Catholic Social Teaching

1
Catholic Social Teaching

• Timeline through the Documents

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Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, 1891(Of New Things)

• Context Industrial Revolution leads to
  exploiting workers.
• Message
• First comprehensive document of social justice.
• Defends workers rights based on natural law.
• Rights include work, private property, just wage,
  workers associations.

3
Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno, 1931(The Fortieth
Year)

• Context Fortieth anniversary of Rerum Novarum
  Great Depression underway dictatorships growing
  in Europe.
• Message
• States need to reform greedy capitalist systems
  to which they have become slaves.
• Communism dangerous because condones violence and
  abolishes private property.
• Labor and capital need each other.
• Workers need just wage to acquire private
  property.
• International economic cooperation urged.
• Principle of subsidiarity introduced.

4
John XXIII, Mater et Magistra, 1961(Mother and
Teacher)

• Context Science and technology advance in
  developed nations, while millions live in poverty
  in Third World.
• Message
• Disparity between rich and poor nations must be
  addressed.
• Arms race contributes to poverty.
• Economic imbalances cause threat to peace.
• Rich nations must help poor ones while respecting
  culture.
• Nations are interdependent and need to cooperate.
• Catholics should know social teaching and be
  active.

5
John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, 1963(Peace on Earth)

• Context Cold War, erection of Berlin Wall
  (1961), Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).
• Message
• Peace ensured through social rights and
  responsibilities-- between people between
  citizens and public authorities between states
  among nations.
• World needs to recognize rights of women.
• Arms race goes against justice, reason and human
  dignity.
• United Nations needs to be strengthened

6
Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, 1965(Church in the
Modern World)

• Context Continuing Cold War and arms race.
• Message
• Church is not separate from the world, but
  intimately intertwined with it.
• Assesses the rapid cultural changes and
  technological advances in the light of the
  Gospel.
• Overall warm and optimistic tone, but reflects
  pastoral concern for faith, family, transcendent
  destiny of man.

7
Paul VI, Octogesima Adveniens, 1971(The Coming
Eightieth Year)

• Context World verging on recession. In U.S.,
  see civil rights and womens movements, Vietnam
  war protests.
• Message
• Urbanization has presented problems, especially
  the new poor cities elderly, handicapped and
  marginalized.
• Discrimination continues based on race, color,
  sex, religion.
• Christians called to engage political process to
  address injustices, applying gospel principles.

8
Synod of Bishops, Justice in the World, 1971

• Context Political upheavals of 60s. Increased
  focus on liberation especially in Latin
  America.
• Message
• Structural injustices and oppression must be met
  by liberation rooted in justice. God is
  liberator of the oppressed.
• Church must speak on behalf of the oppressed, be
  a witness for justice.

9
Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, 1975(On
Evangelization in the Modern World)

• Context Rising atheistic secularism,
  consumerism, growing consciousness of evil of
  oppression.
• Message
• Evangelization crucial in a de-Christianized
  world.
• Witness of evangelization should permeate
  judgment, values, interests, thought, lifestyle.
• Evangelization includes challenging injustice and
  preaching liberation.

10
John Paul II, Laborem Exercens, 1981(On Human
Work)

• Context Great numbers of people are unemployed,
  migrant workers exploited. Both capitalist and
  communist systems exploiting the worker.
• Message
• Work is part of mans vocation and dignity,
  participation in Gods creative work. Has
  spiritual dimension.
• Decent wages, rights and benefits of worker must
  be assured.
• Work must serve the family, with special
  consideration for working mothers.
• Steps must be taken to assure that disabled can
  participate in dignity of work.

11
U.S. Bishops, Economic Justice for All, 1986

• Context In U.S., 33 million poor, 20-30 million
  needy, 8 million unemployed.
• Message
• Inequalities of income, consumption, privilege
  and power should be examined.
• The poor should have most urgent claim on
  conscience of nation.
• Employment policy, tax and welfare systems, farm
  support, role of U.S. in world trade should be
  examined.
• Church must model justice in wages, management
  and investment.

12
John Paul II, Solicitudo Rei Socialis, 1987(On
Social Concern)

• Context World economy in flux debt,
  unemployment and recession hitting both rich and
  poor nations.
• Message
• Critiques economic gap between northern and
  southern hemispheres and global debt. Should be
  one united world.
• East-West tensions and competition block world
  cooperation and solidarity.
• Critiques consumerism and waste, as well as
  international trade practices that hurt
  developing nations.

13
John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, 1991(The
Hundredth Year)

• Context 100th anniversary of Rerum Novarum.
  Collapse of communism in Eastern Europe.
• Message
• Critiques fundamental error of communism
  atheistic view of humanity.
• Gives qualified support to free market as most
  efficient system for utilizing resources and
  responding to needs. Free market also recognizes
  freedom of human person.
• Warns against consumerism, as well as making
  capitalist system an all-encompassing ideology.

14
John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 1995(The Gospel
of Life)

• Context Prevalence of culture of death
  abortion, euthanasia, death penalty.
• Message
• Gives overview of threats to human life both past
  and present, and brief history of the many
  Biblical prohibitions against killing.
• Speaks out against abortion, euthanasia and the
  death penalty.
• Calls for a culture of life embracing truth,
  life and love.

15
Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, 2005(God is Love)

• Context First Encyclical of Benedict XVI. Comes
  in the midst of a culture of relativism.
• Message
• Encyclical divided into two parts
• Part One Explains the true meaning of love and
  shows how human love is raised up, not destroyed,
  by divine love.
• Part Two Affirms the Churchs irreplaceable
  vocation to carry the charity of Christ into a
  world in need.

16
Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, 2009(Charity
in Truth)

• Context Worldwide economic crisis centered on
  weakness in financial institutions and the
  collapse of the housing market.
• Message
• True human development requires charity lived out
  in truth, including respect for the common good,
  religious freedom, and the sanctity of human
  life. Only an economy of communion, a business
  ethic centered in persons and not in profit, will
  be a sufficient response to the present economic
  and financial crisis.