CARITAS IN VERITATE

The Church has no technical solutions to offer and does not pretend in the least to interfere in the politics of States. She does, however, have a mission of truth to fulfill, at all times and in all contingencies, for a society on the scale of man, of his dignity, of his vocation. Without truth one falls into an empirical and sceptical vision of life, unable to rise above praxis, because it is not interested in grasping the values - sometimes not even the meanings - with which to judge and guide it. Fidelity to man demands fidelity to the truth, which alone is a guarantee of freedom and the possibility of integral human development. For this reason the Church searches for it, announces it tirelessly and recognizes it wherever it appears. This mission of truth is indispensable for the Church. Her social doctrine is the singular moment of this proclamation: it is service to the truth that liberates. Open to the truth, from whatever knowledge comes, the social doctrine of the Church welcomes it, composes in unity the fragments in which she often finds it, and mediates it in the ever new life of the society of men and peoples". (From the Introduction)