Chapter 2

Catholic Social Thought

Social Doctrines – describes the role that the Church takes in finding solutions to the
problems created by the major changes in the modern world.

- pronouncements about the implications of the Christian faith to society.

- religious and moral teachings of the Church resulting from careful reflection and
analysis of the complex realities of human existence.
Sources:

Natural Law
Revelation: Written and Oral Tradition
Tradition of the Fathers
Scholastic Philosophy
Theological Reflection
Contemporary Experiences of the Faithful
Aims:

Interpret social realities according to the Christian Teachings on man and his vocation for the
guidance of all Christians in their dealings with society .
Realization of justice understood as advancement and complete liberation of the human
person in his earthly and spiritual life.
OVERVIEW of the SOCIAL ENCYCLICALS

RERUM NOVARUM
( Condition of the Working Class)

Key Themes:
The situation of the Poor and workers
- the greed of men and the production process as a whole led to a situation where the few
rich enslaved the masses of workers who did not own the means of production

2. Rejection of the Socialist Solution to Poverty

- The socialists sees abolition of private properties of individuals and giving the state
possession of property as the solution to the workers’ problems.(3,7)
- RN defends the rights of workers to possess goods through their hard work. ( 8,9, 23)
3. Three-fold Solution

A. The role of the Church

1.1. the Church has the right to speak out on social issues because social matters
affects religion and morality.
1.2. Through the gospel principles the Church can help unite reconcile and unite
classes.
1.3. The Church can educate people to act justly. RN teaches that workers are not to
be treated as slaves; justice demands that the dignity of the human person must be
respected.

B. The role of Workers and Employers

The role of the Workers : to work well, not to damage the property of the employer; and to
avoid violence when protecting their own interests.
Employers and the Rich must not treat workers as slaves. The dignity of workers must be
upheld. Workers must be allowed to see their families and religious obligations. Employers
must give work that is suitable to a workers’ strength, sex and age.

To give the workers his/ her just wages.

Workers need the employers and vice-versa.
Employers should also look at the workers unions.

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 The role of the workers union is to help individual members enjoy an increase in goods of
body, soul and prosperity
C. Role of the State
1. State is bound by laws to serve the common good. It must protect the well-beings and rights
of workers; protect each and every class of citizens; keep unchanged the principle of
distributive justice.
2. Defend and promote the rights of families
3. In protecting the rights of individuals, special care must be given to the weak and poor
4. support the right to private property and enable all to possess private property.
5. the rights of associations and unions and religious rights of people must be upheld.

QUADRAGESSIMO ANNO
Reconstruction of the Social Order
Pope Pius XI 1931

KEY THEMES;
A. Impact of Rerum Novarum
- the Catholic Church was encouraged to adapt to changing conditions. The Church tried to
help the poor trough popular education and culture. There were more welfare institution
and works of charity.
- leaders became more aware of their responsibility and obligation to promote social policy.
- the role of workers’ union led to their greater acceptance.

B. Elaboration of Economic and Social Issues

1. Property ownership is individual and social. Avoid individualism : when the social or public
aspect is denied; collectivism when individual ownership is is rejected.
2. Capital and Labor
Both labor and capital need each other.
QA supports the principle of just distribution of wealth to serve the common good.
3. There was no improvement for workers in the rural areas and other countries.
QA suggests two ways in improving the conditions of workers:
1. allowing workers to gain property by permitting only a just share of the profits o
production for the wealthy.
2. paying a just wage to workers so that they can gain moderate ownership.
A wage contract should be modified by a contract of partnership. Wage earners are
made sharers in the ownership, management and the profits.
In deciding on a just wage :
a. Wage paid should be enough to support the worker and his family
b. in settling the scale of wages the condition of a particular business and its
owner must be considered.
c. the wage scale must be controlled wit the economic welfare of all people in
mind.

