“The Rock, His work is perfect, for all his ways

are justice. A God of faithfulness and without

iniquity, just and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of
your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go
before you.” (Psalm 89:14)

Pope Leo XIII

Original name Vincenzo Gioacchino
Pecci, (born March 2, 1810, Carpineto Romano, Papal States—died July 20, 1903,
Rome), head of the Roman Catholic Church (1878–1903) who brought a new
spirit to the papacy, manifested in more conciliatory positions toward civil
governments, by care taken that the church not be opposed to scientific
progress and by an awareness of the pastoral and social needs of the times.
He is called the first modern pope by many historians, because he was
the first Roman Pontiff who dared
tackle the real problems that
Rerum Novarum is a foundational afflicted the world of his times.
text of the Catholic religion. It is an These problems were mainly social in nature.
encyclical that was issued by
These problems were seen by the church as new
Pope Leo XIII in 1892. An encyclical is a letter
intended for the bishops, archbishops and other to her or as New Phenomena (res novae). The
leaders of the Catholic Church, and it states the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century
position of the Church on matters of importance
demanded urbanization and an expanded work
to the people. Rerum Noverum was issued in
response to the class conflicts that arose in the force. Cities grew around industrial sites. Myriads
wake of industrialism capitalism, and it of workers flocked to these industrial centers,
addressed the conditions of the working class
hoping to find work and better income. This
and the relationship between the capital and
labor. (https://bit.ly/2ZHF33o) situation brought about problems in living and
working conditions. Inadequate housing,
unwholesome lifestyle, and unfair labor practices became commonplace. The pope saw the
issue as mainly a labor question and its cause as basically structural injustice.
The central them of the first social encyclical letter on the Condition of the Working
Classes Rerum Novarum (On New Things) in May 15, 1891 was the just ordering of society,
starting with an examination of the conflict between capital and labor. The pay that workers
were receiving failed to give them a decent standard of living. This called for a restructuring
of human society. The essential question was how wages should be determined.
Wages cannot be decided arbitrarily by those who provide capital, or simply by
following the economic law of supply and demand. Labor is more important than capital.
Capital is material possession that enhances human nature. Labor is, first and foremost, “truly
personal, because work energy inheres in the person and belongs completely to him by whom
it is expended and for whose use it is destined by nature.” (RN 62) Moreover, labor is also
“necessary, because man has need of the fruit of his labors to preserve his life.” (RN 62) In
other words, capital does not bear the imprint of the human person, while labor possesses
such an imprint. Therefore, labor must be properly compensated because
it shows who a person is. “The wage shall not be less than enough to How does Rerum Novarum
characterize labor and capital? What
support a worker who is thrifty and upright.” (RN 63) Hence, proper wage is just wage? How should it be
is one that is “sufficiently large to enable him to provide comfortably for determined?

himself, his wife, and his children.” (RN 65) Rerum Novarum further
teaches that sufficient wage is one that should provide a prudent and
thrifty laborer “the possession of a little wealth.” (RN 65)
In conclusion, for Pope Leo XIII, the needed social structuring, in response to the
demands of justice, can be done by providing laborers with a proper wage – one that should
enable a thrifty and upright worker to provide a decent standard of living for his family,
including the possession of some private property.

