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U.S.Catholic Magazine |
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Christian’s Guide to Catholic Social Teaching
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1760s-70s: Invention of the steam engine and cotton gin. 1800-25: 1815: 1848: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels issue The Communist Manifesto; socialism spreads. 1880-1915: Height of imperialism (European control of 1886: A battle between workers, socialists, and anarchists and police ends
in the Haymarket Massacre in 1889: Cardinal Henry Edward Manning of 1890: 1891: Rerum novarum 1893: Panic of 1893 brings failure of 491 banks and over 15,000 commercial institutions. 1894: 1900: Founding of Socialist Revolutionary Party of 1902: Peasant revolt in 1905: "Bloody Sunday" massacre in 1911: Strikes and industrial unrest in 1913: German Army Bill expands German army. 1914-18: World War I. 1917: Russian Revolution begins: Bolsheviks led by Lenin seize power. 1920: First full-time session of 1925: Adolf Hitler publishes Mein Kampf. 1926: General strike in 1929: Great Depression. Unemployment in 1930: German elections: 107 Nazis win seats in Reichstag. War breaks out
between 1931: National Government formed in Quadragesimo anno 1932: Hunger marches by unemployed in 1933: Hitler becomes German Chancellor, Reichstag burned. Franklin Roosevelt
enunciates "Good Neighbor" policy: aid sent to Central and 1935: 1936: German troops occupy 1937: Japanese take 1938: 1939-45: World War II 1939: Fighting between 1945: U.N. established. 1947: 1948: U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. 1949: Feminist Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex. 1950: Korean War begins. World population at 2.5 billion. "Population explosion" begins. 1952: First atomic submarine; 1954: Senator Joseph McCarthy's anticommunist witch-hunt condemned by U.S.
Senate. 1955: 1956: Martin Luther King, Jr. leads bus boycott in 1957: Sputnik I and II launched by U.S.S.R. Common Market founded. 1957-67: Many African nations gain independence from colonial rule. 1958: 1959: Fidel Castro's guerrillas take 1960: Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) instituted. 1961-73: 1961: 1962: Second Vatican Council, attended by over 2,000. Cuban Missile Crisis. 1963: Nuclear Test Ban Treaty by 1964: Nelson Mandela and seven other black leaders sentenced to life
imprisonment in 1965: Worldwide demonstrations against Vietnam War; civil-rights march from
Selma to Montgomery, Alabama; Ku Klux Klan shootings in Selma. Ian Smith
unilaterally declares 1966: Race riots in 1967-68: 1967: Six-day War between 1968: 1969: Martial law proclaimed in 1971: Octogesima adveniens "Justice in the World" 1973-74: Arab oil embargo. 1974: 1975: Vietnam War ends with South falling to communists. Evangelii nuntiandi 1978: World's first "test-tube baby" born in 1979: Salt II Treaty signed by Carter and Brezhnev. Shah of 1980: Solidarity union founded in 1981: 1982: Solidarity outlawed by Polish government. 1984: AIDS virus discovered. 1985: Mikhail Gorbachev becomes general secretary of Communist Party of the
1986: Haitians overthrow President "Baby Doc" Duvalier.
