The second Encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI develops an upto- date vision of Christian hope. The present paper presents, in the first place, a general sight of the present theological context of hope: an active hope centered on Jesus’ Paschal mystery, as an anticipation of God’s future that engages us with history’s crucified people. In a second place, it offers a reading of the document on hope in the perspective of a sound dialectic with illustrated modernity. Finally, it shows how active hope is an impulse that motivates the Fifth General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean.