The Second Vatican Council was a complete revamping of the Church’s views and sentiments towards issues both spiritual and social. Many refer to it as the Church’s rebirth, as it brought back many lost followers who had strayed away from the faith. While arguably the most famous or popular moment of renewal in Church history, it was not the first action taken by the Church to bring about change.

Catholic Social Thinking, put together by the Church, is the body of principles and teachings concerning the opposite extremes of poverty and wealth, the economy, the organization of society, and the role of the state. In 1891, Pope Leo XIII wrote his encyclical Rerum Novarum (“On the Condition of Workers”), perhaps the most document of Catholic Social Thinking.

In summary, Rerum Novarum:

  • -affirms the right to private property
  • -defends the right of workers to a living wage (minimum wage, as we call it now)
  • -defends workers’ right to form a union
  • -declares that the state may intervene in the economy to defend/benefit workers
  • -distinguishes the family as the primary unit in society
  • -reaffirms the essential role of religion in constructing a just society
  • -condemns violent revolution and class warfare, some major tenets of communism

On the 40th anniversary of Leo XIII’s encyclical, Pope Pius XI wrote Quadragesimo Anno (“On the Reconstruction of the Social Order”) to commemorate it. In his encyclical, Pope Pius XI reaffirmed many of the same points as Pope Leo XIII. However, he also introduced the principle of subsidiarity, which teaches that social issues should be dealt with on the lowest level possible. Basically, this means that you should ask what someone really needs before you do something charitable because they might not be able to use what you assume they need.

Quadragesimo Anno also taught that Justice and Charity should dominate society. Social Justice attacks the root causes of problems in order to improve structures. Charitable Works help those who are struggling to meet their basic needs.

Other important encyclicals are written by Pope John XXIII, who would call for the Vatican II council shortly after. In 1961, on the 70th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, he wrote Mater et Magistra (“Mother and Teacher”), which said that the state should and must intervene in matters of housing, health care, and education. Two years later, in 1963, he wrote Pacem in Terris (“Peace on Earth”). It was the first document from the Church to be addressed to “all men of good will.” This encyclical discussed our basic human rights and the responsibilities that come with them, as well as explained the conditions we must meet for world peace.

Some key points of Catholic Social Thinking are:

  • Human Dignity — Along with the rest of creation, all people were made in the likeness and image of God. Therefore, all humans deserve the same amount of respect.
  • Solidarity — We are taught to see the world as one global family. We are brothers and sisters.
  • Care for Creation / Stewardship — God chose to share his creations with us, so it is our duty to care for the environment.
  • Common Good — We cannot be selfish. What we do has to be done for the greater good of all, not just ourselves.
  • Subsidiarity — Those closest to a particular problem or issue must be consulted before anyone else tries to intervene.
  • Worker Rights
  • The dignity of Work and Workers
  • Concern for the Poor
  • Family Community Participation

 

We are responsible for the world and the people who live in it. Each of us has to do our own part in making sure that creation and society are maintained.