4. Reconstruction of the social order:

Whatever activity that can be done well by the small groups should be left alone and not
centralized in the State.
The State is responsible for abolishing conflicts and promoting harmony between classes in
society.
The guiding principle for economics is not free competition but social justice and charity

Social Reconstruct6ion therefore, must be preceded by renewal of

Christsian spirit viz a viz transformation of persons. Principles:
1. Economic life must be inspired by the Christian spirit and the gospel principles.
2. Love and charity must r4einforce justice. For justice alone may remove the cause of
social strife, but can never bring about a union of hearts and minds

MATER ET MAGISTRA
( Christianity and Social Progress)

KEY THEMES:

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 1. DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOCIAL TEACHINGS
A. Private Initiative and State Intervention - Economic development must be the result of both private
and public efforts.
B. Socialization in social Justice – New developments in the society call for a new development in
social relationships. The building of these relationships are important even if they have negative or
positive effects.
C. Just Wages for Work – A person’s work must be rewarded with a just wage.
These wages must be decided according to justice, equity and common good.
Families need appropriate wages to live in dignity. Too much money are spent
so much on prestige and armaments.
D Just distribution of goods – Social development must go together with economic development.
Economic prosperity, therefore must ensure hte just and proper distribution of goods. In this
respect, the workers sould share in the running of the companies – i.e. in their management,
profits and ownership.
E. The Common good – The demands for the common good can be summarized as
To create employment
To care for the less privilege
To provide for the future
F. Just institution and structure – Justice should be observe not only in the distribution of wealth but
also in the type of work. Te type of work which women and men engage in must allow them the
opportunity of taking responsibility for themselves and perfecting their own being, hence it its better
to engage in small and intermediary holdings and family type ownership
G. Private property and social responsibility – It is a natural right to have private ownership
inclusive of productive goods. Indeed, widespread of ownership is encouraged. The State, however,
can own the means of production ( while not preventing private enterprise) to protect the rights of the
common good. The Christian, wit the right to ownership of private property has a social responsibility
to use this right for the benefit of others.
2. Reconstruction of Social Relationships in truth and Justice
- All human progress must be rooted in God. It is foolish to establish a temporal order without god as a
foundation.
- Catholics should be raised on the social teachings and conform their social and economic behaviour to its
principles. Since actually putting into practice the principles of the social teachings in the world is difficult,
there are some practical suggestions :
1. examine situation ( observe)
2. evaluate it with respect to Catholic Social Teaching ( judge)
3. decide how to act ( act )

- Task of the laity

It is mainly the responsibility of the citizens to determine their progress and development. The task of every
individual Christian is to work for a more just world.

PACEM IN TERRIS
(Programme for World Peace)

“Peace is founded on truth, built according to Justice, inspired and integrated by love and practiced in
freedom”.
KEY THEMES
1. Every person is endowed with intelligence and free will, and has rights which are universal and
inviolable. These natural rights are inseparably connected wtht duties.
a. Human rights
• Right to life
• Moral and cultural rights
• Right to worship
• Right to choose one’s state in life
• Economic rights
• Right of meetings and associations
• Right to emigrate and immigrate
• Political rights

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 b. Duties
• To acknowledge and respect the rights of others
• To work together for one’s own welfare
• To act freely and responsibly for others
• To live socially in truth, justice, charity and freedom

2. Relations between individuals and the State

a. Authority and Common Good
- The state is necessary and authority comes from God
- The whole reason for the existence of authorities is the realization of the common
good. The State must ensure that human rights are acknowledged, respected,
promoted and coordinated wit other rights, defended so that each one may more easily
carry out his duties.
- a command contrary to the will of God is not binding. Since we must obey God rather
than man

b. Responsibilities and duties of Civil authorities

- to ensure the common good by maintaining the personal rights and duties
- to coordinate social relations in a way that allows people to exercise
their rights peacefully without threatening others.
3. Relations between States
“ All States are by nature equal in dignity”
States are subject to rights and duties. Relationships among states must be harmonized in truth,
justice, active solidarity and freedom.

4. Faith and Action

a unity between faith and action is needed. A solid Christian education in which scientific training
is integrated with religious instructions must begin in childhood and continue through one’s life.
Dialogue and collaboration with other faiths is encouraged

GAUDIUM ET SPES

The joys and hopes, the sorrows and fears of people today, specially the poor are also the joys and
hopes, the sorrows and fears of the followers of Christ.