Pope Pius XI
Original name Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, (born May 31,
1857, Desio, Lombardy, Austrian Empire [now in Italy]—died February 10,
1939, Rome, Italy), Italian pope from 1922 to 1939, one of the most
important modern pontiffs. His papal motto, “Pax Christi in regno Christi”
(“The peace of Christ in the kingdom of Christ”), illustrated his work to
construct a new Christendom based on world peace.
He is the next issue a major social document, the encyclical letter
on Social Reconstruction QUADRAGESIMO ANNO (The Fortieth
Anniversary of Rerum Novarum), May 15, 1931. He shared the same
passion as Leo XIII for the plight of the poor worker. For Pius XI the
social issues confronting the Church of his time were:
Wealth had come to be concentrated in the hands of a relatively small number of people. (See
QA 105)
1. This concentration of wealth had led to a concentration of economic power and even of
political power. (See QA 105-108)
3. While the condition of workers in the West had improved since the time of Leo XIII, there
was a vast increase in the number of very poor industrial workers in other parts of the world.
(See QA 59)
4. There was widespread unemployment. (See QA 74)
Pope Pius XI criticized both socialism and capitalism as not respectful of inherent
human rights. Socialism denies the natural right to private property. The Pope asserts: “The
abolition of private ownership would prove to be not beneficial but grievously harmful to the
working classes.” (QA 44) Capitalism instead fosters unbridled competition, which ends up in
the economic and political dictatorship of the mighty few who survive the brutal fight for
supremacy.
The Holy Father has proposed a system that would promote social justice and the
eventual enhancement of the common good. “In
other words, the good of the whole community
Pius XI begins Quadragesimo
Anno by honoring and summarizing must be safeguarded. By these principles of
Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum (1891). He social justice, one class is forbidden to exclude
recalls that Leo faced the Industrial
Revolution, which contributed to inordinate
the other from a share in the profits.” (QA 57)
wealth for a few and wretched working This system should have the following
conditions for the majority. Leo critiqued both characteristics:
economic liberalism and socialism as found in the
late nineteenth century, and he advised away
from class struggle and toward recognition of
1. There should be reestablishment of
mutual complementariness. Many applauded vocational groups, that is, groups organized
Leo’s reflections, but some remained critical. according to \ “industries and
Before defending Leo from his critics, Pius first
highlights the benefits that had flowed from professions”. (QA 82)
Leo’s foundational encyclical.
(https://bit.ly/2TOHNbA) 2. Professional corporations or labor unions
may take a variety of forms, “provided that
proper regard is had for the requirements of
justice and of the common good.” (QA 86)
3. Wages should be determined not “for the sake of personal gain and without regard
for the common good,” (QA 74) but “to offer to the greatest possible number the
opportunity of getting work and obtaining suitable means of livelihood.” (QA 74)
4. The principle of subsidiarity should always be respected: No larger or higher
association should arrogate to itself “what lesser and subordinate organizations can
do.” (QA 79)
In conclusion, for Pope Pius XI, the prevalent socialist and How does Quadragesimo Anno evaluate
capitalist systems do not conform to the demands of social justice. capitalism and socialism as economic systems?
What system will promote social justice and the
In order to address the overwhelming problems of widespread eventual enhancement of the common good?
What situation/s can we use to illustrate the
poverty and unemployment due to the concentration of wealth and principle of subsidiarity?
power in the hands of a few, the professional guilds of all, that
organized people according to their work skills and occupations, must be revived. Hopefully
this revival, based on the principle of subsidiarity, will bring about greater employment and
spreading of wealth to as many as possible.
 St. John XXIII
Original name Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, (born November 25,
1881, Sotto il Monte, Italy—died June 3, 1963, Rome; beatified
September 3, 2000; canonized April 27, 2014; feast day October
11), one of the most popular popes of all time (reigned 1958–
63), who inaugurated a new era in the history of
the Roman Catholic Church by his openness to change
(aggiornamento), shown especially in his convoking of
the Second Vatican Council. He wrote several socially important
encyclicals, most notably Pacem in Terris.
He was the next Roman Pontiff who wrote
profoundly on social issues. He issued, in fact, not just one but
two major social encyclicals: MATER ET MAGISTRA (May 15, 1961) and PACEM IN TERRIES
(April 11, 1963). Although he convoked the Second Vatican Council, his teachings can still be
considered pre-Vatican because his social encyclical letters came out before any Vatican II
document.
“The 1960’s bring promising prospects: recovery after the devastation of the war, the
beginning of decolonization, and the first signs of a thaw in the relations between American
and Soviet blocks. This is the context within which St. John XIII reads deeply the signs of the
times.” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, n. 94) St. John XIII has realized that
the social question has reached universal proportions. The agricultural problems, regional
