social teachings of the church

CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING:

COMPRISE THOSE ASPECTS

OF THE CATHOLIC DOCTRINE

WHICH RELATE TO MATTERS DEALING WITH

THE COLLECTIVE ASPECT OF HUMANITY.

RERUM NOVARUM LEO XIII 1891

LETTER TO ALL BISHOPS THAT ADDRESSED THE CONDITION OF THE WORKING CLASS.

RN DISCUSSED THE FOLLOWING: SOCIAL, POLITICAL & ECONOMIC ORDERS CONDITIONED BY CAPITALISM AND SOCIALISM

WHAT IS THE MORAL GOOD OF THE SOCIETY?

RN SUPPORTED THE RIGHTS OF LABOR TO FORM UNIONS AND

AFFIRMED PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS.

DISCUSSED THE PROBLEMS RAISED BY

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

CAPITALISM INDIVIDUALISM:

PROMOTES UNRESTRICTED EXERCISE OF INDIVIDUAL GOALS

AND DESIRES

SOCIALISM

COLLECTIVISM: THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS.

SOCIETY AS A WHOLE HAS MORE MEANING OR VALUE THAN SEPARATE

INDIVIDUALS THAT MAKE UP THE SOCIETY.

BEGINNING OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING:

THOMISTIC APPROACH RELATIONAL ANTHROPOLOGY

RECOGNIZED THE LEGITIMACY

AND THE NEED FOR PARTICIPATION BY ALL IN

PRIVATE PROPERTY

QUADRAGESIMO ANNO PIUS XI 1931

"ON THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SOCIAL ORDER“

QA EXPANDED ON RERUM NOVARUM,

NOTES THE POSITIVE

EFFECT OF THE EARLIER

DOCUMENT BUT POINTING OUT THAT THE WORLD

HAD CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE

POPE LEO'S TIME.

A RESPONSE TO THE GREAT DEPRESSION

IT CALLS FOR THE

ESTABLISHMENT OF A SOCIAL ORDER BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITY

QA REITERATED RN’S DEFENCE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS

AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING,

AND REPEATED HIS CONTENTION THAT

BLIND ECONOMIC FORCES CANNOT CREATE A JUST SOCIETY ON THEIR OWN

QA SUPPORTED STATE INTERVENTION TO MEDIATE LABOR-MANAGEMENT CONFLICTS

AND INTRODUCED THE CONCEPT OF SUBSIDIARITY INTO CATHOLIC THOUGHT.

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SOCIAL ORDER BASED ON CORPORATIST PRINCIPLES

BRINGS TOGETHER UNDER BROADER CORPORATION:

CAPITAL, OWNERS, WORKERS, CONSUMERS

TO WORK FOR THE GOOD OF THE INDUSTRY, THUS OVERCOMING DIVISION BETWEEN LABOR AND CAPITAL

MATER ET MAGISTRA JOHN XXIII 1961

"CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIAL PROGRESS"

EXPANDED THE CHURCH'S SOCIAL DOCTRINE

TO COVER THE RELATIONS BETWEEN RICH AND

POOR NATIONS,

EXAMINING THE OBLIGATION OF RICH COUNTRIES

TO ASSIST POOR COUNTRIES WHILE RESPECTING THEIR PARTICULAR CULTURES.

AFFIRMING THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH AS A TEACHER AND AS A NURTURING GUARDIAN

OF THE POOR AND OPPRESSED…

MM CALLS FOR A GREATER AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR ALL PEOPLES

TO LIVE AS ONE COMMUNITY WITH A

COMMON GOOD.

SPECIAL ATTENTION IS FOCUSED ON THE PLIGHT OF

THE FARMERS AND FARM WORKERS IN DEPRESSED RURAL,

AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIES.

BEST REMEBERED FOR INSISTENCE ON SOCIALIZATION

INTERDEPENDENCE OF

CITIZENS AND STATE INTERVENTION

BECAUSE ONLY THE STATE CAN DEAL WITH THE

ALL EMBRACING ISSUES

RECOGNIZES THE RIGHT TO PRIVATE PROPERTY BUT INSISTS ON THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF PROPERTY

PACEM IN TERRIS JOHN XXIII 1963

COVERS THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF

RELATIONS BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS, BETWEEN THE

INDIVIDUAL AND THE COMMUNITY,

AND BETWEEN NATIONS.

AFFIRMS THE

INVIOLABILITY OF HUMAN RIGHTS.

PEACE, BASED ON MUTUAL TRUST, CAN BE WELL-FOUNDED ONLY IF BASED ON UNITY

OF RIGHT ORDER IN HUMAN AFFAIRS ARISING FROM A

GENUINE RESPECT FOR AND ADHERENCE TO THE

LAW OF GOD

DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS ENCYCLICAL

A. HUMAN RIGHTS

ANY HUMAN SOCIETY, IF IT IS TO BE WELL-ORDERED AND PRODUCTIVE, MUST LAY DOWN AS A FOUNDATION THIS

PRINCIPLE:

NAMELY, THAT EVERY HUMAN BEING IS A PERSON, THAT IS, HIS NATURE IS ENDOWED WITH INTELLIGENCE AND

FREE WILL.