"People Power" revolution in 1987: "Black Monday" on London Stock Market: worst day for shares this century. Iran-Contra hearings. U.S and U.S.S.R. sign historic Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty to reduce nuclear arsenals. Sollicitudo rei socialis 1988: Soviets begin withdrawal from 1989: Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1990: 1991: Persian Gulf War; Centesimus annus |
Rerum Novarum English
title: Author: Pope Leo XIII Date:
Main points: Promotion of human dignity through just distribution of wealth. Present inequality creates a decline of morality as shown in alcohol consumption, prostitution, and divorce. Workers have basic human rights that adhere to Natural Law, which says all humans are equal. Rights include the right to work, to own private property, to receive a just wage, and to organize into workers' associations. Employers and employees each have rights and responsibilities: while the worker should not riot to create a situation of conflict with the employer, the employer should maintain an environment respecting worker's dignity. The church has the right to speak out on social issues. Its role is to teach social principles and bring social classes together. The state's role is to create a just society through laws that preserve rights. Context: Much poverty. Because of the Industrial Revolution, workers are being exploited by profit-hungry employers. Public authorities are not protecting the rights of the poor. Innovation: First comprehensive document of social justice; brings the subject of workers' rights to light. Trivia:
In 1841, while still a cardinal, Leo
XIII started a savings bank for the poor. He was named a monsignor for his
bravery during a cholera epidemic. English
title: Author: Pope Pius XI Date: May 1931 Main points: After detailing the positive impact Rerum novarum has had on the social order—through the church, civil authorities, and now-flourishing unions—stresses that a new situation warrants a new response. Charges that capitalism's free competition has destroyed itself, with the state having become a "slave" serving its greed. Also, while the lot of workers has improved in the Western World, it has deteriorated elsewhere. Warns against a communist solution, however, because communism condones violence and abolishes private property. Labor and capital need each other. A just wage is necessary so workers can acquire private property, too. The state has the responsibility to reform the social order, since economic affairs can't be left to free enterprise alone. Public intervention in labor-management disputes approved; international economic cooperation urged. Context: A response to the Great Depression, which began in
1929 and rocked the world. In Innovation: Introduces the concept of "subsidiarity," saying social problems should be resolved on more local levels first. Trivia:
Expands Rerum novarum's focus on poor workers to include the structures that
oppress them. English
title: Author: Pope John XXIII Date:
Main points: Enumerates the economic, scientific, social, and political developments that have taken place since Rerum novarum and Quadragesimo anno. Says there's not just a disparity between rich and poor classes anymore—there's a disparity between rich and poor nations. Decries arms race and the plight of the world's farmers. Arms spending contributes to poverty; peace would be possible if economic imbalances among nations were righted. It's the duty of wealthy, industrialized nations to help poor, nonindustrialized nations; but in giving aid, it is every country's duty to respect the latter's culture and to refrain from domination. Since technological advances have made nations interdependent as never before, cooperation and mutual assistance are necessary. Says all Catholics should be reared on Catholic social teaching. Context: Advancements such as nuclear energy, automation,
space exploration, and improved communication technologies pose complex, new
problems for industrialized nations. Meanwhile, millions live in poverty in Innovation: "Internationalizes" social teaching by addressing, for the first time, the plight of nonindustrialized nations. Trivia:
Stresses the popular Catholic Social
Action motto "see, judge, act" as a model of effective lay
involvement. English
title: Author: Pope John XXIII Date:
Main points: The only way to ensure peace is to ensure a foundation that consists of specific social rights and responsibilities. The bulk of the encyclical goes on to list these, detailing rights and responsibilities that ought to exist (1) between people, (2) between people and their public authorities, (3) between states, and (4) among people and nations at the level of the world community. Some specifics: cultural changes demand that women have more rights; justice, right reason, and human dignity demand that the arms race must cease; the United Nations needs to be strengthened. Context: Follows two early Cold War events—the erection of the Berlin Wall (August 1961) and the Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962). Innovation: "Its optimistic tone and development of a philosophy of rights made a significant impression on Catholics and non-Catholics alike," say Henriot, DeBerri, and Schultheis in their book Catholic Social Teaching: Our Best Kept Secret. Trivia: First encyclical addressed to Catholics and
non-Catholics alike. English
title: Author:
Date: December, 1965 Main points: Up to all Catholics, as the "People of God," to scrutinize the great technological and social changes—good and bad—that have transformed the world. (Names some of these changes—industrialization and mass communication, e.g.—and lists many changes they've effected in turn: greater gaps between rich and poor, overpopulation, rapid growth of city life, questioning of traditional values by the younger generation, etc.) Explores relationship between Catholic Church and humanity. (While the church isn't bound to any party or social system, its mission "begins in this world"; all people called to improve the world; Jesus is the lord of history; etc.) Families, the foundation of society, are especially vulnerable to today's new trends; the Catholic Church should use culture more to spread the gospel; with new developments in weaponry, a new evaluation of war is needed. Context: The Cold War and arms race still loom. Discussion of
Gaudium et spes
was slotted after Innovation: First social teaching to represent opinions of the world's bishops. Trivia: This and other Vatican II documents initiate
