New papal encyclical is published today

BY STAFF REPORTER
POPE Benedict XVI's second encyclical, a meditation on Christian hope, will be published today, the Vatican has confirmed.
The encyclical, entitled Spe Salvi (Saved by Hope), will be presented at a Vatican press conference by Cardinal Georges Cottier, the retired theologian of the papal household, and Cardinal Albert Vanhoye, a retired professor of the Pontifical Biblical Institute.
Sources have said the encyclical is about 65 pages long and explores the theme of salvation and the hope offered by Christianity in the light of modern philosophy and contemporary culture.
The tide comes from St Paul's letter to the Romans, in which the apostle wrote: "For in hope we have been saved."
The text will be published initially in Latin, Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish, the Vatican announced last week.
The Pope worked on the encyclical over the summer, during his stays in northern Italy and at his villa outside Rome.
At the same time he has been working on a third encyclical that will deal with social themes, according to Vatican officials.
The Pope's first encyclical was brought out in 2006 and was called Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love). In that document, Pope Benedict appealed for a deeper understanding of love as a gift from God, which should be shared in a self-sacrificial way. The text surprised some commentators, who expected a more ultra-conservative first encyclical from the allegedly "reactionary" new Pontiff.
Benedict XVI has already touched on the importance and holiness of Christian hope on several occasions.
In 2005, speaking to Mexican bishops on their "ad limina" visit to Rome, he said that Christians need to be reminded that God never abandons his people and is alive and active in the modern world.
"Confronted by today's changing and complex panorama," he said, "the virtue of hope is subject to harsh trials in the community of believers. For this very reason, we must be apostles who are filled with hope and joyful trust in God's promises."
He added: "In contemporary society, which shows such visible signs of secularism, we must not give in to despair or a lack of enthusiasm in pastoral projects."
It was widely thought that the new encyclical would reflect on environmental issues such as climate change. However, Benedict XVI is expected to cover these subjects in his next encyclical on social themes.