This is a very significant development, without a doubt. Preliminary analyses of the encyclical can be found here, on Democracy Now!.
But I have to disagree with Nathan Schneider when he says "Catholics don't divide our faith between the private and the public", which anyone can see, by the Catholic Republicans in the US bending over backwards to marginalize Francis, is complete bull honkey. The whole point of humbling yourself to an imaginary God is that you can partition it off from the rest of your life. Humbling yourself before a huge, dangerous thing for which some evidence exists is a tad more complicated and scary, and I have to give props to Francis for at least the lip service.
I'm in the midst of writing a paper, so I don't have time to go into this at any length, but I also have to point out that a criticism of capitalism from the Vatican is about as convincing as a criticism of meat farming from a Monsanto soybean grower. Still, if he can put his hands to the work of his words, then all is good.
Hi Nick! I've met you over on Tim's blog. This is great stuff! I will keep it civil, but take you up on the free use of heartfelt language: fuck Monsanto... Their corporate headquarters are on the campus where I teach literature. So depressing.
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