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New encyclical, on faith, to appear early next year

CWN - November 12, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI plans to release a new encyclical for the Year of Faith.

Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, told the National Catholic Register that the new encyclical will be on the topic of faith, and is tentatively scheduled for release sometime during the first half of 2013.

Pope Benedict has devoted one of his three encyclicals to the virtue of hope: Spe Salvi, released in 2007. His other two encyclicals: Deus Caritas Est, in 2006, and Caritas in Veritate, in 2009, touched on different aspects of the virtue of charity. An encyclical on faith would complete a cycle on the theological virtues.

The Vatican Insider web site reports that the Pontiff finished drafting the encyclical during his summer stay at Castel Gandolfo, and the document should be ready for publication by Easter Sunday.

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  • Posted by: Justin8110 - Nov. 27, 2012 9:24 PM ET USA

    I look forward to this. In this world where Reason itself unmoored from the harbor of Faith is the de facto way of trying to fathom the mysteries of our world it would be wonderful to see the Holy Father write a nice encyclical on the theological virtue of Faith. We must not forget that in Holy Writ it says "without faith it is impossible to please God" No faith, no salvation. All men need faith to get get to Heaven; for Heaven is a place Reason alone cannot enter or even ponder.

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