Chapter 5

The Catholic Social Vision: Developing Catholic

Social Teaching

Introduction
Using Scripture and Tradition, the Catholic Church has continued developing and articulating a
social vision, based on a reading of the current social reality or what is often termed as the “signs
of the times.” This broad body of knowledge has come to be known as Catholic social thought,
which theologians and the magisterium have contributed to. A subset of this body of knowledge
is what is known as Catholic social teaching, which is comprised of the documents promulgated
by the magisterium, popes, or bishops. This chapter introduces students to the rich tradition of
Catholic social teaching and how it developed over time.

Learning Objectives
13. Understand the contributions and shortcomings of documents in Catholic social teaching
in their particular context
14. Trace the development and connections of these documents
15. Connect the documents from Catholic social teaching to Scripture as part of one body of
Catholic social practice

Exposition
With the release of the first encyclical by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, Catholic social thought
has continued to grow and develop in response to the changing world through the various
documents that have been promulgated by the popes, as well as released by synods and councils
of bishops. In order to articulate the Catholic social vision, these documents dealt with the
various issues of their time and used particular methods to draw out insights from Scripture,
Tradition, and human experience.

Traditionally, documents that came later would commemorate an anniversary of the

issuing of Rerum Novarum, the first document in the line of Catholic social teaching—
Centessimus Annus, for example, celebrates the hundredth anniversary of Rerum Novarum.
However, some documents would not be issued on anniversary dates due to pressing concerns,
such as the financial crisis in 2008 that delayed the release of Caritas in Veritate, or the Cuban
missile crisis in 1962 that would prompt the release of Pacem in Terris. This simply shows that
Catholic social teaching strives to continue developing and be responsive to what is happening in
the world, and to contribute to peace and justice on the local and global stage.
Three Phases of Catholic Social Teaching

Three distinct phases, marked by a dominating principle or theme, characterized the way
in which Catholic social thought developed. The first phase can be seen from Pope Leo XIII to
Pope John XXIII; their documents highlighted the need for “reasoned responses to injustice in an
ordered society.” 81 This became the foundation for the distinct ethics Catholic social thought
would advocate for, as well as began the call for social justice that was founded on right reason,
using Aquinas definitions of justice and reason.

The second phase, from Pope Pius XII to Pope John Paul II, emphasized “human dignity
and the legitimate moral claims of all persons within a globalized moral vision.” 82 There is a
shift from local and particular communities, to a global and worldwide vision of community,
with transnational agents and relationships. There is also a focus on the fundamental principle of
human dignity and the sacredness of persons, as well as the human rights and equality that flow
from this sacredness and dignity. Globalization, capitalism, and technological developments all
contributed to both human progress but also increases in poverty and injustice, particularly in the
global south.

Lastly, the third and current phase, from Pope John Paul II to Pope Francis, stresses
solidarity and mercy. 83 If the first phase highlighted the “thinking” aspect of justice, and the
second phase highlighted the importance of “seeing” the fundamental human dignity and rights
of all people regardless of race, gender, and religion, then the third phase calls for people to
“feel” the suffering and violence that people face today, addressing now the affective and
emotive roots of action for justice. 84 It is not simply about using the head, but using the heart, as
it is the heart that moves people to action.

In order to understand further the context and principles that Catholic social thought
embodies, let us proceed through the documents and see what insights and principles they
espouse, how they connect to Scripture and other parts of Tradition, and how they build on each
other over the years.

Rerum Novarum (1891)

Though Christian tradition even before this document was already engaging questions of
wealth, business, politics, and other social issues, Rerum Novarum is considered to be the first
official document that begins the tradition of the papacy and magisterium releasing documents
on particular social issues. This document in particular responds to the industrial revolution.
While this stage of human history brought many good things for commerce, it also led to terrible
working conditions that many people endured during that time, as well as wealth beginning to
concentrate in the hands of the few who owned capital. There were no labor laws that ensured

81
Bernard V. Brady, Essential Catholic Social Thought, 2nd ed. (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2017), 359.
82
Brady, 360.
83
Brady, 361.
84
Brady, 361.
safety standards or decent wages; there was also no age limit for workers, and so child workers
were also common.

