Pope Benedict's third Encyclical coming

Pope Benedict will soon finish his encyclical on social issues, the Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone has confirmed.

Catholic News Agency reports Cardinal Bertone said the Pope is working on a social encyclical, which he believes will have a "significant impact on the great social and economic problems in the contemporary world".

"Pope Benedict will address issues particularly related to the third and the fourth world," Cardinal Bertone said

The concept of the "fourth world" was coined by Pope John Paul II in his social encyclical Sollicitudo Rei Socialis in reference to the poor and marginalized living in developed countries.

While Cardinal Bertone gave no clue as to when the document will be released, unnamed sources from the Vatican said the third encyclical of Pope Benedict would be signed on the feast of St Joseph on 19 March and released during Easter.

"The encyclical will focus on international social problems, with special attention to developing countries," he said.