146
Christians, their pastors included, are called to
show concern for the building of a better world.
This is essential, for the Churchâs social thought
is primarily positive: it offers proposals, it works
for change and in this sense it constantly points
to the hope born of the loving heart of Jesus
Christ. At the same time, it unites âits own com-
mitment to that made in the social field by other
Churches and Ecclesial Communities, whether at
the level of doctrinal reflection or at the practical
levelâ.
151
184.âThis is not the time or the place to ex-
amine in detail the many grave social questions
affecting todayâs world, some of which I have
dealt with in the second chapter. This Exhorta-
tion is not a social document, and for reflection
on those different themes we have a most suita-
ble tool in the
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of
the Church
, whose use and study I heartily recom-
mend. Furthermore, neither the Pope nor the
Church have a monopoly on the interpretation
of social realities or the proposal of solutions to
contemporary problems. Here I can repeat the
insightful observation of Pope Paul VI: âIn the
face of such widely varying situations, it is diffi-
cult for us to utter a unified message and to put
forward a solution which has universal validity.
This is not our ambition, nor is it our mission.
151
âP
ontifical
C
ouncil
for
J
ustice and
P
eace
,
Compendi-
um of the Social Doctrine of the Church
, 12.