Rerum Novarum (“Of New Things”) focuses on labor and private property. It argued that
the labor of the people cannot be treated as commodities, because “to do so is a denial of human
dignity and a reduction of the worker to the status of a thing.” 85 One of its enduring and best
insights is also its critique of the wage contract. Rerum Novarum argued that, while consent is an
important aspect in determining proper wages, it nevertheless is not sufficient to ensure that it is
a just wage; on the contrary, “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.” 86

It also argued for the State to take on the role of protecting the poor, insisting that the
State should intervene when necessary. 87 It also pointed to the importance of having workers’
organizations or unions as a way of protecting workers’ rights. 88 For Pope Leo XIII, the goal was
two-fold: there was a need for immediate work from the State to protect the poor, but at the same
time the wealth gap needed to be minimized by redistributing property and increasing property
ownership among the poor. Thus, the document gives a nuanced justification of the right to
private property, arguing that private property allowed people to enjoy the fruits of their labor, to
improve his or her conditions, to sustain the family, and to incentivize creativity and
development.89 God gave the earth to all for use, however, and so private property should still be
subordinated to the common good. 90

Though the document was a major step forward in advocating for justice and the poor, its
solutions were nevertheless inadequate. It did not go far enough to advocate for workers’
organizations, and the change it advocated for was a top-down approach that tended to favor
stability and order to the detriment of justice: there was a clarion call for conversion towards the
rich, while there was opposition towards any form of violent uprising or grassroots movement
among the working class or the poor. Thus, the implication was that the poor could not do much
but wait until the rich heeded the call to conversion.

Quadragesimo Anno (1931)

Pope Pius XI addressed the increasing concentration of wealth in the hands of the few,
which went hand in hand with the concentration of political power. It continues the critiques of
Rerum Novarum on capitalism and socialism and continued to advocate for a just wage and just

85
Donal Dorr, Option for the Poor and for the Earth: Catholic Social Teaching, 20th Anniversary edition
(Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2012), 20.
86
Leo XIII, “On Capital and Labor: Rerum Novarum,” Vatican.va, May 15, 1891, http://w2.vatican.va/content/leo-
xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum.html. Hereafter referred to as RN. RN 45.
87
RN 32.
88
RN 49.
89
RN 9-23.
90
RN 14.
distribution of wealth. This document, for the first time, uses the term “social justice” to describe
principles and the work towards the common good. 91

The document also introduced the principle of subsidiarity as a middle way between
individualism and collectivism and argued for the state’s duty of encouraging harmony among
various classes. 92 It proposed that workers ought to have a share in the profits and management
of a business. It also argued for a need to return to gospel principles, with love and charity
reinforcing justice. 93

It also emphasized the structural aspect of injustice, as it shifted the emphasis from the
rights of workers to the economic system at that time and discussed both individual and
structural causes of injustice, though. Lastly, it sought to respond to the critique of the escapist
spirituality Pope Leo XIII had by justifying the work for the poor and condemning such an
escapist spirituality.

Mater et Magistra (1961)

Mater et Magistra (“Mother and Teacher”) celebrates the 70th anniversary of Rerum
Novarum and addresses the situation of developing countries, particular after the de-colonization
of many countries in Africa and Asia. This was the time when western colonizers were beginning
to leave their former colonies and grant them independence. Though on the surface, this was
good for the former colonies as it meant freedom, it also left many problems such as
environmental degradation, massive debt, and people unprepared to transition to a new
government.

It reaffirmed the past teachings of Rerum Novarum and Quadragesimo Anno,

emphasizing that economic development needs to go hand in hand with social development—it
cannot be measured simply by the sum of wealth possessed by people, but measured by how
justly distributed the wealth is. 94 The document now shifts from a national or local level to an
international, global level in its focus, as it addresses relationships between nation states. It also
emphasized the need to help the poorer former colonies become thriving countries.

One major point that Mater et Magistra teaches is method: the pastoral cycle or the see-
judge-act method. This method highlights the importance of first “seeing” the situation and
context and analyzing it with the help of other disciplines such as the social sciences, “judging”
the situation in light of the gospel, and “acting” based on the first two steps. 95

91
Pius XI, “On Reconstruction of the Social Order: Quadragesimo Anno,” Vatican.va, May 15, 1931,
http://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19310515_quadragesimo-anno.html.
Hereafter referred to as QA. QA 56.
92
QA 79-81.
93
QA 136-137.
94
John XXIII, “On Christianity and Social Progress: Mater et Magistra,” Vatican.va, May 15, 1961,
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-xxiii_enc_15051961_mater.html. Hereafter
referred to as MM. MM 74.
95
MM 236-241.
 This document also emphasizes the importance of the common good and defines it for the
first time: “all those social conditions which favor the full development of human personality.” 96
At the same time, the individual is still the foundation, cause, and end of social institutions. 97
There is also a special concern for agriculture, with Pope John XXIII giving specific
recommendations: price protection, social security, and strengthening of the income of farmers. 98
This is also the first time that development is explicitly linked with peace, arguing that
preserving peace is difficult if great inequalities exist; thus, out of justice and humanity, the
richer countries ought to help the poorer countries through cooperation and without colonizing
the poorer countries’ cultures or resources. 99