Key themes:
1. The human person is the centre and most important of all creation on earth. He/ she is created in the
Image and likeness of God, free, intelligent and as a social being. The voice of conscience calls each
person to love good and avoid evil. Human dignity depends on this freedom to obey one’s conscience.
2. The development of the social order for the common good must also benefit the dignity of the human
person
3. All human activity and work is part of God’s plan and will. People do God’s will when they govern the
world with justice and holiness.
4.The human person is the author of humans culture. People realize their responsibilities to build a
better world.
5. Christians have the duty to protect and encourage cultural development.
6. The human person is the source, center and purpose of all socio-political, economic life.
7. \the most important thing in economic life is the worker and human work.
8. Peace is more than just the absence of war. Real peace is based on love, harmony and trust and
justice.

Disease of the Modern world : The world is sick. Its illness consists less in the unproductive
monopolization of resources by a small number of men than in the lack of brotherhood among
individuals and peoples.

POPULORUM PROGRESSIO

Key themes;

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1. Christian vision of development cannot be limited to mere economic growth. Authentic development
must be integral. It has to be inclusive of each person and the whole humanity. Authentic development
has to be a movement from less human conditions to those which are more human.
IDEAL

LESS HUMAN MORE HUMAN

LACK OF MATERIAL NECESSITIES BASIC NEEDS FULFILLED

KNOWLEDGE AND CULTURE

DESTROYED BY SELFISHNESS RESPECT FOR THE DIGNITYOF

OTHERS

OPPRESSIVE SOCIAL
STRUCTURE COOPERATION FOR THE COMMON
GOOD

EXPLOITATION DESIRE FOR PEACE

DESIRE FOR GOD AND FAITH

2. Development demands bold transformations, innovations that go deep.

3. We have to move towards complete development of the person without also developing all of
humanity in the spirit of solidarity.
4. development is the new name for peace.

OCTOGESSIMA ADVIENIENS

Key themes:
1. Urbanization created new problems: the handicapped, elderly and marginalized have to be protected
in a competitive society.
2. The aspiration to equality and the aspiration to participation are two forms of people’s dignity and
freedom
3. Political activity should be consistent with the total vocation of humankind.
4. The Christian must make a wise choice in accordance with her faith and avoid the danger of group
selfishness and oppressive totalitarianism.

JUSTICE IN THE WORLD

Key Themes:
Action on behalf of justice and transformation of the world is a constitutive dimension of the preaching of
the gospel.

1. People and nations who suffer injustice e are voiceless and silent. The church must be prepared to
take on new functions and duties in world society, to bring about greater justice.
2. christian love of neighbor and justice cannot be separated.
3. The gospel message gives the Church the right and duty to proclaim justice and denounce instances
of injustices on the social, national and international levels and to witness to love and justice.

4. education for Justice

- demands a renewal of hearts by acknowledging both the personal and social sins
- promotes a human way of life in justice, love and simplicity
- creates a critical sense to reflect on society and its values

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 - helps persons reject values that pre vent justice
- education attempts to awaken consciousness to a knowledge of the real situations in the society
- calls for improvements in society

EVANGELII NUNTIANDI

KEY Themes:
1. Evangelizatrion is the proclamation of Christ to those who do not know him in all strata of humanitry.

Content:
a. Salvation
b. Hope
c. Total life
d. Liberation
e. Human advancement
f. integral and total
g. Evangelical Liberation
h. Centered on the Kingdom of God
i. Evangelization and Liberation must be motivated by justice and charity and its final goal must be
the salvation and happiness in God
j. Conversion
k. non-violent
l. religious liberty
Methods:
1. witness of life
2. Living Preaching
3. Liturgy of the word
4. Catechetics
5. Mass media
6. Personal contact
7. Sacraments
8. Popular piety
2. Evangelizing zeal spring from true holiness of life and the preaching must make the preacher grow in
holiness nourished by prayer AND THE holy EUICHARIST.

REDEMPTOR HOMINIS
Key Themes:
1.Redemption is the basic principle of the Church’s life and mission.
2. Because of the Incarnation of Christ, human nature is raised to a dignity that cannot be compared.
3. The church wishes that each person may be able to find Christ, in order that Christ may walk with
each person the path of life.
4. every person without exception whatever has been redeemed by Christ .
5. Christians must ask the fundamental question : Does progress make human life on earth more
human in every aspect of life?
6. Church mission : Church is responsible for the truth : Nobody can make theology as a simple
collection of his own personal ideas, but everybody must be aware of being in close union with the
mission of teaching truth for which the Church is responsible.

