Catholic Social Teachings
Introduction
Questions about the Church’s
social involvement
Why does the Church have social teachings?
Why must the Church speak out publicly on
matters of justice in the economic, political, and
social spheres of society?
When the Church involves itself in social
questions, isn’t there a danger that it would
forget its primary mission to spread the Good
News and bring people closer to God?
It is essential to the Church’s mission and
identity to be involved in social concerns
We are an incarnational
Church.
The joys and the hopes, the
griefs 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 griefs
and anxieties of the followers
of Christ. (Gaudium et Spes
#1)
It is essential to the Church’s mission and
identity to be involved in social concerns
The Church responds to important questions
asked by humanity.
The Church has always had the duty of
scrutinizing the signs of the times and of
interpreting them in the light of the Gospel. 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 the one to
the other. (Gaudium et Spes #4)
It is essential to the Church’s mission and
identity to be involved in social concerns
It is part of our duty to promote
the common good as citizens.
The members of the Church, as
members of society, have the same
right and duty to promote the
common good as do other citizens.
They should act as a leaven in the
world, in their family, professional,
social, cultural and political
life. (Justice in the World #38)
It is essential to the Church’s mission and
identity to be involved in social concerns
It is an imitation of Christ.
Christ showed His concern for
the material welfare of His
people when, seeing the
hungry crowd of His followers,
He was moved to exclaim: "I
have compassion on the
multitude." (Mater et Magistra
#3-4)
It is essential to the Church’s mission and
identity to be involved in social concerns
It is constitutive of the preaching of the
gospel
Action on behalf of justice and participation in
the transformation of the world fully appear to
us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching
of the Gospel, or, in other words, of the
Church's mission for the redemption of the
human race and its liberation from every
oppressive situation. (Justice in the World #6)
It is essential to the Church’s mission and
identity to be involved in social concerns
Our love of God is bound up with our love of
neighbor; love of neighbor cannot be separated
from justice
Christian love of neighbor and justice cannot be
separated. For love implies an absolute demand for
justice, namely a recognition of the dignity and
rights of one's neighbor.
Because every person is truly a visible image of the
invisible God and a sibling of Christ, the Christian
finds in every person God himself and God's
absolute demand for justice and love. (Justice in the
World #34)
What are the Church’s social teachings
When we speak of the Church’s official social
teachings we refer to 12 documents:
RN, QA, MM, PT, GS, PP, EN, OA, JW, LE,
SRS, CA
Each of these documents break new ground
by introducing original concepts and new
ways of thinking about political and economic
challenges of its time.
The Writing of these Documents
Many of the social encyclicals were published
at major anniversaries of Rerum Novarum
(1891) – QA (1931), MM (1961), OA (1971),
LE (1981), CA (1991).
Most of these anniversary encyclicals give
tribute to previous documents and they
explain how the teaching they contain follows
from the basic principle of RN
The Writing of these Documents
A social document is sometimes written to respond
to a specific set of events or social concerns at that
moment in history. For example:
QA (1931) was responding to the worldwide
economic crisis caused by the stock market crash of
1929
PT (1963) was a plea for a peace and disarmament
right after the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
CA (1991) was an opportunity for the pope to
comment on the events of 1989-90 such as the fall
of the Berlin Wall, the fall of soviet Communism, and
the break-up of the USSR.
The Writing of these Documents
Sometimes the events are less dramatic and
more gradual but still serious enough to
warrant a social encyclical. For example:
PP (1967) was addressing the phasing out of
colonialism, when many former colonies were
gaining independence from their colonizers.
SRS (1987) was concerned about the effects
of the growth of international trade.
Continuity and Change
Each encyclical builds on the insights of its
predecessors. There is a growth in the tradition as
new events bring new insights and new
understanding of previously held teaching and how
these teachings may better respond to new data.
There are values that are constantly defended such
as human dignity, sanctity of life, dignity of labor,
participation, etc.; but how each of these values are
defended, promoted and enhanced in new situations
depends on the ever growing knowledge of the
world, human society and what it means to be
human as history unfolds.
Who writes these documents?
Some popes were very involved in the process the
making of an encyclical, other popes have directed
the process through commentary and editorial
reaction but left the actual writing to others, and
other popes have delegated the task to trusted
aides and scholars and just sign off on the final
version
One can say that the official documents of CST are
accurate expressions of the views of the popes and
at the same time these documents are worked on
and written by a variety of people.
Themes in the Social Teachings
Human Dignity and The Dignity of Work,
Human Rights Rights of Workers,
Solidarity, Common and Support of Labor
Good, and Participation Unions
Family Life Economic
Development, and
Subsidiarity and the Integral Human
Proper Role of Development
Government
Peace and
Property Ownership Disarmament
and Use
Option for the Poor
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