I remember when Pope Benedict first came out with this encyclical, shocking and surprising critics and admirers alike, as few guessed love to be the subject of a man perceived to be as doctrinaire as the former Cardinal Ratzinger. Nonetheless, he wrote it with not only his usual penetrating intellect, but also with heart and feeling. He delves into the wholeness of love for each individual, both eros and agape, and how such love is perfected in Jesus, especially through the Sacrament of the Eucharist received in community. He then proceeds to deal with charity (which caritas is frequently translated to) and further to deal with politics, ideology, and how the Christian is to work in the world. Benedict calls for a separation of Church and State and yet calls on the faithful to raise their voices as regards policy and to organize and take action according to God's grace. At the same time, while he calls on the state to respect the independence of the Church and to act in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, he calls on the state to seek to establish justice.

While not theology, it is generally written in a lofty language, as one might expect from Pope Benedict. It is a short read and written clearly, if not always simply. Benedict points to the saints as examples of living in God's love, especially Mary. One can conclude from reading this that while the Church took its time adjusting to the changing circumstances of and varying ideologies stemming from the industrial revolution, the Church is finally prepared to contend successfully with Marxism and its offshoots. The remaining question is whether the Church has any way of successfully addressing the issues that have replaced such revolutionary movements as the prime threat to modern civilization: Islamic extremism and the violence inspired by it.

Among his admonitions in his conclusion, Benedict underscores we should "leave space for God, who is encountered both in prayer and in service of neighbor--only then does goodness enter the world." (p 20) Well worth the short read, and it's available online for free!