The document was praised for addressing international relations and developments. At
the same time, it was critiqued for its overoptimistic tone and monolithic understanding of
injustice, which often glossed over the difficulties, particularities, and nuances the changes
recommended in the document entailed. For example, women are not really brought up as a
particular demographic that suffered injustice, nor are the responses particularly inclusive of
women. Nevertheless, the document continued to move Catholic social teaching toward being
more pro-active in protecting the interests of the poor by advocating for interventions from
various sectors of society.

Pacem in Terris (1963)

Most documents in Catholic social teaching were written to celebrate the anniversary of
Rerum Novarum. Pope John XXIII, however, wrote Pacem in Terris immediately after Mater et
Magistra because of the urgent circumstances of that time. In October of 1962, the Cuban
missile crisis occurred, with a standoff between the USA and Russia happening in Cuba due to
the discovery of a soviet nuclear installation in that area that was perceived to be a threat to
American national security. Fortunately, the situation and possibility of nuclear war was diffused
when then President John Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev came to an agreement
to remove their respective nuclear artillery from Cuba and Turkey.

In response to the terse situation, Pope John XXIII issued Pacem in Terris or “Peace on
Earth.” It was the first encyclical addressed to “all people of good will” and not just to Catholics
alone. The document outlined both human rights and duties and their importance—each person’s
rights are to be respected, but at the same time, each person is bound to particular duties. Such
rights would include a right to associate, right to proper wages, political rights, and the right to
emigrate and immigrate; a person’s duties, on the other hand, would include the duty to preserve
life and to respect other people’s rights. 100

96
MM 65.
97
MM 219.
98
MM 131-143.
99
MM 157-161.
100
John XXIII, “On Establishing Universal Peace in Truth, Justice, Charity, and Liberty: Pacem in Terris,”
Vatican.va, April 11, 1963, http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-
xxiii_enc_11041963_pacem.html. Hereafter referred to as PT. PT 11-34.
 The document also discussed the relationship of people with the state, highlighting that
people, “both as individuals and as intermediate groups, are required to make their own specific
contributions to the general welfare” and that “the attainment of the common good is the sole
reason for the existence of civil authorities.” 101 This document would begin the changes that the
Second Vatican Council would push in its documents, and thus this document marks the shift
and change of attitude of the Church toward the secular and modern world.

Gaudium et Spes (1965)

The Second Vatican Council’s documents were a definitive shift for the Church to look
outward rather than inward. Whereas before Vatican II, the Church was more inclined to think of
itself as societas perfectas (“perfect society”) with no need for help from the secular world or
treating the secular world as something that would taint the Church, Gaudium et Spes (“Joy and
Hope”) now engages the modern secular world. As mentioned in chapter three, it acknowledged
that “the joys and hopes, the griefs and the anxieties” of the people, especially of the poor, are
those of the Church as well.102

The first part of the document addresses human dignity, freedom, and conscience. The
second part addresses marriage and the family, culture, socio-economic and political life, peace,
and international cooperation. In the spirit of ressourcement and aggiornamiento, the document
addresses these various topics in light of the gospel and human experience. 103 There is a strong
use of Scripture to support the arguments made in the documents. It also continues to reiterate
the teachings such as those on proper wages, working conditions, and private property, even
adding that if a person is in extreme necessity, he has the right to take from the riches of others
what he himself needs. 104 It also reiterates the right to freely found unions and that at times,
going on strike can be a necessary, though ultimate, means to defend the workers’ rights. 105

Human rights must be upheld, with public authorities working to enforce these rights and
the common good; however, it should not be totalitarian or authoritarian rule, as this form of
government injures the rights and dignity of the human person. 106 The document heavily
emphasizes human dignity and interdependence of people.107 It reiterates the importance of the
common good and the duty of people to be a neighbor to others. 108 The document also discusses
the Church. The Church aims to create solidarity and is not committed to any particular socio-

