superficial
information, instant communication and virtual reality, we can
waste precious time and become indifferent to the suffering flesh
of our brothers and sisters. Yet even amid this whirlwind of
activity, the Gospel continues to resound, offering us the promise
of a different life, a healthier and happier life.”

.Section Four teaches how we can be holy in today’s world,
showing perseverance, patience and meekness, with many
references to Holy Scriptures, we encourage you to read this
section on your own.
Pope Francis warns us that social media too easily tempts us
to the sin of slander, the sin of damaging the reputation of our
neighbor:

Signs of Holiness in Today’s World
115. “Christians too can be caught up in networks
of verbal violence through the internet and the
various forums of digital communication. Even in
Catholic media, limits can be overstepped,
defamation and slander can become
commonplace, and all ethical standards and
respect for the good name of others can be
abandoned.” Online we say “things can be said
there that would be unacceptable in public
discourse, and people look to compensate for
their own discontent by lashing out at others. It is
striking that at times, in claiming to uphold the
other commandments, they completely ignore
the eighth, which forbids bearing false witness
or lying, and ruthlessly vilify others. Here we see
how the unguarded tongue, set on fire by hell,
sets all things ablaze (cf. Jas 3:6).”

Why is Pope Francis cautioning us against the Catholic media
who defame, slander, and overstep their boundaries? We need
to be aware of the clerical credentials of those who are part of
the Catholic internet media, but more importantly, we need to
judge what we read on the internet against standards of
Christian decency. Does the author lead us to love our
neighbor and our God? Does the author lead us to love the
Church and her teachings, particularly the teachings of Vatican
II and the post-Vatican II popes? Does the author support the
Catholic teachings of social justice as taught by Rerum
Novarum and Vatican II and the Catholic Catechism?

When we do not show compassion for the poor, the sick, the
elderly, the disadvantaged, the sojourner, the immigrant, the
slave, the minimum wage worker, when we deny that black lives
matter, we are rejecting the Catholic teachings on social
justice. When we reject the concept of social justice, when we
do not seek to be compassionate to those who face suffering
and difficulties in their less-privileged lives, when we seek to
blame the poor for their poverty, then we become
judgmental. (transition to next page)

Pope Francis warns us:
117. “It is not good when we look down on others like
heartless judges, lording it over them and always trying to
teach them lessons. That is itself a subtle form of violence.
Saint John of the Cross proposed a different path: ‘Always
prefer to be taught by all, rather than to desire teaching
even the least of all.’ And he added advice on how to keep
the devil at bay: ‘Rejoice in the good of others as if it were
your own, and desire that they be given precedence over
you in all things; this you should do wholeheartedly. You
will thereby overcome evil with good, banish the devil, and
possess a happy heart. Try to practice this all the more with
those who least attract you. Realize that if you do not train
yourself in this way, you will not attain real charity or make
any progress in it.’”
Saint John of the the Cross in Ecstasy,
Antoine Ranc, painted 1705

Pope Francis bids us to live a holy life with joy and a
sense of humor, with boldness and with passion, in
community in our local church and with our fellow
Christians, in constant prayer. Francis teaches us:
134. “Like the prophet Jonah, we are constantly
tempted to flee to a safe haven. It can have many
names: individualism, spiritualism, living in a little
world, addiction, intransigence, the rejection of
new ideas and approaches, dogmatism, nostalgia,
pessimism, hiding behind rules and regulations. We
can resist leaving behind a familiar and easy way of
doing things. Yet the challenges involved can be like
the storm, the whale, the worm that dried the gourd
plant, or the wind and sun that burned Jonah’s head.
For us, as for him, they can serve to bring us back to
the God of tenderness, who invites us to set out ever
anew on our journey.”

In a footnote Pope Francis recommends this
prayer from St Thomas Moore: “Grant me, O
Lord, good digestion, and also something to
digest. Grant me a healthy body, and the
necessary good humor to maintain it. Grant
me a simple soul that knows to treasure all
that is good and that doesn’t frighten easily at
the sight of evil, but rather finds the means to
put things back in their place. Give me a soul
that knows not boredom, grumbling, sighs
and laments, nor excess of stress, because of
that obstructing thing called ‘I’. Grant me, O
Lord, a sense of good humor. Allow me the
grace to be able to take a joke and to discover
in life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it
with others”.
Sir Thomas More, Hans Holbein the Younger, painted 1527

Pope Francis references the Orthodox
Classic, the Way of the Pilgrim:
152. “I ask that we never regard prayerful
silence as a form of escape and rejection of
the world around us. The Russian pilgrim,
who prayed constantly, says that such
prayer did not separate him from what was
happening all around him. “Everybody was
kind to me; it was as though everyone
loved me… Not only did I feel [happiness
and consolation] in my own soul, but the
whole outside world also seemed to me
full of charm and delight.”
St Seraphim of Sarov

In the last section, Section 5, Pope Francis
teaches us how we should wage spiritual combat
with vigilance and discernment. Pope Francis
warns us:
161. “We should not think of the devil as a
myth, a representation, a symbol, a figure of
speech or an idea. This mistake would lead us to
let down our guard, to grow careless and end up
more vulnerable. The devil does not need to
possess us. He poisons us with the venom of
hatred, desolation, envy and vice. When we let
down our guard, he takes advantage of it to
destroy our lives, our families and our
communities. “Like a roaring lion, he prowls
around, looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet
5:8).”
Saint Michael expelling Lucifer and the Rebel Angels,
Peter Paul Rubens, painted 1622

