It’s pretty clear that the concept of the “civilization of love” grew out of the Popes’ desire to answer the call of Gaudium et Spes. That document was groundbreaking in the historic shift that took place at Vatican II. It challenged the church to engage in dialogue with modern society rather than impose doctrine on it.
Although the term itself is not found in the document, the ideas, vocabulary, and outlines used by the popes are. Gaudium et Spes opens with “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age… are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.” It goes on to proclaim the dignity of every human person in its first two chapters.
This enables Christians to work with other persons of good will for the common good. Although the church acts as a kind of soul for the human community, it allows and encourages each nation and region to adapt the Gospel to its particular culture.
In its second half, Gaudium et Spes examines urgent problems in modern society. It begins with the benefits and dangers of modern technology. It addresses the need to view the family as the basic and most critical social unit. It decries the separation of rich and poor in the economy, laments the deep divisions in our social communities, and worries about politicians canceling poverty programs and accepting continual war.
When reading what any of the popes since Vatican II wrote about a civilization of love, I can imagine them having a copy of Gaudium et Spes before them. They employ the same ideas, echo the same concerns, and address the same problems. I come away thinking this 1965 document could be written today. It addresses the same issues we are facing.
As I reread it recently, I found its advocacy for some kind of international agencies to promote good policies and regulate poor ones interesting. I can’t remember anyone making anything of it at the time. Yet sixty years later, Pope Leo and others see the wisdom in this for managing the artificial intelligence problem.
It’s also worth noting that many rigid conservative Roman Catholics regard Gaudium et Spes, Vatican II, and every pope since as heretical. They believe Jesus instituted an imperial church whose job is to exert divine authority in the world.
Some very powerful right-wing politicians in our present world reject these ideas for a different reason. They regard them as naïve and even dangerous. They implicitly deny the dignity of every person when they argue that the elite should be given the freedom to do as they please because their accomplishments bring progress that eventually benefits the rest of us.
Both positions reject the vision at the heart of Gaudium et Spes: that human dignity belongs to everyone and that we are responsible for working together for the common good.
Vatican II has proven to be a milestone in the history of the Church. Gaudium et Spes articulates why. “Civilization of love” might well be one of its most important contributions.
