Vatican City, Jul 5, 2013 / 12:28 pm
A Vatican archbishop believes that the first encyclical issued by Pope Francis provides an "introduction" to the Pontiff's teaching and pastoral style.
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, described "The Light of Faith" as "Pope Francis' own contribution that he wants to offer to the new evangelization."
He said that the encyclical – which is titled "Lumen Fidei" in Latin – is "distinctive" to Pope Francis, although much of its initial draft was written by the former Pope, Benedict XVI.
"Lumen Fidei, while recovering some insights and some content of the teaching of Benedict XVI, is totally a text of Pope Francis," the archbishop said at the Holy See's press office during the encyclical's release on July 5.