Denver Catholic

a responsibility toward one another. We cannot simply sit back and let large-scale institutions and systems address problems in abstract ways. Pope Benedict XVI points out that, "In real- ity, institutions by themselves are not enough, because integral human development is primar- ily a vocation, and therefore it involves a free assumption of responsibility in solidarity on the part of everyone" (Caritas in Veritate, 11). Society's pursuit of the common good means working together to ensure that everyone has access to goods and services such as medical care, education and emergency assistance. If society is rightly ordered to the true fulfill- ment of the human person, respecting the family and local community, while serving those in need, the fruit of peace will follow. We tend to think of peace as the absence of conflict, but St. Augustine sees it more appropriately as the tran- quility of order. The same is true on the international level, which should follow the same general principles of human rights, justice and mutual cooperation for the common good. All human beings are bound together by a shared nature — created by God and directed toward the same end of hap- piness in him. As within a given society, forceful interventions are sometimes necessary to pre- vent harm to others, so, on the level of interna- tional affairs, war may be necessary as a means of self-defense when all other options have been exhausted. Nations, however, bear the respon- sibility of promoting peace throughout the world. As Pope Leo XIV has pointed out recently, technological advancements in automation require further attention to ensure that the fate of human life is not subject to impersonal algo- rithms (Magnifica Humanitas, 197-200). Catholic Social Teaching draws upon timeless truths related to the human person, family and society and applies them to the changing circum- stances of the day. Although it articulates princi- ples that anyone could access through reason, it still finds its ultimate illumination in God himself. You cannot truly understand the human person, human relationships or the economy without God. The world might determine the best way to maximize efficiency and production, but it cannot know what work is for and how it fits into the goal of human life without reference to its true origin and end. The conviction that this world is passing away helps us to make the best use of it as a means of loving others and working with them to build a civilization of love. POPE BENEDICT XVI'S encyclical Caritas in Veritate explores integral human development, emphasizing that authentic progress must be rooted in charity and truth. 10 OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2026 | DENVER CATHOLIC

• Cover