Stabile on "Evangelii Gaudium and Catholic Legal Theory"

Susan's remarks on Evangelii Gaudium fit nicely with Michael Moreland's earlier talk on "Pope Francis and the Project of Catholic Legal Theory."  A crucial starting point:  Our work to develop a Catholic Legal Theory is not and cannot be separate from the Great Commission, from the mission of evangelization to which all Christians, like the Church, are called.

Susan starts with the word "joy" -- which appears more than 100 times in the document -- and reminds us that Pope Francis has insisted that all we do as Christians -- and this would include the development and study of Catholic Legal Theory -- must be animated by joy.  This is relevant to questions, for example, about how we do what we do.  Relatedly, we are called to be "beacons of hope in troubled times."

Also, it's not enough to learn or write about Christ; it is essential to encounter Him.  Another theme in the document is the communal, and not only the solitary, nature of that encounter.  So, do we Catholic legal scholars do all that we can and should to collaborate and cooperate?  Additionally, "who do we speak to, and how?"  We cannot speak only to ourselves, in small circles of friends.  We have to run the risks that come with face-to-face encounters with others, and the risks of suffering that can come as a result of personal attacks, and the risks of the distortion that will sometimes hamstring our efforts.

Another, unifying or overarching, theme:  Mercy, as the greatest of the virtues.  Justice is part of the picture, and must be tempered by mercy.