Whenever you read any modern publication of the Catholic
Church, always be alert to the treasures buried in the footnotes.
Gaudete Et Exsultate references the address of Pope Benedict XVI
when he addressed Aparecida, which in English means Appeared,
a recent conference of Latin American bishops in 2007. It is clear
that this conference reflects the compassion Pope Francis shows
towards the poor.
http://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-
xvi/en/speeches/2007/may/documents/hf_ben-
xvi_spe_20070513_conference-aparecida.html
Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who would later become Pope Francis,
chaired the committee that drafted the final document of this
conference. The America magazine wrote an excellent article on
Pope Francis and his role in this important conference:

Aparecida’s message: “Do not forget the poor.”
Aparecida used a typical expression of the
theological and pastoral tradition of Latin
America: “the preferential option for the poor
and the marginalized.” Aparecida proclaims,
“Today, we want to confirm and promote the
option of preferential love for the
poor. Concern for the poor is not optional.”
Pope Benedict summarizes a primary Latin
American theological reflection: “the
preferential option for the poor is implicit in
the Christological faith in the God who became
poor for us, to enrich us with his poverty.”
https://www.americamagazine.org/trail-aparecida

Latin American Catholicism has historically differed from European
Catholicism because of its historical embrace of Liberation
Theology, which has openly and controversially adopted
communist ideals on the rights of the poor. Historically, both Pope
John Paul II and Pope Benedict were suspicious of the tenets of
Liberation Theology because of their European struggles against
the totalitarian communist regimes of Eastern Europe.

In consultation with the future Pope
Francis, Pope Benedict included this
paragraph in Section 4 of his Aparecida
address to the Latin American bishops:
“The Marxist system, where it found its
way into government, not only left a sad
heritage of economic and ecological
destruction, but also a painful
oppression of souls. And we can also see
the same thing happening in the West,
where the distance between rich and
poor is growing constantly, and giving
rise to a worrying degradation of
personal dignity through drugs, alcohol
and deceptive illusions of happiness.”

In Aparecida, the future Pope Francis, with Pope Benedict,
embraced a theology of concern for plight of the poor.

Pope Benedict also says this in his address:
“In Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in
other regions, there has been notable progress
towards democracy, although there are grounds
for concern in the face of authoritarian forms of
government and regimes wedded to certain
ideologies that we thought had been superseded,
and which do not correspond to the Christian
vision of man and society as taught by the Social
Doctrine of the Church. On the other side of the
coin, the liberal economy of some Latin American
countries must take account of equity, because of
the ever increasing sectors of society that find
themselves oppressed by immense poverty or
even despoiled of their own natural resources.”

This address also references the social justice teachings of the Catholic Church,
starting with Rerum Novarum. Many scholars believe that these Catholic social
teachings influenced the American progressives and the New Deal policies of
FDR. The best summary of the philosophy of the New Deal and post-World War II
world order is the Four Freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom
from want, and freedom from fear. You do not really have freedom if you work hard
for forty hours or more a week and cannot earn enough to feed your family with
dignity.
Vatican II realized that authoritarian governments could never be long-term friends of
the Church, that the modern church needs to encourage democracy. The Church only
hurts herself when she rejects a democratic party that is not overtly hostile to
Christianity, and upholds the Catholic teachings of social justice.

Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Worship Freedom From Fear
Freedom From Want
The Four Freedoms

There is no better way to end this video than with Pope
Benedict’s excellent prayer at Aparecida pleading with
God to Stay With Us in our strivings and struggles to live
a truly godly live in our modern world, echoing the plea
of the disciples on the road to Emmaus our own:
“Stay with us, for it is towards evening, and the day is
now far spent.” (Lk 24:29)
“Stay with us, Lord, keep us company, even though we
have not always recognized you. Stay with us, because
all around us the shadows are deepening, and you are
the Light; discouragement is eating its way into our
hearts: make them burn with the certainty of Easter.
We are tired of the journey, but you comfort us in the
breaking of bread, so that we are able to proclaim to
our brothers and sisters that you have truly risen and
have entrusted us with the mission of being witnesses
of your resurrection.”
Road to Emmaus, by Lelio Orsi, 1560–1565

“Stay with us, Lord, when mists of doubt,
weariness or difficulty rise up around our
Catholic faith; you are Truth itself, you are the
one who reveals the Father to us: enlighten our
minds with your word, and help us to experience
the beauty of believing in you.”
“Remain in our families, enlighten them in their
doubts, sustain them in their difficulties, console
them in their sufferings and in their daily labors,
when around them shadows build up which
threaten their unity and their natural identity.
You are Life itself: remain in our homes, so that
they may continue to be nests where human life
is generously born, where life is welcomed, loved
and respected from conception to natural death.”

“Remain, Lord, with those in our societies
who are most vulnerable; remain with the
poor and the lowly, with indigenous peoples
and Afro-Americans, who have not always
found space and support to express the
richness of their culture and the wisdom of
their identity.
Remain, Lord, with our children and with our
young people, who are the hope and the
treasure of our Continent, protect them from
so many snares that attack their innocence
and their legitimate hopes. O Good
Shepherd, remain with our elderly and with
our sick. Strengthen them all in faith, so that
they may be your disciples and missionaries!”

SOURCES: All of the sources are on the web, we have links to our slides
on SlideShare, and if those links do not work, we also have links on our
blog.
A valuable source is the Catholic Catechism, we have an introductory
video on the Catechism that explores its history and what Cardinal
Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict, hoped to accomplish wit the release of
the Catholic Catechism, and it also is available on the web.

The YouTube description links to the video script and our blog.
Please support our channel by sharing this video with your friends, and
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And please click on the links for interesting videos on other topics
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