HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH

1. Rerum Novarum (RN) The Condition of Labor

May 15, 1891 Encyclical Letter (EL) Leo XIII

(89-90)

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Industrial Revolution - Unjust relationship between labor and capital

Dominance of rigid Capitalism & Emergence of Socialism

2. Quadragesimo Anno (QA)

The Reconstruction of the Social Order

May 15, 1931 E. L.

Pius XI

(91-92)

Expansion of influence of financial groups nationally and internationally

Class struggle becomes more bitter

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Post WWI period, totalitarian regime being imposed in Europe, USSR, Italy & Germany

Spread of Fascism, Anti-Semitism and Communist Atheism

3. Non Abbiamo Bisogno (June 29,

1937) 4. Mit Brennender Sorge (March 14, 1937)

5. Divini Redemptoris (1937) Pope Pius

XI

6. 50th Anniversary of RN

June 1, 1941 Radio message Pius XII

(93)

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

World War II

Deep need for

Justice and Peace

7. Mater et Magistra (MM)

Christianity and Social Progress

May 15, 1961

(94)

John XXIII

HISTORICAL CONTEXTRecovery after the devastation of warBeginning of decolonizationSocial question becomes clearly internationalProblem of agriculture of developing nations

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Cold War – USSR & USA

Era of nuclear proliferation

Need for peace – Cuba incident

8. Pacem in Terris (PT)

Peace on Earth

April 11, 1963

(95)

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The Church was slow in responding to the expectations of the contemporary world

which goes its own way

Vatican II

Awakening new consciousness of Church to be leaven and soul of society in order to renew it in Christ and transform the

world into the family of God

9. Gaudium et Spes (GS)December 7, 1965Pastoral Constitution from Vatican II

Bishops of the World Promulgated By Pope Paul VI

(96)

10. Dignitatis Humanae

December 7, 1965 Declaration on Religious

Freedom of Vatican II

Bishops of the World Promulgated by Pope Paul VI

(97)

11. Populorum Progressio (PP)

The Development of Peoples

March 26, 1967E. L.Paul VI

(98)HISTORICAL CONTEXT

• First UN development decade • Emergence of the “Third World” - decolonized

countries characterized by lack of development

Pontifical Commission “Justitia et Pax” 1967Established by Pope Paul VI to fulfill Council Fathers’ wishes that an “organism of the Universal Church be set up in order that … the justice and love of Christ toward the poor might be developed everywhere.”“To stimulate the Catholic community to promote progress in needy regions, and international social justice.”World Day of Peace beginning January 1, 1968

(99)

12. Octogesima Adveniens (OA)

A Call to Action

May 14, 1971Apostolic LetterPope Paul VI

Climate of turbulence and strong ideological controversy at the beginning of 1970

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

(100)

13. Laborem Exercens (LE) On Human Work

September 14, 1981

John Paul II

(101)

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

90 years after Rerum Novarum Attempt to life of John Paul II on May 13, 1981 John Paul II was a young worker priest in Poland

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

20 years after Populorum Progressio

Increasing poverty in the “Third World”

A year after the EDSA Revolution (1986) - prototype of many “peaceful revolutions”

14. Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (SRS)The Social Concern of the Church

December 30, 1987John Paul II

(102)

12. Centessimus Annus (CA)

Hundred Years After

May 1, 1991John Paul II

(103)

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Collapse of the Soviet system in 1989

Emergence of new countries in Eastern Europe

Dominance of Democracy as political system

And Capitalism as Economic system

Pope John Paul II

Requested the Pontifical Council for Justice & Peace to give concise but complete overview of the

Church’s social teaching

Based on 100 years of official social teaching by Popes, Bishops and scholars

in every part of the world

Considering new phenomenon arising from international and planetary realities: globalization, issues of ecology, culture, mass communications,

plurality of religions and Christian Churches

COMPENDIUM OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE

OF THE CHURCH

Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace

April 2, 2004