Catholic Social Teaching
Timeline through the Documents
Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, 1891
(Of New Things)
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Context: Industrial Revolution leads to
exploiting workers.
Message:
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First comprehensive document of social justice.
Defends workers’ rights based on natural law.
Rights include work, private property, just wage,
workers’ associations.
Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno, 1931
(The Fortieth Year)
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Context: Fortieth anniversary of Rerum Novarum; Great
Depression underway; dictatorships growing in Europe.
Message:
 States need to reform greedy capitalist systems to which
they have become slaves.
 Communism dangerous because condones violence and
abolishes private property.
 Labor and capital need each other.
 Workers need just wage to acquire private property.
 International economic cooperation urged.
 Principle of “subsidiarity” introduced.
John XXIII, Mater et Magistra, 1961
(Mother and Teacher)
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Context: Science and technology advance in developed
nations, while millions live in poverty in Third World.
Message:
 Disparity between rich and poor nations must be
addressed.
 Arms race contributes to poverty.
 Economic imbalances cause threat to peace.
 Rich nations must help poor ones while respecting
culture.
 Nations are interdependent and need to cooperate.
 Catholics should know social teaching and be active.
John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, 1963
(Peace on Earth)
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Context: Cold War, erection of Berlin Wall (1961),
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).
Message:
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Peace ensured through social rights and responsibilities-between people; between citizens and public authorities;
between states; among nations.
World needs to recognize rights of women.
Arms race goes against justice, reason and human dignity.
United Nations needs to be strengthened
Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, 1965
(Church in the Modern World)
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Context: Continuing Cold War and arms race.
Message:
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Church is not separate from the world, but
intimately intertwined with it.
Assesses the rapid cultural changes and
technological advances in the light of the Gospel.
Overall warm and optimistic tone, but reflects
pastoral concern for faith, family, transcendent
destiny of man.
Paul VI, Octogesima Adveniens, 1971
(The Coming Eightieth Year)
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Context: World verging on recession. In U.S., see
civil rights and women’s movements, Vietnam war
protests.
Message:
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Urbanization has presented problems, especially the “new
poor” – cities’ elderly, handicapped and marginalized.
Discrimination continues based on race, color, sex,
religion.
Christians called to engage political process to address
injustices, applying gospel principles.
Synod of Bishops, Justice in the World, 1971
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Context: Political upheavals of 60’s.
Increased focus on “liberation” especially in
Latin America.
Message:
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Structural injustices and oppression must be met
by liberation rooted in justice. God is “liberator
of the oppressed.”
Church must speak on behalf of the oppressed, be
a witness for justice.
Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, 1975
(On Evangelization in the Modern World)
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Context: Rising atheistic secularism, consumerism,
growing consciousness of evil of oppression.
Message:
 Evangelization crucial in a de-Christianized
world.
 Witness of evangelization should permeate
judgment, values, interests, thought, lifestyle.
 Evangelization includes challenging injustice and
preaching liberation.
John Paul II, Laborem Exercens, 1981
(On Human Work)
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Context: Great numbers of people are unemployed,
migrant workers exploited. Both capitalist and
communist systems exploiting the worker.
Message:
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Work is part of man’s vocation and dignity, participation
in God’s creative work. Has spiritual dimension.
Decent wages, rights and benefits of worker must be
assured.
Work must serve the family, with special consideration for
working mothers.
Steps must be taken to assure that disabled can participate
in dignity of work.
U.S. Bishops, Economic Justice for All, 1986
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Context: In U.S., 33 million poor, 20-30 million
needy, 8 million unemployed.
Message:
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Inequalities of income, consumption, privilege and power
should be examined.
The poor should have most urgent claim on conscience of
nation.
Employment policy, tax and welfare systems, farm
support, role of U.S. in world trade should be examined.
Church must model justice in wages, management and
investment.
John Paul II, Solicitudo Rei Socialis, 1987
(On Social Concern)
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Context: World economy in flux – debt,
unemployment and recession hitting both rich and
poor nations.
Message:
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Critiques economic gap between northern and southern
hemispheres and global debt. Should be one united
world.
East-West tensions and competition block world
cooperation and solidarity.
Critiques consumerism and waste, as well as international
trade practices that hurt developing nations.
John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, 1991
(The Hundredth Year)
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Context: 100th anniversary of Rerum Novarum.
Collapse of communism in Eastern Europe.
Message:
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Critiques fundamental error of communism – atheistic view
of humanity.
Gives qualified support to free market as most efficient
system for utilizing resources and responding to needs. Free
market also recognizes freedom of human person.
Warns against consumerism, as well as making capitalist
system an all-encompassing ideology.
John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 1995
(The Gospel of Life)
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Context: Prevalence of “culture of death” –
abortion, euthanasia, death penalty.
Message:
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Gives overview of threats to human life both past and
present, and brief history of the many Biblical
prohibitions against killing.
Speaks out against abortion, euthanasia and the death
penalty.
Calls for a “culture of life” embracing truth, life and love.
Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, 2005
(God is Love)
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Context: First Encyclical of Benedict XVI.
Comes in the midst of a culture of relativism.
Message:
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Encyclical divided into two parts:
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Part One: Explains the true meaning of love and
shows how human love is raised up, not destroyed,
by divine love.
Part Two: Affirms the Church’s irreplaceable
vocation to carry the charity of Christ into a world in
need.
Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, 2009
(Charity in Truth)
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Context: Worldwide economic crisis centered on
weakness in financial institutions and the collapse of
the housing market.
Message:
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True human development requires charity lived out in
truth, including respect for the common good, religious
freedom, and the sanctity of human life. Only an
economy of communion, a business ethic centered in
persons and not in profit, will be a sufficient response to
the present economic and financial crisis.