Benedict's First Encyclical is Due This Month

Since word leaked that he was working on it, I have been looking forward to the new pope's first encyclical. Traditionally, the first encyclical is programmatic, which is of particular interest to me because I had made a prediction before the conclave as to what we could expect from the next pope(s) by looking at the Church's 150-year renewal project in the analytical context of a system for integrating disruptive change, such as Vatican II. Some of what may be in store:

Deus Caritas Est is reportedly a document of about 40 pages. By tradition a papal encyclical takes its title from the first words of the text; thus it appears that the Pope begins with a quote from the Epistle of St. John (4:8). The document is said to be a deeply theological meditation on the centrality of Christ, divine love and human love; but the text also speaks at length about the concrete expression of love in charitable action.

(cap tip: Catholic Report)