frequent use of the phrases "People of God" and "signs of the
times." English
title: Author: Pope Paul VI Date:
Main points: The church, in response to Jesus' teachings, must foster human progress—progress not understood solely in terms of economic and technological advances, but in terms of fostering full human potential (i.e., social, cultural, and spiritual). Traces world conflicts to the root cause of poverty, advocating proper development as a means to peace. Wider disparity between rich and poor nations, exasperated by an inequity in trade relations that free trade is unable to correct: developing nations, exporters of cheap raw goods to industrialized nations, are unable to pay for expensive manufactured goods of industrialized nations. There's an urgency to seeing to these problems, Paul VI says: growing disparity tempts the poor to violence and revolution as possible solutions. Supports international development agencies, such as a World Fund and Food and Agriculture Organization. Since the goods of the earth belong to all, the right to private property is subordinate: "the superfluous wealth of rich countries should be placed at the service of poor nations" ( 49). Context: The Vietnam War rages. African nations fighting wars of independence. Innovation: First encyclical devoted specifically to the issues of international development. Trivia: Coined the phrase, "development is a new word
for peace." English
title: Author: Pope Paul VI Date: May, 1971 Main points: Addresses urbanization and the new social problems it has created—such as a new loneliness and specific problems for youth, women, and the "new poor." ("New poor" includes the elderly, the handicapped, and the cities' marginalized—people disadvantaged because of urbanization.) Notes lingering discrimination because of race, origin, color, culture, sex, and religion. Stresses personal responsibility on the part of Christians in seeing that injustice is challenged. In combating injustice, need to focus on political action—not just economic action. Encourages individual Christians and local churches to apply gospel principles of justice to contemporary situations and take appropriate political action. Context: The world is verging on a recession, so the "new
poor" are especially vulnerable. In the Innovation: The role of individual Christians in responding to injustice. Trivia:
This was an open apostolic letter to
Cardinal Maurice Roy, president of the Pontifical Commission on Justice and
Peace. Commemorates the 80th anniversary of Rerum
novarum. English
title: Author: Pope Paul VI Date:
Main points: With a fundamental aim "to make the Church of the 20th century ever better fitted for proclaiming the Gospel to people of the 20th century," poses three "burning questions": (1) What has happened to the hidden energy of the Good News, noted for its ability to have a powerful effect on human conscience? (2) To what extent is that evangelizing force really able to transform the people of the 20th century? (3) What methods should be employed so that the power of the Gospel may realize its full effect? On evangelizers and evangelization: Jesus proclaimed a salvation that includes liberation from all oppression, and it's the role of the church to continue that proclamation; redemption includes combating injustice; evangelization should affect human judgment, values, interests, thought, and lifestyle; evangelization important in an increasingly de-Christianized world, as important to nonpracticing Christians as to non-Christians; avenues of evangelization—homilies, personal witness, mass media, etc.—explored. Context: Document itself notes cultural problems of atheistic secularism, indifference, consumerism, focus on pleasure, discrimination, and desire to dominate. Innovation: Challenging injustice and preaching liberation are essential components of evangelization. Trivia: Commemorates the tenth anniversary of the conclusion
of Vatican II. Authors: Synod of Bishops Date:
Main points: Dynamics of "oppression" and "liberation" discussed, as the synod remembers that God is a "liberator of the oppressed" and recognizes that structural injustices oppress humanity. Justice is an essential ingredient to the liberation of human beings—not to mention a key expression of Christian love. Injustices catalogued: those against migrants and refugees, also human-rights violations, torture, political prisoners, etc. Since many who suffer injustice are voiceless, the church should speak on their behalf. Church must be a witness for justice—via education, international relations, and especially the way it treats its own members (particularly women and laypeople). Context: Echoing not only the worldly political upheavals of
the late '60s and early '70s, this document is strongly influenced by the
insights of church leaders from Innovation: First major example of post-Vatican II episcopal collegiality. Trivia:
Responsible for the oft-quoted
"justice . . . is a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the
gospel." English
title: On Human Work
Author: Pope John Paul II Date: 1981 Main points: Work is at the center of the social question—the key to making life more human and the measure of human dignity. Nature of work is: (1) to fulfill the command in Genesis to "subdue the earth" and (2) to make family life possible. Criticizes both capitalism and Marxism: denounces tendency to treat humans as mere instruments of production; against collectivism; affirms right to private property yet subordinates it to the right of common use. Also: work is a duty; employers need to provide for workers via good planning, unemployment benefits, and international collaboration righting imbalances in standards of living; resources must be used to create employment; wages must be sufficient to support a family, and working mothers should be afforded special consideration; workers deserve health care, right to leisure, pension, accident insurance, decent working environment; right to unionize strongly supported; disabled people should be given opportunities to work; people have a right to leave native countries in search of a better livelihood. Context: On the 90th anniversary of Rerum novarum, huge numbers of people are unemployed or underemployed. Migrant workers typically exploited. Innovation: Concluding remarks contain a detailed "spirituality of work." Trivia:
90 percent of its content is Rerum novarum.