101
PT 53-54.
102
Second Vatican Council, “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern Word: Gaudium et Spes,”
Vatican.va, 1965, http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-
ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html. Hereafter referred to as GS. GS 1
103
Ressourcement and aggiornamiento were two main themes that permeated the entire council. Ressourcement
means a “return to the authoritative sources”—namely Scripture and the writings of the Church fathers, while
aggiornamiento was a wider contextualization and renewal, a “bringing up to date” of the Catholic Church that was
not a matter of relativism, but rather an engaging of the modern secular world.
104
GS 69, citing Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica II-II, q. 66 a.
105
GS 68.
106
GS 74-77.
107
GS 12-17.
108
GS 25-27.
economic and political system—the Church learns from other disciplines and cultures. 109 The
Church acknowledges its own sinfulness and acknowledges the important role the laity have to
play, rather than just acknowledging the clergy. Lastly, building up peace, and not just an
absence of war, was an important theme, acknowledging that just defense is permissible, if
possible avoided, but not wars of subjugation, power, or control. 110

The document offers a comprehensive take on Catholic social teaching and serves as a
foundational backbone for later texts. However, it was critiqued for not adequately taking into
consideration the context of the developing countries, and not enough attention was given to
such issues as urbanization, women’s issues, the environment, wars for liberation, and race.

Populorum Progressio (1967)

Pope Paul VI addresses the issues of progress and development in Populorum Progressio
(“Development of Peoples”). It continues to respond to Mater et Magistra’s concerns, due to
Pope Paul VI not seeing much progress in development of the global south. The document lays
down criteria by which people can identify whether certain situations or conditions are
authentically human development or not:

What are less than human conditions? The material poverty of those who lack the
bare necessities of life, and the moral poverty of those who are crushed under the
weight of their own self-love; oppressive political structures resulting from the abuse
of ownership or the improper exercise of power, from the exploitation of the worker
or unjust transactions.What are truly human conditions? The rise from poverty to the
acquisition of life's necessities; the elimination of social ills; broadening the horizons
of knowledge; acquiring refinement and culture. From there one can go on to acquire
a growing awareness of other people's dignity, a taste for the spirit of poverty, (l8) an
active interest in the common good, and a desire for peace. Then man can
acknowledge the highest values and God Himself, their author and end. Finally and
above all, there is faith—God's gift to men of good will—and our loving unity in
Christ, who calls all men to share God's life as sons of the living God, the Father of
all men. 111

It reaffirmed the universal destination of goods, adding that if there are estates or lands which
impede the common good because they are extensive, unused, or poorly used, the common good
may demand their expropriation, with proper compensation.112 It also critiqued unchecked
neoliberal capitalism, as well as arguing against violence as a response to injustice. 113 The
document also outlined the three obligations of wealthier nations: the duty of human solidarity,
the duty of social justice, and the duty of universal charity; this entails not just charitable actions
109
GS 40-44.
110
GS 79.
111
Paul VI, “On the Development of Peoples: Populorum Progression,” Vatican.va, March 26, 1967,
http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_26031967_populorum.html. Hereafter
referred to as PP. PP 21.
112
PP 23-24.
113
PP 26-31.
that give from surplus, but building a world where every person, regardless of race, religion, or
nationality, can live a fully humane life.114 This would require economic sacrifice on the part of
wealthier countries.

The document continues to emphasize the need for dialogue, negotiation, and consensus,
rather than conflict or revolution. It also departs from the traditional understanding of
development as simply about economic growth and argues for an integral human development,
as described in the conditions set out in the document. However, while the encyclical advocates
for the poor, it is mostly directed at those with power, rather than the poor, and lacks any explicit
action points for the poor to mobilize or to work for justice.

<Box: The Context of Decolonization>

< While the United States generally supported the concept of national self-determination, it also
had strong ties to its European allies, who had imperial claims on their former colonies. The Cold
War only served to complicate the U.S. position, as U.S. support for decolonization was offset by
American concern over communist expansion and Soviet strategic ambitions in Europe. Several
of the NATO allies asserted that their colonial possessions provided them with economic and
military strength that would otherwise be lost to the alliance. Nearly all of the United States'
European allies believed that after their recovery from World War II their colonies would finally
provide the combination of raw materials and protected markets for finished goods that would
cement the colonies to Europe. Whether or not this was the case, the alternative of allowing the
colonies to slip away, perhaps into the United States' economic sphere or that of another power,
was unappealing to every European government interested in postwar stability. Although the
U.S. Government did not force the issue, it encouraged the European imperial powers to
negotiate an early withdrawal from their overseas colonies. The United States granted
independence to the Philippines in 1946.

