THE CHURCH’S SOCIAL DOCTRINE IN OUR TIME

8/8/2019 THE CHURCHS SOCIAL DOCTRINE IN OUR TIME

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Social doctrine/teaching

x the doctrinal corpus concerning issues relevant to

society

x developed in the Church through the Magisterium of

the Roman Pontiffs and the bishops in communion

with them

x a rich doctrinal heritage that comes from the

Churchs continuous attention to men and women

living in society


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x rooted inx Sacred Scriptures, especially the Gospels

x Apostolic writings

x takes on shape and body beginning fromx the Fathers of the Church

x the great Doctors of the Middle Agesx constitutes a doctrine in which, even without explicit

and direct Magisterial pronouncements, the Church

gradually came to recognize her competence


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` Rerum Novarum (Pope Leo XIII)

` Quadragesimo Anno (Pope Pius XI)

` Non Abbiamo Bisogno (Pope Pius XI)

` Mit Brennender Sorge (Pope Pius XI)

` Divini Redemptoris (Pope Pius XI)

` Christmas Radio Messages of Pope Pius XII

` Mater et Magistra (Blessed Pope John XXIII)


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` Pacem in Terris (Blessed Pope John XXIII)

` Gaudium et Spes (Second Vatican Council)` Dignitatis Humanae (Second Vatican Council)

` Populorum Progressio (Pope Paul VI)

` Apostolic Letter Octogesima Adveniens (Pope Paul VI)

` Laborem Exercens (Pope John Paul II)` Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (Pope John Paul II)

` Centesimus Annus (Pope John Paul II)


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x written in response to the first great social

question the labour question

x examines the conditions of salaried workerswho languished in inhumane misery

x lists errors that give rise to social ills

x excludes socialism as a remedy


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x expounds with precision and in contemporary terms

the Catholic doctrine on workx the right to property

x the principle of collaboration instead of class struggle as the

fundamental means for social change

x the rights of the weak

x the dignity of the poor and the obligation of the rich

x the perfecting of justice through charity

x the right to form professional associations

x became the document inspiring Christian activity in

the social sphere and the point of reference for thisactivity


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x central themex the just ordering of society, in view of which there is the

obligationx to identify criteria for judgment that will help to evaluate existing

socio-political systems

x to suggest lines of action for their appropriate transformation

x gave the Church, citizenship status amid the

changing realities of public lifex made an incisive statement which became a

permanent element of the Churchs social teaching

x affirmed that serious social problems could be solvedonly by cooperation between all the forces (in regard

to the Church, her cooperation will never be foundlacking)


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x commemorates the 40th anniversary of RerumNovarum

x rereads the past in the light of the economic andsocial situation in which the expansion of the

influence of financial groups, both nationally andinternationally, was added to the effects ofindustrialization

x warns about the failure to respect the freedom toform associations

x stresses the principles of solidarity and cooperationin order to overcome social contradictions


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x expresses that relationships between capital andlabour must be characterized by cooperation

x confirms the principle that salaries should beproportional not only to the needs of the worker butalso to those of the workers family

x

expresses that the State, in its relations with theprivate sector, should apply the principle ofsubsidiarity

x rejects liberalism, understood as unlimitedcompetition between economic forces

x reconfirms the value of private property, recalling itssocial function


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` protested against the abuse of power by the totalitarian

fascist regime in Italy

Mit Brennender Sorge (Pope Pius XI)

called on priests, religious and lay faithful to resist the fascist

regime until such time that true peace between the Church and

the State would be restored


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x encyclical on atheistic communism and Christian social

doctrine

x systematically criticized communism as intrinsically

perverse

x indicated that the principal means for correcting evilsperpetrated by communism could be found in

x the renewal of Christian life

x the practice of evangelical charity

x the fulfillment of the duties of justice at both the interpersonal

and social levels in relation to the common goodx the institutionalization of professional and interprofessional

groups


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x Magisterial reflection on a new social order

x guided by morality and law

x focused on justice and peace

x no encyclicals were written during this time

x the pontificate of Pope Pius XII covered the terrible

years of the Second World war and the period of

reconstruction that followed it

x the social teaching of Pope Pius XII represented the

voice of conscience for believers and nonbelieversduring this time


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x Pope Pius XII gave importance to the relationshipbetween morality and law

x He insisted that the natural law as the soul of the system to be

established on both the national and international levels.

x He also gave attention to the professional and business

classes, called to work together in a special way for theattainment of the common good.