Authors:
Date: 1986 Main points: Reading the "signs of the times," many
challenges to U.S. economy: central role of U.S. in a global economy;
mobility of capital and technology affects jobs worldwide; depletion of
natural resources; American Dream unrealized for millions because of high
unemployment and harsh poverty; economic life doesn't support family life;
investment of nation's resources into arms production contributes to
hardship; values are a concern. A Christian vision of economic life says:
inequalities of income, consumption, privilege, and power should be examined;
poor should have the single most urgent claim on the conscience of the
nation; the poor and excluded rate an investment of wealth, talent, and
energy—should be allowed active participation in the economy. Right to
employment; need to create new jobs, provide training, remove
barriers to equal employment. Need to re-evaluate tax and welfare systems to
provide services and human dignity. Family farms and farmworkers
supported. Context: In 1986, 33 million are poor, 20 to 30 million are needy. Unemployment reaches 8 million. Innovation: The church, as investor and employer, must practice what it preaches. Trivia:
As they have done with other pastoral
letters, the bishops consulted widely with business leaders, experts,
officials, etc. English
title: Author: Pope John Paul II Date:
Main points: While praising the optimism and innovation of Populorum progressio—the
document being commemorated—notes serious backsliding on issues of
development. Twenty years' worth of unfulfilled hopes include: obvious gap
between northern and southern hemispheres, global debt (forcing nations to
export capital), unemployment and underemployment. Should be a unity of the
world—not a " Context: World economy is in flux—debt, unemployment, and recession hitting affluent and poor nations alike. Innovation: The "structures of sin" insight. Trivia: 1987 is the International Year of The Homeless in
the English
title: Author: Pope John Paul II Date:
Main points: Marking the 100th anniversary of Catholic social teaching—thus using Leo XIII's Rerum novarum as its frame of reference—looks to the 'new things' (rerum novarum) shaping the world today. While democracy and social conflict are each discussed, the fall of "real socialism" in the Eastern Bloc nations invites a lengthy discussion of communism and capitalism. The "fundamental error of socialism" is that it's based on an atheistic view of humanity instead of a transcendent one; leads to a "social order without reference to the person's dignity and responsibility." Distinguishing, on the one hand, between "unbridled," "radical," or "primitive" capitalism and, on the other hand, a "business economy" that serves and protects the human person, "it would appear that, on the level of individual nations and international relations, the free market is the most efficient instrument for utilizing resources and effectively responding to needs" (#34). Capitalism also recognizes the freedom of the human person. Warns, however, against: (1) The consumeristic tendency of modern capitalistic societies, saying it cheapens the person, harms society, and ultimately poisons the planet. (2) Elevating capitalism, as an economic tool, to the level of an all-encompassing ideology. Context: The collapse of communism in Innovation: While careful not to give a blanket endorsement, notes the benefits of capitalism as an economic system. Trivia: Says modern times bring a new form of ownership—"the possession of know-how, technology, and skill" (#32). |