Post on 15-Jul-2015
What is an Encyclical?
An encyclical is originally a circular letter
sent to all the churches of a particular
area in the ancient Catholic Church (can
refer to a letter sent out by any bishop.)
Comes from the Latin encyclicus (from the Greek ἐν κύκλῳ en kykloi) meaning
general or encircling
What is a Papal Encyclical?
A papal encyclical is a letter, usually
treating some aspect of Catholic doctrine
Sent by the Pope
Addressed either to the Catholic bishops
of a particular area or to the bishops of
the world
The form of the address can vary widely,
and often designates a wider audience
Rerum Novarum
This encyclical is acknowledged as the first to address social issues. It is in response to the conditions faced by workers following the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Issues it addresses include unbridled capitalism, socialism, the relationship between worker and employer, a living wage, the relationship between classes and the preferential option for the poor.
Rerum Novarum (from its first two words,
Latin for "of revolution") or "Rights and
Duties of Capital and Labor" is an
encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on May
15, 1891. It was an open letter, passed to
all Catholic bishops, that addressed the
condition of the working classes.
Message: Rerum Novarum is subtitled "On the
Conditions of Labor." In this document, Leo set out the Catholic Church's response to the social conflict that had risen in the wake of industrialization and that had led to the rise of socialism. The Pope taught that the role of the State is to promote social justice through the protection of rights, while the Church must speak out on social issues in order to teach correct social principles and ensure class harmony.
He restated the Church's long-standing
teaching regarding the crucial
importance of private property rights, but
recognized, in one of the best-known
passages of the encyclical, that the free
operation of market forces must be
tempered by moral considerations:
"Let the working man and the employer make free agreements, and in particular let them agree freely as to the wages; nevertheless, there underlies a dictate of natural justice more imperious and ancient than any bargain between man and man, namely, that wages ought not to be insufficient to support a frugal and well-behaved wage-earner. If through necessity or fear of a worse evil the workman accept harder conditions because an employer or contractor will afford him no better, he is made the victim of force and injustice."
Rerum Novarum is remarkable for its vivid
depiction of the plight of the nineteenth-
century urban poor and for its
condemnation of unrestricted capitalism.
Among the remedies it prescribed were
the formation of trade unions and the
introduction of collective bargaining,
particularly as an alternative to state
intervention.
The encyclical declared private property
a fundamental principle of natural law.
Rerum Novarum has therefore been
interpreted as dramatically adapting
Thomistic ideas about property, as the
Pope attempted to shift the class
alliances of the church, by an allegiance
with the bourgeoisie, in the face of the
perceived threat of socialism.
Rerum Novarum also recognized that the
poor have a special status in
consideration of social issues: the modern
Catholic principle of the "preferential
option for the poor" and the notion that
God is on the side of the poor were
expressed in this document.
Quadragesimo Anno an encyclical issued by Pope Pius XI on 15
May 1931, 40 years after Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum
discusses the ethical implications of the social and economic order
describes the major dangers for human freedom and dignity arising from unrestrained capitalism and totalitarian communism
calls for the reconstruction of the social order based on the principle of solidarity and subsidiarity
Private Property private property is essential for the
development and freedom of the individual
denial of private property is denial of personal freedom and development
also has a social function, it must be subordinated to the common good, if not, it loses its morality
therefore governments have a right to pursue redistribution policies, in extreme cases, the Pope recognizes that the state has the right to expropriate private property
Capital and Labor determination of fair wages
three elements determine a fair wage:
the worker's family responsibilities – has an innate right to development
the economic condition of the enterprise –sound
economy as a whole – functioning
solidarity not conflict is a necessary condition, given the mutual interdependence of the parties involved
Social Order Industrialization resulted in less freedom at the
individual and communal level because numerous free social entities got absorbed by larger ones
a society of individuals became a mass and class society
people are much less interdependent than in ancient times and become egoistic or class-conscious in order to save some freedom for themselves
Communism and Socialism Pius XI condemns communism but also the social
conditions which nourish it
he wants moderate socialism to distance itself from totalitarian communism as a matter of convenience and also as a matter of principle, in light of the dignity of the human person
dignity and human freedom are ethical considerations which cannot be solved from a hostile class confrontation
ethics are based on religion and this is the realm where the Church meets industrial society
Tripartist Corporatism
a social structure in which government,
industry, and labor work together in
concert as part of a third way between
capitalism and communism
was widely adopted in the fascist nations
of Catholic Europe
Tripartist Corporatism
Franklin D. Roosevelt also had high praise for the encyclical and quoted it extensively on the evils of concentrated economic power
after World War II, Christian Democratic political groups, many of them strongly influenced by Catholic social teaching, worked to institute tripartist "neo-corporatist" or "social corporatist" systems in much of Europe
Laborem Exercens
an encyclical written by Pope John Paul II
in 1981, on human work
commemorates the 90th anniversary of
Rerum Novarum
revisits the rights and dignity of workers
examines the opposition between those
who contribute capital to the production
process and those who contribute labor
Laborem Exercens
John Paul II develops a spirituality of work,
considering work to be “a key, probably
the essential key, to the whole social
question”
he was not able to issue the document in
time for the May 15 anniversary because
of an attempt on his life on May 13, 1981;
he published Laborem Exercens a few
months later, in September 1981
Man's Dignity in Work the subordination of work to man
the primacy of the worker over the whole of instruments and conditioning that historically constitute the world of labor
the rights of the human person as the determining factor of all socio-economic, technological and productive processes, that must be recognized
and some elements that can help all men identify with Christ through their own work.
