The Encyclical and Weigel

The reaction by George Weigel to B-16's social encyclical provoked a thoughtful reaction from Cosmos. One piece of that which is very pertinent:

...if one does recognize that B16 is in fact employing the vision of the human person as an individual who has the task of perfecting himself after the manner of the divine archetype, which is a total self-gift of self to others in relationships, the entire logic of the Encyclical becomes clear (at least as far as I have so far read).

Weigel and others seem to be worried that Benedict is implying a prudential judgment of the priority of wealth sharing over wealth production. Benedict is doing nothing of the sort. Again, he is instructing about a socio-economic necessity deriving from an anthropology that undergtands man is created after the image of total Self-gift. His point is that for an authentic economic structure that promotes the integral human fulfillment of all of its members, the economic structure must be one which promotes all freely giving of themselves for the common, the greater good.

Earlier, Cosmos made it clear that B-16 was NOT (repeat, NOT) comtemplating State-mandated "redistribution" schemes as an ideal.

The essay is certainly worth the read.