“The failure of Caritas in Veritate to blend the many hands and voices evident in its composition has probably diminished its impact and encouraged selective reading . . . . Pope Benedict simply tried to do too much . . . . [In one view], what the encyclical gains in potential for further thought it loses in clutter. One legitimate and valuable point is obscured by the next . . . . The just-too-much explanation and the too-many-hands explanation are not mutually exclusive. The pope’s intellectual ambition and the multiple concerns of his Vatican aides and other consultors may well have converged. One wonders if this isn’t a case where less would have been more.”
Says George Weigel, in a piece that was pilloried by every left-leaning Catholic commentator in America?
No, actually. It’s from Peter Steinfels, in today’s New York Times .
I would wait with bated breath the loud condemnations of Steinfels by all those who excoriated Weigel, except that asphyxiation is a sad way to die.
Time is short, so I’ll be direct: FIRST THINGS needs you. And we need you by December 31 at 11:59 p.m., when the clock will strike zero. Give now at supportfirstthings.com.
First Things does not hesitate to call out what is bad. Today, there is much to call out. Yet our editors, authors, and readers like you share a greater purpose. And we are guided by a deeper, more enduring hope.
Your gift of $50, $100, or even $250 or more will bring this message of hope to many more people in the new year.
Make your gift now at supportfirstthings.com.
First Things needs you. I’m confident you’ll answer the call.
