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I can't logically conclude anything else.

Well of of course not, dear Quix, given your premises. Among your premises seems to be a deep suspicion of and distaste for all things RC, and the stubborn idea that the Pope is a political figure, with global political designs. That he was writing to indoctrinate Catholics into acceptance of the New World Order he's allegedly trying to bring about, which explains why he is colluding with the Powers That Be who are trying to seat the "World Teacher" Maitreya on some throne in Jerusalem. Yep. Pope Benedict and Maitreya are best buds. Is that about the size of it, dear brother in Christ?

Well, obviously I do not see it that way. Instead, I'll take Pope Benedict XVI at his word. This is his motive in writing Caritas et Veritate:

The Church does not have technical solutions to offer and does not claim to interfere in any way in the politics of States. She does, however, have a mission of truth to accomplish, in every time and circumstance, for a society that is attuned to man, to his dignity, to his vocation. Without truth, it is easy to fall into an empiricist and sceptical view of life, incapable of rising to the level of praxis because of a lack of interest in grasping the values — sometimes even the meanings — with which to judge and direct it. Fidelity to man requires fidelity to the truth, which alone is the guarantee of freedom (cf. Jn 8:32) and of the possibility of integral human development. For this reason the Church searches for truth, proclaims it tirelessly and recognizes it wherever it is manifested. This mission of truth is something that the Church can never renounce. Her social doctrine is a particular dimension of this proclamation: it is a service to the truth which sets us free. Open to the truth, from whichever branch of knowledge it comes, the Church's social doctrine receives it, assembles into a unity the fragments in which it is often found, and mediates it within the constantly changing life-patterns of the society of peoples and nations. [Itals in the original]

Some definitions might be helpful.

Praxis is a Mediaeval Latin noun from the Greek prassein, to do or practice. Praxis means: a: exercise or practice of an art, science, or skill; b: customary practice or conduct; and 2: practical application of a theory.

The word "integral" seems to give many readers a good deal of difficulty. Especially when he connects the word with "development." But this is what these words mean to Pope Benedict:

In 1967, when he issued the Encyclical Populorum Progressio, my venerable predecessor Pope Paul VI illuminated the great theme of the development of peoples with the splendour of truth and the gentle light of Christ's charity. He taught that life in Christ is the first and principal factor of development and he entrusted us with the task of travelling the path of development with all our heart and all our intelligence, that is to say with the ardour of charity and the wisdom of truth. It is the primordial truth of God's love, grace bestowed upon us, that opens our lives to gift and makes it possible to hope for a “development of the whole man and of all men," to hope for progress “from less human conditions to those which are more human," obtained by overcoming the difficulties that are inevitably encountered along the way.

A little later on, he reflects on "...the meaning of politics, and the danger constituted by utopian and ideological visions that place its ethical and human dimensions in jeopardy."

"These are matters closely connected with development. Unfortunately the negative ideologies continue to flourish. Paul VI had already warned against the technocratic ideology so prevalent today, fully aware of the great danger of entrusting the entire process of development to technology alone, because in that way it would lack direction. Technology, viewed in itself, is ambivalent. If on the one hand, some today would be inclined to entrust the entire process of development to technology, on the other hand we are witnessing an upsurge of ideologies that deny in toto the very value of development, viewing it as radically anti-human and merely a source of degradation. This leads to a rejection, not only of the distorted and unjust way in which progress is sometimes directed, but also of scientific discoveries themselves, which, if well used, could serve as an opportunity of growth for all. The idea of a world without development indicates a lack of trust in man and in God. It is therefore a serious mistake to undervalue human capacity to exercise control over the deviations of development or to overlook the fact that man is constitutionally oriented towards “being more.” [I.e., he knows of, and finds his fulfillment in Christ.] Idealizing technical progress, or contemplating the utopia of a return to humanity's original natural state, are two contrasting ways of detaching progress from its moral evaluation and hence from our responsibility."

His Holiness Pope Benedict the XVI is a world-class philosopher and profound cultural analyst who is very much aware of the contentious issues of our age, so many of which he illuminates in this splendid Encyclical.

And yet you still want to reduce it to a "political statement!"

Oh well, different strokes for different folks I guess.

May God bless us all!