However, as the Cold War competition with the Soviet Union came to dominate U.S. foreign
policy concerns in the late 1940s and 1950s, the Truman and Eisenhower Administrations grew
increasingly concerned that as the European powers lost their colonies or granted them
independence, Soviet-supported communist parties might achieve power in the new states. This
might serve to shift the international balance of power in favor of the Soviet Union and remove
access to economic resources from U.S. allies. Events such as the Indonesian struggle for
independence from the Netherlands (1945-50), the Vietnamese war against France (1945-54),
and the nationalist and professed socialist takeovers of Egypt (1952) and Iran (1951) served to
reinforce such fears, even if new governments did not directly link themselves to the Soviet
Union. Thus, the United States used aid packages, technical assistance and sometimes even
military intervention to encourage newly independent nations in the Third World to adopt
governments that aligned with the West. The Soviet Union deployed similar tactics in an effort to
encourage new nations to join the communist bloc, and attempted to convince newly decolonized
countries that communism was an intrinsically non-imperialist economic and political ideology.
Many of the new nations resisted the pressure to be drawn into the Cold War, joined in the
"nonaligned movement," which formed after the Bandung conference of 1955, and focused on
internal development.

114
PP 44-47.
The newly independent nations that emerged in the 1950s and the 1960s became an important
factor in changing the balance of power within the United Nations. In 1946, there were 35
member states in the United Nations; as the newly independent nations of the "third world"
joined the organization, by 1970 membership had swelled to 127. These new member states had
a few characteristics in common; they were non-white, with developing economies, facing
internal problems that were the result of their colonial past, which sometimes put them at odds
with European countries and made them suspicious of European-style governmental structures,
political ideas, and economic institutions. These countries also became vocal advocates of
continuing decolonization, with the result that the UN Assembly was often ahead of the Security
Council on issues of self-governance and decolonization. The new nations pushed the UN toward
accepting resolutions for independence for colonial states and creating a special committee on
colonialism, demonstrating that even though some nations continued to struggle for
independence, in the eyes of the international community, the colonial era was ending.> 115

Octagesima Adveniens (1971)

The trend toward urbanization and the 80th anniversary of Rerum Novarum prompted
Pope Paul VI to release Octagesima Adveniens (“the 80th anniversary”). Many people were now
flocking to cities to find work and live there, and many urban centers where highly congested,
with little access to basic human needs or good work for the regular human being. The document
discussed the specific problems occurring in an urban setting and highlights the important role
and needs of particularly oppressed groups such as women, workers, and migrants.

This document acknowledges that it is difficult to have one universally valid analysis of
the socio-economic and political situation of each country; thus, the document calls people to
scrutinize their own country’s and communities’ situations to discern the needed changes and the
best options to attain them. 116 It also acknowledged that there is a need for a strong political will
to move forward and make economic changes happen; this moved Catholic social teaching into
political analyses and causes of injustice, and not just economic analyses or causes.

Justice in the World (1971)

This was the first document to come from a world synod of bishops and dealt with the
subject of justice from the diverse perspective of bishops coming from all over the world. It
emphasized that “action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world
fully appear…as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel, or in other words, of
the Church’s mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every
oppressive situation.”117
115
Bureau of Public Affairs, “Decolonization of Asia and Africa, 1945-1960,” US Department of State Archive,
January 7, 2008, https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/cwr/98782.htm.
116
Paul VI, “Apostolic Letter of Pope Paul VI on the Occasion of the Eightieth Anniversary of the Encyclical Rerum
Novarum: Octogesima Adveniens,” Vatican.va, May 14, 1971, http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-
vi/en/apost_letters/documents/hf_p-vi_apl_19710514_octogesima-adveniens.html. Hereafter referred to as OA. OA
4.
117
JW 6.
 It acknowledged explicitly the structures of sin, as the bishops “perceive the serious
injustices which are building around the human world a network of domination, oppression and
abuses which stifle freedom and which keep the greater part of humanity from sharing in the
building up and enjoyment of a more just and more loving world.” 118 In response to this, it called
for the United Nations (UN) Declaration of human rights to be ratified by all nations, support the
UN efforts toward deescalating the arms race and weapons trade, and exhorted the rich towards a
simpler way of life that is less wasteful and that can share more resources with those who do not
have as much. 119

This document became an important way of describing how crucial social justice action
was in the Catholic Church’s identity and work. It was both welcomed and considered
controversial, due to the word “constitutive” that implied that without it, the Church would fail to
be itself. This reflected a deeper disagreement about what the Catholic Church’s action should be
in the face of injustice, how explicitly political it ought to be, and how temporal liberation relates
to salvation. Nevertheless, this document, especially the part that describes the work of social
justice as a constitutive part of the gospel, would become a rallying cry and manifesto for many
of those working for political and economic liberation in the Catholic Church.