x Pope Pius XII can be considered as the immediate

precursor

x of the Second Vatican Council

x and of the social teaching of the Popes who followed him


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x aims at updating the already known documents

x aims at taking a further step forward in the process of

involving the whole Christian community

x Key words of the encyclical

x Community

x Socialization

x the Church is called in truth, justice and love to cooperate

in building with all men and women an authentic

communion

x Economic growth

x will not be limited to satisfying mens needs

x but will also promote their dignity


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x brings to the forefront the problem of peace in an eramarked by nuclear proliferation

x contains one of the first in-depth reflections on rights onthe part of the Church

x the encyclical of peace and human dignity

x continues and completes the discussion presented inMater et Magistra

x emphasizes the importance of the cooperation of all menand women

x first Church document addressed to all men of good willx dwells on the public authority of the world community,

called to tackle and solve problems of an economic,social, political or cultural character which are posed bythe universal common good.


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x presents a face of the Church

x that cherishes a feeling of deep solidarity with the human

race and its history

x that travels the same journey as all mankind and share thesame earthly lot with the world

x but which at the same time, is to be leaven and, as it were,

the soul of human society in its renewal by Christ and

transformation into the family of God


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x presents in a systematic manner the themes of

x culture

x economic and social life

x marriage and family

x the political community

x peace and the community of peoples

x in the light of a Christian anthropological outlook and of the

Churchs mission


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x the document that clearly proclaimed the right to

religious freedom

x presents the theme in two chapters

x affirms that religious freedom is

x based on the dignity of the human person and

x that it must be sanctioned as a civil right in the legal order of

society

x deals with the religious freedom in the light of Revelation and

clarifies its pastoral implications, pointing out that it is a right

that concerns not only people as individuals but also thedifferent communities of people


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x Development is the new name for peace

x Presents the outlines of an integral development ofman and of a development in solidarity with allhumanity

x development as the transition from less humane conditionsto those which are more humane

x transition is not limited to merely economic or technologicaldimensions

x but implies for each person the acquisition of

culture

respect of the dignity of others acknowledgment of the highest good

recognition of God Himself, the author and end of theseblessings


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` development as the transition from less humane conditions to

those which are more humane

x development that benefits everyone

responds to the demands of justice

on the global scale, guarantees worldwide peace

and makes it possible to achieve a complete humanism

guided by spiritual values.

x In this regard, Pope Paul VI established the

Pontifical Commission of Justice and Peace in 1967

xbeginning 1968, the Church celebrates the first day of theyear as the World Day of Peace


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x Reflects on post-industrial society with all its

complex problems, noting the inadequacy of

ideologies in responding to these challenges:

x urbanization

x the condition of young people

x the condition of women

x unemployment

x discrimination

x emigration

x population growth

x the influence of the means of social communication

x ecological problems


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x written ninety years after Rerum Novarumx Work

x the fundamental good of the human personx the primary element of economic activityx the key to the entire social question

x outlines a spirituality and ethic of work in the context of aprofound theological and philosophical reflection

x Workx must not be understood only in the objective and material sensex but one must keep in mind its subjective dimension, insofar as it

is always an expression of the person

x decisive paradigm for social lifex has all the dignity of being context in which the persons natural

and supernatural vocation must find fulfillment.


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x commemorates the 20th anniversary of Populorum Progressiox deals with the theme of development

x on the one hand, the dramatic situation of the modern world, under theaspect of the failed development of the Third World

x on the other, the meaning of, conditions and requirements for adevelopment worthy of man

x presents the differences between progress and developmentx true development cannot be limited to the multiplication of goods and

service to what one possesses

x but must contribute to the fullness of the being of man (the moralnature of real development is meant to be shown clearly.

x Pope Pius XII Opus iustitiae pax (Peace is the fruit of justice)x Pope John Paul II Opus solidaritatis pax (Peace is the fruit of

solidarity)


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x commemorates the 100th anniversary of Rerum Novarumx speaks on social and political organizationx from friendship (Leo XXIII) to social charity (Pius XI) to

civilization of love (Paul VI)x demonstrates how the Churchs social teaching moves along

the axis of reciprocity between God and manx authentic human development is the condition where we

recognize God in every person and every person in Godx shows appreciation for democracy and free economy in the

context of an indispensable solidarityx articulation and in-depth analysis of the new things and

particularly of the great breakthrough of 1989 with thecollapse of the Soviet system

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THE CHURCH’S SOCIAL DOCTRINE IN OUR TIME