Madam, - In response to Brendan Butler's Rite and Reason article of July 3rd, may I make a few points?
While Pope Benedict may be "of the Augustinian tradition" he is no less an admirer of St Francis of Assisi. He writes in his book Jesus of Nazareth that "it is above all by looking at St Francis of Assisi that we see clearly what the words Kingdom of God mean" (page 79).
As for St Augustine, Pope Benedict quotes him as follows in his Encyclical God is Love: "A state which is not governed according to justice would be just a bunch of thieves" (section 28 [ a]).
Anyone trying to inform themselves of Catholic teaching on justice and charity could start by reading part II of the above Encyclical. The following quotations indicate the tone:
"Within the community of believers there can never be room for a poverty that denies anyone what is needed for a dignified life" (section 20). "The Church cannot neglect the service of charity any more than she can neglect the Sacraments and the Word" (section 22).
"For the Church charity is. . .an indispensable expression of her very being" (section 25(a)). "Building a just and civil order. . .is an essential task which every generation must take up anew" (section 28(a)). The Church "cannot and must not remain on the sideline in the fight for justice" (section 28(a)).
As for the opposition of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI to liberation theology being "inexplicable", a detailed explanation is contained in the Instruction on Certain Aspects of the Theology of Liberation issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith in 1984 (see Vatican website).
The instruction warns against "certain forms of liberation theology which use, in an insufficiently critical manner, concepts borrowed from various currents of Marxist thought".
Its preface also states that "more than ever, it is important that numerous Christians. . .become involved in the struggle for justice, freedom and human dignity because of their love for their disinherited, oppressed and persecuted brothers and sisters". - Yours, etc,
LEO CLEAR, Richmond Avenue, Monkstown, Co Dublin.