Regarding our Holy Father’s first encyclical, it has been said that it has surprised everybody, earning a superlative 11/10 (the bonus point is for humour — a real papal first!).

After you read it — Deus Caritas Est (God is Love) [PDF version] — enjoy this streaming-audio discussion from The Religion Report (1 February 2006) , featuring renowned theologian Charles E. Curran and journalist Rocco Palmo of Whispers in the Loggia and The Tablet.

Further discussion is presented on Against the Grain:

• Reactions & Commentary
• Crittenden, Curran, Palmo on Deus Caritas Est
• Fr. Neuhaus’ commentary

See also: Traductore traditore: Blowing the whistle on love.

Many thanks to Rocco Palmo of Whispers in the Loggia for alerting me to this article by Andrea Tornielli in Il Giornale:

The Pope wants to remove the excommunication
on the followers of Lefebvre.

Things are moving in relations between the Fraternity of St. Pius X [SSPX] and the Vatican: the Pope wishes soon to bring down the excommunication which was levied on the leaders of the group founded by Archbishop Lefebvre, which comprises four bishops, 480 priests and hundreds of thousands of faithful throughout the world. It’s really moving: the morning of Monday, 13 February, at 10.30, Benedict XVI has called a meeting in the Apostolic Palace with the cardinal-heads of the Vatican “ministries” [i.e. the heads of the Congregations and relevant Pontifical Councils], for the purpose of discussing some possibilities of removing the excommunications of the bishops who were ordained by Archbishop Lefebvre in 1988 without the permission of the Vatican.

Tornielli confirms that … the Pope is “intentioned to render less problematic the old manner of celebrating [liturgy] to the groups of the faithful who request it.”

Addendum:

• Whispers in the Loggia has a followup critical commentary.