Caritas in veritate

Caritas in veritate Latin for 'Charity in truth' Encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI
Signature date	29 June 2009
Subject	Integral human development in charity and truth
Pages	127
Number	3 of 3 of the pontificate
Text	In Latin In English
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Part of a series on the
Theology of Pope Benedict XVI
Private works Introduction to Christianity Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life Truth and Tolerance The Ratzinger Report Regensburg lecture Jesus of Nazareth series: Jesus of Nazareth Holy Week The Infancy Narratives The Spirit of the Liturgy
Movements Communio Second Vatican Council Peritus
Magisterial works Prefect of the CDF Dominus Iesus Papacy (as Benedict XVI) Caritas in veritate Spe salvi Deus caritas est Lumen fidei
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Part of a series on
Catholic social teaching
Emblem of the Holy See
Overview
Social teachings of the papacy Distributism Solidarity Subsidiarity Tranquillitas ordinis
Pope Leo XIII Rerum novarum
Pope Pius XI Divini redemptoris Mit brennender Sorge Non abbiamo bisogno Quadragesimo anno
Pope Pius XII Social teachings
Pope John XXIII Mater et magistra Pacem in terris
Second Vatican Council Dignitatis humanae Gaudium et spes
Pope Paul VI Octogesima adveniens Populorum progressio
Pope John Paul II Laborem exercens Sollicitudo rei socialis Centesimus annus Evangelium vitae
Pope Benedict XVI Caritas in veritate
Pope Francis Evangelii gaudium Laudato si' Fratelli tutti
Other figures Gaspard Mermillod René de La Tour du Pin Heinrich Pesch Dorothy Day Óscar Romero Joseph Bernardin Hilaire Belloc G. K. Chesterton
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Caritas in veritate (English: "Charity in truth") is the third and last^[1] encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, and his first social encyclical.^[2] It was signed on 29 June 2009^[2] and was published on 7 July 2009. It was initially published in Italian, English, French, German, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.

The encyclical is concerned with the problems of global development and progress towards the common good, arguing that both Love and Truth are essential elements of an effective response. The work is addressed to all strata of global society – there are specific points aimed at political leaders, business leaders, religious leaders, financiers, and aid agencies but the work as a whole is also addressed to all people of good will.

Caritas in veritate contains detailed reflection on economic and social issues. The Pope points out that the church does not offer specific technical solutions, but rather moral principles to inform the building of such solutions. The economic themes include an attack on free-market fundamentalism, though a simplistic polarization of the free market model versus interventionist big government solutions is rejected. There is emphasis on the need for the actions of all economic actors to be informed by ethics as well as the profit motive. Other areas discussed include hunger, the environment, migration, sexual tourism, bioethics, cultural relativism, social solidarity, energy, and population issues.