Digital Logos Edition
Written in 2005, Deus Caritas Est (God is Love) was Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical letter. It focuses on Love as the central reality of existence. The letter explores the concept of love at a theological and philosophical level, discussing eros, agape, and philia. It also articulates how love should become manifest in the life of the Church, through the proclamation of the word of God, the celebration of the Sacraments, and the exercise of charity. The encyclical is divided into two sections: “The Unity of Love in Creation and in Salvation History,” and “Caritas: The Practice of Love by the Church as a ‘Community of Love.’”