INDEED, PRECISELY BECAUSE HE IS A PERSON HE HAS RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS FLOWING

DIRECTLY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM HIS VERY NATURE.

AND AS THESE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS ARE UNIVERSAL

AND INVIOLABLE SO THEY CANNOT IN ANY WAY BE SURRENDERED.

B. DIALOGUE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST ABOUT THE DISASTROUS ARMS RACE AND WAR

TO CALL NOT ONLY FOR AN END TO THE ARMS RACE,

BUT REGULATION OF HUMAN AFFAIRS FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL HUMANITY,

AND A RECONCILIATION BETWEEN EAST AND WEST.

TO CALL FOR RECONCILIATION AND AUTHENTIC DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE COMMUNISTIC AND CAPITALIST SYSTEMS.

C. DISTINGUISHES FALSE IDEOLOGICAL TEACHINGS AND MOVEMENTS AND ADDRESSES SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES.

HE CONSTANTLY ARGUED THAT ALL ARE ONE HUMAN FAMILY,

AND THAT OUR COMMONALITY SHOULD OVERRIDE DIFFERENCES, OR AT LEAST BE THE BASIS FOR DIALOGUE.

HE STRESSED A NEED FOR STRUCTURAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND A MORAL IMPERATIVE FOR CHRISTIANS AND MEN AND

WOMEN OF GOODWILL TO SERVE THE POOR.

GAUDIUM ET SPES VATICAN II 1965

PASTORAL CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH IN THE MODERN WORLD

ADDRESSES THE REAL CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS FACED BY CHRISTIANS LIVING IN THE MODERN AGE

AND CALLS FOR A DEVELOPMENT BASED ON AN UNQUALIFIED ACCEPTANCE

OF THE INHERENT DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON.

CALLS FOR A NEW SENSE OF SERVICE BY THE CHURCH IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD.

INCORPORATES MANY METHODOLOGICAL SHIFTS

DEALS WITH THE CHURCH’S

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD

LAMENTS THE SHIFT BETWEEN

FAITH AND DAILY LIFE

THE JOYS AND THE HOPES, THE GRIEF AND THE ANXIETIES OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS AGE,

ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE POOR OR IN ANY WAY AFFLICTED, THESE ARE THE JOYS AND HOPES, THE GRIEF AND ANXIETIES

OF THE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST. (#1)

THUS, IN LANGUAGE INTELLIGIBLE TO EACH GENERATION, SHE CAN RESPOND TO THE PERENNIAL QUESTIONS

WHICH MEN ASK ABOUT THIS PRESENT LIFE AND THE LIFE TO COME, AND ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP OF ONE ANOTHER. (#4)

THE CHURCH HAS ALWAYS HAD THE DUTY OF SCRUTINIZING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES

AND OF INTERPRETING THEM IN THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL.

DIGNITATIS HUMANAE VATICAN II 1965

DECLARATION ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

ALL PERSONS HAVE A RIGHT TO RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, A RIGHT WITH ITS FOUNDATION

IN THE ESSENTIAL DIGNITY OF EACH HUMAN BEING.

THE HIGHEST NORM OF HUMAN LIFE IS THE

DIVINE LAW AND TRUTH, BUT IT CAN ONLY BE

SOUGHT AFTER IN THE PROPER AND

FREE MANNER…

…WITH THE AID OF TEACHING OR INSTRUCTION,

COMMUNICATION & DIALOGUE,

AND IT MUST BE ADHERED TO BY PERSONAL ASSENT.

AS SUCH A COMMUNITY, AND IN FACT A SOCIETY

IN ITS OWN ORIGINAL RIGHT,

HAS THE RIGHT TO LIVE ITS OWN DOMESTIC RELIGIOUS LIFE IN FREEDOM,

IN PARTICULAR THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.

POPULORUM PROGRESSIO PAUL VI 1967

ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLES

CALLING ATTENTION TO THE WORSENING

MARGINALIZATION OF THE POOR,

PAUL VI PRESENTS THE VARIOUS

DIMENSIONS OF AN INTEGRAL HUMAN

DEVELOPMENT AND THE NECESSARY

CONDITIONS FOR GROWTH IN THE

SOLIDARITY OF PEOPLES.

ONLY WITH AN ACCOMPANYING THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON:

LIBERATION FROM INJUSTICE AND GENUINE HUMAN VALUES

CAN THERE BE TRUE DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS A MORE HUMAN CONDITION.

DEVELOPMENT (PERSONAL & SOCIAL):

IS THE NEW NAME FOR PEACE

EMPHASES:

UNIVERSAL DESTINY OF THE GOODS OF CREATION

GROWING GAP BETWEEN THE RICH AND POOR NATIONS

THE NEED FOR JUSTICE TO GOVERN WORLD TRADE.

OCTOGESIMA ADVENIENS PAUL VI 1971

A CALL TO ACTION

A CALL TO ACTION FOR CHRISTIANS

TO PARTICIPATE AND CONTRIBUTE

IN SOLVING THE PROBLEMS FACING INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES

AND THE WORLD

REALIZING THE NEED FOR A GENUINE RENEWAL

IN DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL

SOCIETAL STRUCTURES .

