Catholic Social Teaching

Timeline through the Documents

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

 Context: Industrial Revolution leads to ex-

ploiting workers.
 Message:
 First comprehensive document of social justice.
 Defends workers’ rights based on natural law.
 Rights include work, private property, just wage,
workers’ associations.
 Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno, 1931
(The Fortieth Year)

 Context: Fortieth anniversary of Rerum Novarum; Great De-

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

 Context: Science and technology advance in developed na-

tions, while millions live in poverty in Third World.
 Message:
 Disparity between rich and poor nations must be ad-
dressed.
 Arms race contributes to poverty.
 Economic imbalances cause threat to peace.
 Rich nations must help poor ones while respecting cul-
ture.
 Nations are interdependent and need to cooperate.
 Catholics should know social teaching and be active.
 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
 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 inti-
mately intertwined with it.
 Assesses the rapid cultural changes and techno-
logical advances in the light of the Gospel.
 Overall warm and optimistic tone, but reflects
pastoral concern for faith, family, transcendent
destiny of man.
Paul VI, Octogesima Adveniens, 1971
(The Coming Eightieth Year)

 Context: World verging on recession. In U.S., see

civil rights and women’s 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, reli-
gion.
 Christians called to engage political process to address in-
justices, applying gospel principles.
Synod of Bishops, Justice in the World, 1971

 Context: Political upheavals of 60’s. In-

creased 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.
 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 judg-
ment, values, interests, thought, lifestyle.
 Evangelization includes challenging injustice and
preaching liberation.
John Paul II, Laborem Exercens, 1981
(On Human Work)

 Context: Great numbers of people are unemployed,

migrant workers exploited. Both capitalist and com-
munist systems exploiting the worker.
 Message:
 Work is part of man’s vocation and dignity, participation
in God’s creative work. Has spiritual dimension.
 Decent wages, rights and benefits of worker must be as-
sured.
 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.
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 sup-
port, role of U.S. in world trade should be examined.
 Church must model justice in wages, management and in-
vestment.
John Paul II, Solicitudo Rei Socialis, 1987
(On Social Concern)

 Context: World economy in flux – debt, unemploy-

ment and recession hitting both rich and poor na-
tions.
 Message:
 Critiques economic gap between northern and southern
hemispheres and global debt. Should be one united
world.
 East-West tensions and competition block world coopera-
tion and solidarity.
 Critiques consumerism and waste, as well as international
trade practices that hurt developing nations.
 John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, 1991
(The Hundredth Year)

 Context: 100th anniversary of Rerum Novarum. Col-

lapse of communism in Eastern Europe.
 Message:
 Critiques fundamental error of communism – atheistic view
of humanity.
 Gives qualified support to free market as most efficient sys-
tem 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.
 John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 1995
(The Gospel of Life)

 Context: Prevalence of “culture of death” – abor-

tion, euthanasia, death penalty.
 Message:
 Gives overview of threats to human life both past and
present, and brief history of the many Biblical prohibi-
tions against killing.
 Speaks out against abortion, euthanasia and the death
penalty.
 Calls for a “culture of life” embracing truth, life and love.
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 Church’s irreplaceable voca-
tion to carry the charity of Christ into a world in
need.
 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 econ-
omy of communion, a business ethic centered in persons
and not in profit, will be a sufficient response to the
present economic and financial crisis.