Encyclicals on

Social IssuesHumprey Ian O. Sagabaen

BSED-RVED 3

Ecclesiology

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(Of New Things)

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

(In the 40th Year)

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

(On Human Work)

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

(Hundredth Year)

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

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