First encyclical to explain the true nature of love

POPE BENEDICT said yesterday his long-awaited first encyclical will be published next week and he hopes it can show Christians the proper relationship between erotic love and spiritual love.

He told pilgrims at his weekly general audience that the encyclical, called Deus Caritas Est (God is Love), will be published on January 25 to coincide with a week in which the Catholic Church prays for Christian unity.

“In this encyclical, I want to show the concept of love in its various dimensions,” he said, speaking without prepared remarks to make the surprise announcement.