LABOREM EXERCENS
Key Themes:
1. Dignity of work : Gen 1:28 – that work is fundamental to human existence. “ Be fruitful and multiply
and fill the earth and subdue It” .through work, the human person becomes master of the earth in a
universal sense.
2. The human being is the subject of work . Work has an ethical dimension. The person is important,
conscious free person able to decide about self.
3. workers’ solidarity to prevent degradation

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4. To subdue the earth and to enable the human person to achieve dominion over the earth gives
dignity to human work. Although work entails heavy toil, it is worthwhile effort as it gives one a sense of
fulfillment as a human being.
5. stresses the fundamentals of “ priority of labour and capital and primacy of people over things”.
6. Spirituality of work
Human work shares in and imitates God’s activity and gives dignity.
Through human work the person shares in the creative activity of God
Christ, a man of work and in the gospels, the life of Christ is intertwined with the working world.
The Church views work as being linked with the cross and the resurrection.

SOLLICITUDO REI SOCIALIS

1. Another name of the griefs and anxieties of today is poverty and underdevelopment.
2. Development is not a straightforward PROCESS. Unless guided by moral understanding and directed
toward the common good, economic development becomes a source of oppression. People crave to
have rather than “ to be”—with few possessing a great deal and many having almost nothing.
2. guidelines : through her social doctrines she provides :” principles for reflection, criteria for
judgement, directives for action.

3. Genuine development must be achieved within nations and among nations within the framework of
solidarity and freedom.
4. \development must include respect for beings which constitute the natural world i.e. nature, natural
resources and environment.

CENTISSIMUS ANNUS
Key Themes:
1. denounces the attitude of complete reliance on the remedies proposed by socialism and capitalism
2. condems consumerism because of the harm it does to the environment
3. within the advanced economies there exists some problems that threaten and damage the spiritual
and physical health of the person
4. the phenomena of consumerism, the ecological question and huge international debt.

MAJOR THEMES FROM CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING

1. Dignity of the human person – all people are sacred, made in the image and likeness of God. People
do not lose their dignity because of their disability, poverty, age, lack of success or race. This
emphasizes the primary of people over things, being over having.

2. Community and common good – The human person is both sacred AND SOCIAL. We realize our
dignity and rights in relationship with others. The Common good is the sum total of all those conditions
of social living – economic, political, cultural – which make it possible for women and men to readily and
fully achieve the perfection of their humanity. Individual right are always experienced in the context of
the promotion of the common good.

3. Option for the Poor – a preferential love should be shown to the poor, whose needs and rights are
given special attention in the eyes of God. “ Poor “ is understood to refer to the economically
disadvantaged who as a consequence of their status suffer oppression and powerlessness.

4.Political Participation – Democratic participation in decision making is the best way to respect the
dignity and liberty of people. The government is the instrument by which people cooperate together in
order to achieve the common good.

5. Economic Justice – The economy is for the people and the resources of the earth are to be equitably
shared by all. Human work is the key contemporary social questions. Labor takes precedence over both
capital and technology in the production process. Just wages and rights of workers are to be respected.

6. Stewardship – All property has a social mortgage. All people are to respect and share the resources
of the earth. By our work we are co- creators of the continuing development of the earth.

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7. Global solidarity – We belong to one human family and as such have mutual obligations to promote
the development of peoples across the world. In particular the rich nations have responsibilities toward
the poor nations and the structures of international debt should reflect justice.

8. Promotion of Peace – Peace is the fruit of justice and is dependent upon right order among humans
and among nations. Arms race must cease and progressive disarmaments take place if the future is to
be secure. Effective international authority is necessary

9. Love and Justice are linked - love of neighbor is an absolute demand for justice, because charity
manifests itself in actions and structures which respect human dignity, protect human rights, and
facilitate human development.

10. Religious and Social Dimensions are linked – the social – human construction of the world – is not
secular in the sense of being outside of God’s plan, but is intimately involved in the dynamic reign of
God. Therefore faith and justice are linked closely together.