Evangelii Nuntiandi (1981)

The widespread decolonization and development in countries in Asia and Africa also
prompted the Church to reflect on mission and what it meant to “preach the gospel.” This was
also in response to the critique that the colonization of countries and colonies was often
connected with and enabled by Christian mission and evangelization. Coupled with the rise of
liberation theology, this led to the development of a post-colonial response to injustice, while
seeking a way forward in terms of what the Church’s mission was in light of the present context.

Evangelii Nuntiandi (“In Proclaiming the Gospel”) offers a broad vision of

evangelization in the Catholic Church. It acknowledged that, first and foremost, evangelization
meant proclaiming the Kingdom of God, as Jesus Christ did, and thus the Church is not an end in
itself. 120 The purpose of the Church’s evangelization is to bring the good news to all, in the hope
of transforming humanity and making it new. 121 Such evangelization has both a temporal and
spiritual aspect, and so the Church works for both temporal liberation and spiritual salvation,
grounded in God’s love and accessible to all.

The document also highlights the importance to live an authentic Christian life, while
also acknowledging the role of popular religiosity, though cautioning that popular religiosity and

118
World Synod of Catholic Bishops, “Justice in the World,” Villanova University, 1971,
https://www1.villanova.edu/content/dam/villanova/mission/JusticeIntheWorld1971.pdf. Hereafter referred to as JW.
JW 3.
119
JW 61-70.
120
Paul VI, “Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Paul VI: Evangelii Nuntiandi,” Vatican.va, December 8, 1975,
http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19751208_evangelii-
nuntiandi.html. Hereafter referred to as EN. EN 8.
121
EN 18.
piety ought to lead one to God rather than lead to the creation of sects or superstitions. 122 For the
first time, it also recognized the important work and place of Basic Ecclesial Communities
(BECs) as a way of bringing people closer to Jesus Christ. Such communities work with the local
Church in their area, drawing from the Word of God, and maintaining communion with other
BECs. 123 It also understood that evangelization would lose its effectiveness if it does not
consider the people whom it addresses; thus, there is a need to meet the people where they are,
enculturating the gospel without losing its meaning and “edge.” 124 Evangelization should not be
an imposition on the conscience or on peoples, but rather a speaking of truth and invitation for
people to witness God’s love that the Catholic Church presents “without coercion, or
dishonorable or unworthy pressure.” 125

Laborem Exercens (1981)

On the 90th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, Pope John Paul II raised concerns about the
industrialization in the modern world, treating the concept of work or labor in an in-depth way in
this encyclical. Laborem Exercens (“Through Work”) highlights two main points: 1) that work is
for the human person’s growth and flourishing, and not the other way around; and 2) that labor
has priority over capital.

Pope John Paul II reiterates that man is the image of God, mandated to be stewards of
God’s creation.126 However, the current system reduces human beings to instruments of
production, which treats labor as something a worker sells to the employer. It also argued that
work is good, because it is through work that human beings can transform nature, achieve
fulfillment, share in God’s creative work, and support the family. 127 Jesus Christ himself was a
man of work, and work is necessary to build up the Kingdom of God. 128

Thus, the document reiterates what was argued for beginning in Rerum Novarum, and
that new movements of solidarity of the workers and with the workers was needed to combat the
structures that commodified both work and the people who labor. It also continued to argue for
joint ownership of the means of production, workers’ rights, the right to form unions, sufficient
wages and benefits, support for women entering the work force, and support for those in
agriculture as well as the disabled who are seeking work. 129

Lastly, though the document discusses work at length, it did not talk about the place of
leisure and rest, nor does it discuss technology and the environment much. It is a good

122
EN 41-47.
123
EN 59.
124
EN 63.
125
EN 80.
126
John Paul II, “On Human Work and on the Ninetieth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum: Laborem Exercens,”
Vatican.va, September 14, 1981, http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-
ii_enc_14091981_laborem-exercens.html. Hereafter referred to as LE. LE 4.
127
LE 10.
128
LE 25-27.
129
LE 15-22.
foundational piece on a theology of work, and the understanding of work in this encyclical
continues the tradition set forth by Rerum Novarum.

Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (1988)

Pope John Paul II continued the teaching of the Catholic Church on international
development that Populorum Progressio started by promulgating Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (“The
Social Concern”). The document argued for a fuller understanding of the concept of
development, especially since the gap between the global north and the global south continued to
widen after Populorum Progressio. 130 The Church continued to be critical against both extreme
Marxism and capitalism and emphasizes that “having” does not contribute to human flourishing
unless it contributes to a person’s “being.” 131

Authentic development understands that human beings are transcendent beings who have
both physical and spiritual needs; it also takes into account the renewability and availability of
the resources from the environment. 132 The document also cautions against imposing a particular
way of life on a community under the guise of development, arguing that people have the right to
their own full development, including the economic, social, political, and cultural aspects. 133

The document also treats structures of sin extensively, rooting them in personal sin and
concrete actions of people that have built up the structures that encourage sinful behavior:
individual actions can thus introduce negative influences that make it more difficult to do the
good, interfering with integral human development. 134 In response to these structures, Pope John
Paul II argues that the antidote would be solidarity. “Solidarity helps us to see the "other"-
whether a person, people or nation-not just as some kind of instrument, with a work capacity and
physical strength to be exploited at low cost and then discarded when no longer useful, but as our
"neighbor," a "helper" (cf. Gen 2:18-20), to be made a sharer, on a par with ourselves, in the
banquet of life to which all are equally invited by God.” 135 True liberation and development
entails overcoming the sinful structures, with the laity playing an important role in achieving
this, in cooperation with other faith groups. 136

Centesimus Annus (1991)

Centesimus Annus (“Hundredth Year”) celebrates the 100th anniversary of Rerum

Novarum and was written in light of the recent collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. It

130
John Paul II, “On the Twentieth Anniversary of Populorum Progressio: Sollicitudo Rei Socialis,” Vatican.va,
December 30, 1987, http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-
ii_enc_30121987_sollicitudo-rei-socialis.html#-1T. Hereafter referred to as SRS. SRS 4.
131
SRS 28.
132
SRS 29,34.
133
SRS 32-33.
134
SRS 36.
135
SRS 39.
136
SRS 47.
reviewed the hundred years’ worth of Catholic social teaching, and at the same time sought to
offer a synthesis in response to the current context.

Due to the collapse of communism and the question as to whether the Catholic Church
endorses capitalism then as the alternative, Pope John Paul II gives a nuanced answer. The
document encourages a “society of free work, enterprise, and participation” as an alternative to
the extreme forms of communism and capitalism. 137 Thus, the document goes on to say that it
endorses capitalism if capitalism means “an economic system which recognizes the fundamental
and positive role of business, the market, private property and the resulting responsibility for the
means of production, as well as free human creativity in the economic sector;” however, if it
means “a system in which freedom in the economic sector is not circumscribed within a strong
juridical framework which places it at the service of human freedom in its totality, and which
sees it as a particular aspect of that freedom, the core of which is ethical and religious,” then the
Catholic Church would not endorse it.138

It acknowledges that profit is an important indicator for businesses, but that it is not the
only one, nor should it be the primary one; rather, the life of the human beings involved and
affected, as well as the environment, should be equally, if not more important. 139 It also critiques
a consumerist lifestyle that prioritizes “having” over “being” and alienates people from their
work, from creation, and from each other. It continues to teach on the option for the poor, the
role of the State in helping the poor and regulating the economy, and the importance of caring for
the whole human person; however, the document’s critique of socialism may have been colored
by the pope’s Polish experience and could sometimes come off as a caricature of socialism.

Caritas in Veritate (2009)

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and the 40th anniversary of Populorum
Progressio, Pope Benedict XVI released Caritas in Veritate (“Charity in Truth”), which
critiqued the prevailing financial and economic system. It argues that “charity in truth, to which
Jesus Christ bore witness by his earthly life and especially by his death and resurrection, is the
principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all
humanity.” 140 Charity is love that is received and given to others, and for Pope Benedict XVI,
charity demands justice. 141 It is through this demand of justice in charity that people can strive
towards the common good and pursuing authentically humanizing development goals. 142

137
John Paul II, “On the Hundredth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum: Centesimus Annus,” Vatican.va, May 1, 1991,
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_01051991_centesimus-annus.html.
Hereafter referred to as CA. CA 35.
138
CA 42.
139
CA 35.
140
Benedict XVI, “On Integral Human Development In Charity and Truth: Caritas in Veritate,” Vatican.va, June 29,
2009, http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-
veritate.html. Hereafter referred to as CV. CV 1.
141
CV 6.
142
CV 5-7.
 Pope Benedict XVI raises concerns about certain circumstances that can hinder integral
human development. This would include social or cultural norms,an “excessive zeal” for
protecting knowledge and intellectual property to the point that the poor cannot access much
needed healthcare or technology, or the outsourcing of production to places where there are
lower labor costs that can artificially depress wages. 143 He thus argues that “without internal
forms of solidarity and mutual trust, the market cannot completely fulfil its proper economic
function.”144 He also points out that the transactional or commercial logic that governs the
economy is not enough to attain the common good; rather the logic of gift and the principle of
gratuitousness is also needed.145 Though there is a need for contracts as a way of regulating the
economy, there is also a need for “just laws and forms of redistribution.”146

