When the pope expresses an opinion, the reaction of the people of the world invariably ranges from unconditional agreement to automatic rejection - and everywhere in between. It was no different yesterday as world opinion filtered in on Pope Benedict XVI's new encyclical letter, "Caritas in Veritate" (Charity in Truth).

Charity in this sense refers to love of humanity, not simply a handout. The letter is a comprehensive analysis of global economic conditions, expressed in the light of historic Catholic Church teachings on social justice, human dignity, personal development, charity and truth.

Some will reject it simply because it was written by the pope. Some of that will be anti-Catholic biases, and some will be convinced that the pope should stick to faith and morals and leave economics to the experts.

Others will accept the letter in parts, quoting those sections that support their political or social agendas, while ignoring the parts they don't like. The political left might embrace the comments about redistribution of wealth, but ignore the statement about the usefulness of profit as a motive.

The political right might celebrate the pontiff's call for a reform of the United Nations, but shudder at the suggestion that there is a need for a "true world political authority" to "manage the global economy."

Regardless of one's political bent, there is plenty in this document that should challenge and provoke deep thought and discussion.

Ultimately, that is what "Caritas in Veritate" means to accomplish.

It states: "The current crisis obliges us to re-plan our journey, to set ourselves new rules and to discover new forms of commitment, to build on positive experiences and to reject negative ones. The crisis thus becomes an opportunity for discernment, in which to shape a new vision for the future."

Who can argue with that? Only the few who think there is nothing wrong with our current world financial and economic system, and that we need only to leave it alone and let it run its course. Even if one believes nothing should be changed, shouldn't we at least re-evaluate before we reach that conclusion?

Beyond the debatable practical suggestions in the letter - and some might argue there is too little that is practical and actionable - there is an overriding theme that hopefully we can all take to heart, regardless of our role in society or faith tradition:

We all have a higher calling than our station in life might dictate.

Corporate management needs to look out for its shareholders, unions must advocate for their members, elected officials must answer to their constituents, and we all have responsibilities that can't be ignored. But in addition to those considerations, there should be a macro dimension to the decisions we make and the institutions we create.

That dimension is referred to by Pope Benedict as the "common good," a concept that is embodied in our own Declaration of Independence and Constitution. We are more connected and interdependent than any time in world history. The pope is suggesting that we raise the level of our discourse, understand the consequences of our decisions, and act in a spirit of charity.

I'm listening.

Alvin Clay is CEO of Davidson Trust Company in Devon, and a permanent deacon for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He can be reached with comments about his column at ClayGoodBiz@comcast.net.