The article summarizes and critically analyzes the encyclical letter of Pope Benedict XVI “Deus Caritas est.” This document discusses “diaconia” in the Roman Catholic Church in view of its biblical and theological foundations, its characteristics, and the position of works of mercy within the general self-understanding of the church. In going beyond the text, the author emphasizes the political dimension of church-based charity, the need to respond to the challenge of the principle of solidarity by contemporary neoliberal tendencies, and the (...) relationship of the church to those employed in the service of her diaconia. (shrink)