After Rerum Novarum
problems concerning employment and
labor have not ceased to remain of
importance to the Church
work has changed since the industrial
revolution and technological and
innovative advances are accelerating
that change
Laborem Exercens focuses on the dignity
of human work in the contemporary world
it is not the role of the Church to
scientifically analyze the consequences of
these changes on society, but instead to
call attention to the dignity and rights of
those who work and to help guide society
to authentic progress
Work as an Integral Part of
Human Nature
since the beginning, work has been a
fundamental dimension of human
existence on earth (as revealed in
Genesis)
even though the command to Adam and
Eve to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the
earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28) didn’t
explicitly refer to work, it certainly
indicates work is good for people
earlier injustices against workers have
ended as a result of worker solidarity, yet
some flagrant injustices persist
it is the duty of the Church to help the
poor and weak, especially those whose
dignity has been violated
Formation of Family Life
a natural right and something that humanity is called to
work allows for the creation of a family by providing subsistence
it must be seen as a privileged expression of human activity as it is an example of human creation in the image of the creator and not to be viewed solely in economic terms
Labor and Capital
the Church has always held to the
principle of the priority of labor over
capital
yet capital cannot be separated from
labor, and we are reminded that
everything that is at the service of work is
the result of work
Private Property
private property has never been
understood to imply a conflict between
labor and capital
people ought to use their private property
in a way that benefits the common good
Employment
rational planning and proper organization
should be used to limit underemployment
it is a disconcerting fact that while many
natural resources are not used, there are
many people who are unemployed or
underemployed and many people who
are hungry
Just Wage
employers must compensate their
employees for work with an amount that
will be enough to properly maintain a
family and provide security for its future
Labor or Trade Unions workers must also have the right of
association to form labor or trade unions
this right is not limited to certain types of workers – unions have formed among agricultural workers, white-collar workers, and employers
can be mouthpiece for the struggle for social justice
Should have a concern for the common good by promoting wise politics
Labor or Trade Unions
Pope John Paul affirmed the right of
unions to strike—"This method is
recognized by Catholic social teaching as
legitimate in the proper conditions and
within just limits" — but "the strike weapon"
is an extreme means that should rarely be
used
Dignity of Agricultural Work The Pope asserted the dignity of agricultural
workers, and some particular difficulties and injustices they face, these include: greater isolation
hard physical toil
inadequate wages, benefits, and training
oppression of those who actually cultivate the soil by wealthy landowners.
there is a need to restore to agriculture—and to rural people—their just value as the basis for a healthy economy, within the social community's development as a whole
Disabled Persons society must also prevent discrimination
against disabled persons and allow them to attain employment
"The disabled person is one of us and participates fully in the same humanity that we possess.“
John Paul acknowledged costs and other barriers, but believes these can be overcome when communities work together with worker’s rights being a priority
Emigration and Work John Paul expressed concerns about the
phenomenon of people who emigrate, either permanently or seasonally, in search of work: emigration means a loss to the person’s country
of origin
cultural adjustment is often difficult
people working away from their country of origin may be vulnerable to exploitation
each country should have laws to protect the rights of immigrant workers, so that they receive equal treatment
Spirituality of Work John Paul encouraged the Church to
develop and teach a spirituality of work. He suggested the following components of this: human work and rest are a sharing in the
activity of God, the Creator
work is following in the footsteps of Jesus, a carpenter, and the Apostle Paul, a tentmaker; many other examples of various occupations are given in the Old and New Testaments
“by enduring the toil of work in union with Christ crucified for us, man in a way collaborates with the Son of God for the redemption of humanity"
Centesimus Annus was written in 1991 by Pope John Paul II on
the one hundredth anniversary of RerumNovarum.
it came on the heels of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union
in it John Paul II seeks to conduct a “re-reading” of Pope Leo’s landmark encyclical to re-discover the richness of the fundamental principles in which Rerum Novarum dealt with the condition of workers and the economy as a whole
Dignity of Workers and Right to
Private Property
John Paul II reemphasizes the main focus
of Rerum Novarum - the dignity of the
worker, and therefore the dignity of work
he also mentions the right to private
property (referring to land ownership) and
the right to establish professional
associations
Just Wage
“society and the state must ensure wage
levels adequate for the maintenance of
the worker and his family, including a
certain amount for savings”
the Church must continue to defend the
weakest and ensure the necessary
minimum support for the unemployed
worker
Other General Principles
The right to establish professional
associations of employers and workers
(#3).
The right to private property (#6).
Other General Principles
The right to living liberally and not just
temporally.
The right to discharge freely one's religious
duties/ freedom of religion.
Other General Principles
The kingdom of God cannot be confused
with any temporal kingdom (#25).
To defend and promote the dignity and
rights of human persons regardless of
personal convictions (#22).
References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadragesimo_Anno
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laborem_Exercens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centesimus_Annus
http://www.cacatholic.org/index.php/resources/catholic-social-teaching/social-encyclicals/33-centesimus-annus
http://www.cacatholic.org/index.php/resources/catholic-social-teaching/social-encyclicals/35-laborem-exercens-on-human-work