The Pope's New Encylical Lumen Fidei: The Basics


Dr. Taylor Marshall (one of my favorite bloggers) sums up the new Encylical Lumen Fidei (Latin for "The Light of Faith") written by both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis in 15 simple points:

  1. He begins with referring to Nietzsche as the pioneer of non-faith for our era. Consequently, "humanity renounced the search for a great light, Truth itself."
  2. He then refers to Dante, who in the Divine Comedy, after professing his faith to Saint Peter, describes that light as a "spark, which then becomes a burning flame and like a heavenly star within me glimmers." The encyclical builds on Saint Peter's initial faith when he said, "You are Christ, the Son of the Living God!"
  3. Next, he traces the history of faith from Abraham and up on through the Hebrews of the Old Testament. The Incarnation reveals the ultimate object of faith - Jesus Christ.
  4. "In many areas in our lives we trust others who know more than we do. We trust the architect who builds our home, the pharmacist who gives us medicine for healing, the lawyer who defends us in court." But why don't we trust God? Trust or faith is a natural part of life. 
  5. Faith transforms those who love. This is why we are saved by faith in Christ. Read more
Zenit offers an official summary of Lumen Fidei HERE.

Thomas Peters shares his Top 15 Quotes From The Pope's New Encyclical HERE.

You can read Lumen Fidei by doing the following:
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