Pope Benedict to issue second encyclical

Pope Benedict XVI has completed his second encyclical, a meditation on Christian hope, Vatican sources have said.

The text, tentatively titled "Spe Salvi" ("Saved by Hope") comes from St. Paul's letter to the Romans, in which he wrote: "For in hope we have been saved.”

The encyclical is said to explore the Christian understanding of hope, with reference to modern philosophy and the challenges of disbelief, Catholic News Service reported.

The Pope published his first encyclical in late 2006. Titled "Deus Caritas Est" ("God Is Love"), it called for a deeper understanding of love as a gift from God to be shared in a self-sacrificial way.

"Confronted by today's changing and complex panorama, the virtue of hope is subject to harsh trials in the community of believers,” Pope Benedict said.

“For this very reason, we must be apostles who are filled with hope and joyful trust in God's promises.

“God never abandons his people and is alive and active in the world.”