It emphasizes that businesses ought to be in service to the community, adding that

“business management cannot concern itself only with the interests of the proprietors, but must
also assume responsibility for all the other stakeholders who contribute to the life of the
business: the workers, the clients, the suppliers of various elements of production, the
community of reference.” 147 Speculative use of financial resources ought to be avoided, and
investments should be placed wisely, in consideration of the effects on the community. 148

The document also pointed out the need for responsible family planning and procreation,
as well as discussed the importance of cooperation, as well as participation, freedom, and human
dignity through the principle of subsidiarity. 149 It also addresses the need for technology,
development aid, and international tourism for poorer countries and communities, though again
cautioning against a neo-imperialist or neo-colonialist attitude towards developing countries and
communities. Thus, technology has a proper place in human development, and should not be
seen as something to be used to become extremely individualistic or isolationist.

The document emphasizes that the decisions people make have an ethical aspect, and that
economic and political acts are also moral acts that have an effect on other people. What one
buys or consumes could support particular businesses or particular people over others: for
example, buying local or from a second hand store versus buying from an international and
brand-new store will have implications about what resources from the environment are used, and
to whom the money will go to. Thus, in making decisions, there is a need for discernment,
undergirded by a “Christian humanism that enkindles charity and takes its lead from the
truth.” 150

Laudato Si’ (2015)

143
CV 22.
144
CV 35.
145
Ibid.
146
CV 37.
147
CV 40.
148
Ibid.
149
CV 53-57.
150
CV 78.
 The latest encyclical in Catholic social teaching focused on the environment due to the
growing concern on climate change and environmental degradation. Laudato Si’ (“Praise Be”) is
the first encyclical that treated the environment as its main theme rather than as a peripheral
issue, though Centesimus Annus and Caritas in Veritate both discussed the environment in
relation to work, globalization, and business. The document heavily emphasizes the
interrelatedness of social justice and environmental justice—that it is one big complex problem
rather than two separate problems. 151 It also heavily used science and data to discuss the
problems plaguing the environment, which was an important move forward in the relationship
and dialogue between faith and science.

The document argues that the environment is not simply a resource that humans have
dominion over—rather, the environment has intrinsic value.152 Though the document also
repeats the idea of human beings being stewards of God’s creation, the document nevertheless
argues that the rest of creation is subordinated to human beings and cannot be treated as if they
were absolute property of people. 153

The document thus challenges people to be creative in creating solutions for the problems
of today’s society. It also warns against two problems: the technocratic paradigm that assumes
human beings will continue to progress and that any advancement in technology is progress, and
the throwaway culture that simply discards everything and everyone if they are not useful. 154
Pope Francis uses the term “integral ecology to describe the response to this one complex
environmental and social crisis. An integral ecology takes into account the environment,
economic factors, the common good, and culture in addressing the crisis. 155 It also argues for a
solidarity not just with people today but also those in the future—an intergenerational justice.156

The document then ends with several lines of action. It discusses the need for dialogue
among the international community and among local communities and between economics and
politics, as well as more transparency and better decision-making in creating policies that will
affect this crisis. 157 It advocated for an ecological education as well as a spirituality that allowed
for an ecological conversion, supported through the sacraments. 158

Conclusion

Catholic social teaching will always encounter new situations and challenges, but the
documents and principles that make up the foundation of Catholic social teaching will always be
the same and will be what animates the approach and response of the Catholic Church to new

151
Francis, “On Care for Our Common Home: Laudato Si’,” Vatican.va, May 24, 2015,
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-
si.html. Hereafter referred to as LS. LS 49.
152
LS 69.
153
Ibid.
154
LS 20-22; 102-114
155
LS 137-158.
156
LS 159-162.
157
LS 164-198.
158
LS 203-221.
contexts and the changing times. Thus, it is important to know the documents of Catholic social
teaching, what they say, and how they are applied to a particular situation. These documents did
not come out of nowhere; they are the product of much theologizing and are an objection to the
injustices the

After going through the documents that make up the body of Catholic social teaching,
several principles can be said to be the fundamental “building blocks” of Catholic social
teaching. These principles serve as the foundation of the encylicals, where many encyclicals
derive their arguments from, and where many encyclicals and teachings on specific issues will
go back to. We will tackle these principles in the next chapter, as well as see how they are lived
out in the Philippine context.