Brief Historical
Outline of Key
Issues in
CATHOLIC SOCIAL
TEACHING
Donal Dorr
1891 Pope Leo XIII: Rerum Novarum
(The first Major Social Encyclical):
SRONG DEFENCE OF (European)
WORKERS against Exploitation of poor
(industrial) workers by Uncontrolled
Capitalism. Right to Strike
But because his fear of
Communism, Anarchy and
Revolution he gave priority to
value of STABILITY over the value
of Justice. So “Submit – your
reward will be in Heaven”
1931 Pope Pius XI, Quadragesimo
Anno: Radical Alternative to
Capitalism and Socialism – partly
similar to Fascism – Mussolini, Franco,
Salazar. Leaning far more to the Right
than to the Left
1945-1958: Pope Pius XII: Fear of
Communism so settle in practice for
“democratic” capitalism; warn against
giving undue power to the State.
Therefore, hostile to “Welfare State”
1958-1963: John XXIII, the peasant
pope. He realized that in practice
CST was being used as an ideology
of right-wing politics.
So 1961: Mater et Magistra: Radical
Change. Welfare State necessary.
A Shift to the Left?
A move away from the Right
Church gets new enemies, new allies;
“Mater Si, Magistra no!”
“Christians for Socialism”
1965: Vatican II: “Church in
Modern World” (GS): Church
Willing to Relinquish Privileges so
as to be Free to offer Prophetic
Challenge.
State should take over Latifundia
= unused huge tracts of land
1967: Paul VI: Populorum Progressio:
Integral Development
Global development
1971: Octogesima adveniens:
Economic problems require political
solutions
Inductive (bottom up) approach
Subsidiarity: Different areas, need
different solutions.
1971: Synod of Bishops: “Justice in
the World” – see previous talk
1971: Pope John Paul II:
“Redeemer of Humankind”
A Christian Humanism: “The Way
to God is through humankind”
1981 “On Human Work”:Dialogue
with Marxism e.g. about
alienation and about struggle
1987 “Concern” (SRS): Solidarity
1990: “Message for World Day of
Peace”: A Major Document on Ecology
• Integrity of Creation
• But perhaps too much focused on
welfare of Human
• What about Intrinsic Value of
Animals, Forests etc?
1991: Centesimus Annus: What
was he really saying? Weigel and
right-wing USA Catholics interpret
the pope as condemning Welfare
State and defending capitalism
I see him as asking us to go
beyond hand-out welfare to
empowering the poor
2005: Pope Benedict XVI: Deus
Caritas Est: “God is Love”
Church’s focus should be mainly
on Charity rather than Justice
Leave justice to action of lay
people in personal capacity.
Call for Caritas agencies to focus
more on welfare than justice.
More power to Vatican Cor Unum
than to Caritas Internationalis
2007: Caritas in Veritate, “The
Truth in Love” :
“Economy of Communion”
alongside purely commercial
business, as model and challenge.
Very important.
But continuing serious
reservations about Liberation
and struggle of the marginalized
for justice. Fear of revolution
ROLE OF WOMEN:
1890-1965 “Woman’s Place is in
the Home”
Vatican II 1965: Outside but ….
John Paul II: 1981-2005:
Equal – reinterpret Scripture
But: Nature of Woman,
no Ordination
Ratzinger-Benedict: Infallible
Pope Francis: New approach , but …??
PEACE
Traditional: Just War
John XXIII: 1963: Human Rights
linked to Peace
Vatican II: Condemned use
of nuclear WMD; omitted
liberation struggles
Paul VI: Development
the new Name for Peace
J P II: Condemned Iraq war
2013: Ecology and Peace: Resource war
2013: Peace and Lampedusa
2013: Pope Francis:
A Radical New Approach
– we Hope and Pray.
Consultation
Collegiality
Role of Women
Ecology