Rome — Kishore Jayabalan, Director of the Rome office of the Acton Institute, a Catholic economics and social-justice think tank, spoke to me about the new papal encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, shortly after its release this morning here.

KATHRYN JEAN LOPEZ: Was there anything new or surprising the pope said about labor unions?

KISHORE JAYABALAN: Not in the context of Catholic social teaching. Pope Benedict says unions “have always been encouraged and supported by the Church.” But he adds that unions should be “open to new perspectives that are emerging in the world of work,” and that:

The Church’s traditional teaching makes a valid distinction between the respective roles and functions of trade unions and politics. This distinction allows unions to identify civil society [rather than the state] as the proper setting for their necessary activity of defending and promoting labor, especially on behalf of exploited and unrepresented workers, whose woeful condition is often ignored by the distracted eye of society.

I take this to mean that he is against the politicization of unions and especially against “closed” shops. Unions are legitimate expressions of free association in civil society so long as they do not use violence or intimidation to enlist new members or as a negotiating tool.

LOPEZ: How about unemployment?

JAYABALAN: Again, I think the pope reiterates the principles of Catholic social teaching, that labor is not and should not be in conflict with capital, but he also recognizes that globalization and immigration have changed the picture somewhat. He argues in favor of “decent” work, i.e., work reflects human dignity by being freely chosen and allowing families to meet their needs. His European, social-democratic side seems to come out when he speaks of the “goal of access to steady employment for everyone” — though he doesn’t tell us how this should be done or who is responsible for it.

With regard to the current crisis, he writes, “Being out of work or dependent on public or private assistance for a prolonged period undermines the freedom and creativity of the person and his family and social relationships, causing great psychological and spiritual suffering,” so he also recognizes the problems caused by “the dole.”

LOPEZ: Obviously the topic of ethics and the economy resonates with people today. What can a Catholic take away from the new encyclical when it comes to his lost job, the stimulus, or government takeovers?

JAYABALAN: It’s hard to summarize such a long and complex document into a lesson or two, but I’ll try. First is the absolute importance of Truth to our understanding of charity, efficiency, and economics. For Catholics, this means the Church’s fundamental theological and moral teachings, which should be received as gifts rather than burdens, as difficult as they may seem to us. The Church’s theological understanding of charity and justice should make all Catholics feel responsible for each other and think and act accordingly. This is the real meaning of solidarity.

LOPEZ: What can the non-Catholic learn from the encyclical?

JAYABALAN: He doesn’t distinguish between Catholics and non-Catholics in the encyclical but calls all of us to broaden our use of reason beyond the merely technical or scientific. Benedict also recalls the limited nature of the state and its inability to provide the most important thing — love.

As Benedict argues in his previous encyclicals, as well as the current one, the state is no replacement for the family or the church: The state cannot love us — and it would be a scary thing even if it could.

Even where the state does have some responsibilities, it may obey the principle of subsidiarity — that is, let individuals, families, churches, businesses, and local communities handle their own problems first. This is the setting for the pope’s call for fraternity and a vibrant, diverse civil society.

LOPEZ: If you were on President Obama’s staff, how would you be prepping him for Friday, based on Caritas in Veritate?

JAYABALAN: I would tell the president that he needs to understand that the pope cannot and will not “dialogue” away his adherence to Truth, especially concerning non-negotiatable issues like abortion, marriage, and embryonic-stem-cell research. He’s willing to work with the U.S. and understands its importance to the world, but he also knows that his institution has been around for much longer than our country and he expects it to be around for much longer still. The pope’s concerns extend well beyond the borders of Vatican City and a four-year election cycle.