PAUL VI CALLS ON CHRISTIANS TO LIVE UP

TO THE DUTY OF PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL AND

POLITICAL REFORM AS A WAY OF

DISCOVERING THE TRUTH AND LIVING OUT THE

GOSPEL.

JUSTICE IN THE WORLD

JUSTICIA IN MUNDO SYNOD OF BISHOPS 1971

THE BISHOPS DECLARE THAT:

ACTION IN THE PURSUIT OF JUSTICE

AND PARTICIPATION IN THE

TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORLD…

…ARE CONSTITUTIVE

ELEMENTS IN THE CHURCH'S MISSION OF

PREACHING THE GOSPEL.

CALL FOR SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL CHANGE BASED ON: JUSTICE AND UNIVERSAL SOLIDARITY

RECOGNIZES THE NEED FOR THE CHURCH TO BEAR WITNESS TO JUSTICE IN ITS OWN LIFE:

SO THAT IT CAN BE CREDIBLE IN ITS CALL FOR JUSTICE IN THE WORLD

EVANGELII NUNTIANDI PAUL VI 1975

ON EVANGELIZATION IN THE MODERN WORLD

DEALS WITH THE BROADER QUESTIONS OF EVANGELIZATION

INSISTS THAT WORKING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE

MEANING OF THE GOSPEL

EVANGELIZATION INVOLVES AN EXPLICIT MESSAGE RELEVANT TO DIFFERENT LIFE SITUATIONS:

RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF EVERY HUMAN BEING FAMILY LIFE: PERSONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT LIFE IN THE SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL LIFE, PEACE, JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT LIBERATION

LABOREM EXERCENS POPE JOHN PAUL II 1981

ON HUMAN WORK

A REFLECTION ON THE MEANING OF

HUMAN WORK, WHICH POPE JOHN PAUL II

CONSIDERS TO BE “A KEY TO THE WHOLE SOCIAL

QUESTION...”

THIS DOCUMENT LOOKS AT SOCIAL TEACHING

IN THE LIGHT OF THE CONCEPT OF WORK,

THAN IN FORMULATING NEW NORMS FOR A CHANGED SOCIAL

SITUATION.

EXHORTING CHRISTIANS EVERYWHERE

TO BE INVOLVED IN THE TRANSFORMATION

OF EXISTING SOCIO-ECONOMIC SYSTEMS.

JOHN PAUL II PRESENTS WORK AS A

FUNDAMENTAL DIMENSION OF HUMAN

EXISTENCE THROUGH WHICH THE "SOCIAL QUESTION" MUST BE

VIEWED.

THE MEANING OF WORK CAN ONLY BE

PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD WHEN THE DIGNITY OF LABOR IS TAKEN AS AN UNDERLYING PREMISE.

THE PRINCIPLE OF THE PRIORITY OF LABOR OVER

CAPITAL:

THE SUBJECTIVE ASPECT OF WORK IS SUPERIOR

TO THE OBJECTIVE ASPECT OF WORK.

MAN IS THE EFFICIENT

CAUSE IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCTION,

CAPITAL IS THE MERE

INSTRUMENT OR INSTRUMENTAL CAUSE.”

SOLLICITUDO REI SOCIALIS

POPE JOHN PAUL II 1987

ON SOCIAL CONCERNS

EXPANDING ON THE NOTION OF DEVELOPMENT

IN PP, POPE JOHN PAUL II REVIEWS

THE STATE OF WORLD DEVELOPMENT

IN THE PAST TWO DECADES.

EMPHASIZES THE MORAL NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT

LEADING HUMANITY TO THE "FULLNESS OF BEING".

EMPHASIZES THE EMERGING WORLD OF THE SOUTH

CRITICIZES THE OPPOSING BLOCS

WEST: LIBERAL CAPITALISM

EAST: MARXIST COLLECTIVISM

THE RIVALRY IMPEDES THE GROWTH OR DEVELOPMENT OF DEVELOPING AND

UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRIES IN THE SOUTH

CENTESIMUS ANNUS POPE JOHN PAUL II 1991

100TH YEAR

THE NEW SOURCE OF ECONOMIC AFFLUENCE IS

NO LONGER LAND. IT IS NOT EVEN "CAPITAL",

IN THE SENSE OF ACCUMULATION

OF MONEY, BUT THE COMBINATION

OF NEW SKILLS AND TALENTS.

THESE SKILLS INCLUDE THE KNOWLEDGE OF NEW

TECHNOLOGIES, AND ALSO ENTREPRENEURSHIP, ACUMEN

IN MARKETING AND THE ABILITY TO ORGANIZE THE WORK OF MANY PEOPLE

EFFECTIVELY, THAT IS TO SAY: PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT.

SUCH TALENTS NEED BE HONED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE

VIRTUES, INCLUDING DILIGENCE, INDUSTRIOUSNESS,

RELIABILITY, FIDELITY AND COURAGE. (C.A. 32)