development issues, rapid population growth, and the
need for global economic cooperation are concerns for all
Mater et Magistra was promulgated
nations of the world. May 15, 1961. It deals with Christianity
and social progress. The Church is a Mother and
“St. John XIII, in his Encyclical Mater et Magistra Teacher of mankind, Pope John XXIII says, rather
(Mother & Teacher), aims at updating the already known than an enforcer of orthodoxy. Although the
documents and at taking a further step forward in the Church's first concern is the soul, it also concerns
itself with the body. The Church's practice of
process of involving the whole Christian community. The charity reflects Christ's command to love others.
key words in the Encyclical are community and John praises Rerum Novarum and its efforts to
socialization: the Church is called in truth, justice, and love Christianize the working classes and have the
Chruch become a champion and defender of the
to cooperate in building with all men and women an oppressed. (https://bit.ly/2ZFyOx1)
authentic communion. In this way economic growth will
not be limited to satisfying men’s and women’s needs, but
it will promote their dignity.” (Compendium, n. 95)
“With the Encyclical Pacem in Terris (Peace On Earth), St. John XIII brings to the
forefront the problem if peace in an era marked by nuclear proliferation. Moreover, Pacem in
terris contains one of the first in-depth reflections on rights on the part of the Church; it is the
Encyclical of peace and human dignity. It emphasizes the importance of the cooperation of all
men and women. It is the first time that a Church document is addressed to all men of good
will, who are called to a great task: to establish with truth, justice, love, and freedom new
methods of relationships in human society. In addition, St. John XXII stresses the necessary
relationship between order and peace. It deals with four levels in human relationships: (1) The
order between human beings (no. 8-45); (2) The relations between individual and public
 authorities (no. 46-79); (3) The relationship between States (no. 80-129); and (4)
The relationship between human beings and
the political communities with the world
Pacem in Terris: The early 1960’s communities (no. 130-145).
saw the world facing the grim reality of
the Cold War and the nuclear arms race, with the
According to the Pope that if we want
threat of a nuclear holocaust.
The Berlin Wall, constructed in 1961, had become peace, then, we must pursue a certain order,
a chilling symbol of the polarization of relations that s a moral order. The following statements
between the Soviet Union and the Western
capitalist nations. The Cuban missile crisis in 1962 will serve us as a beautiful summary of the
had brought the world to the very brink of war, document:
and Pope John XXIII had been personally
involved as a correspondent between President“The order which prevails in society is by nature
John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita
Khrushchev. This alarming event, however, moral. Grounded as it is in truth, it must
precipitated an eloquent response from the function according to the norms of justice, it
Vatican in the form of the encyclical Pacem in
should be inspired and perfected by mutual
Terris. Issued on April 11, 1963, at the start of the
love, and finally it should be brought to an ever
Easter weekend, the encyclical was addressed to
not only the Catholic community, or even just the
more refined and human balance in freedom”
Christian community, but also “all men of good
will.” It acknowledged peace as a goal and (no. 37). “Now an order of this kind, whose
necessity that transcended all denominational
principles are universal, absolute and
and national boundaries, and it appealed to all on
the level of common humanity. unchangeable, has its ultimate source in the
(https://bit.ly/2M2uWOx)
one true God, who is personal and
transcendent human nature. Inasmuch as God
is the first truth and the highest Good, He
alone is that deepest source from which human society can draw its vitality, if that
society is to be well ordered, beneficial, and in keeping with social dignity" (no. 38).
Further, in this document, commends Christians who dedicated their lives in the
establishment of peace, he also exhorts other Christians to join in this mission. The Pope says,
“The world will never be the dwelling place of peace, till peace has found a home in the heart
of each and every man, till every man preserves in himself the order ordained by God to be
preserved” (no. 165). He adds, “Peace is but an empty word, if it does not rest upon that order
founded by truth, built upon justice, nurtured and animated by charity, and brought into
effect under the auspices of freedom” (no. 166). His stresses that peace cannot be achieved
unless God helps” (no. 167).
In conclusion, St. John XXIII saw the signs of the times within the
social arena in universal cooperation so as to solve the problems posed by What is the role of the civil
authorities in facilitating
agriculture, development, and population growth. Only such socialization collaboration, cooperation,
can bring about communion in the community of nations. “One important communion, and socialization
among people? How is it to be
element on St. John XXIII’s conception of the world is his insistence that men of good will? Are you a man
people have to work together for the common good and that this of good will?

collaboration is to be facilitated by the civil authorities.” (Donal Dorr, Option

for the Poor and for the Earth: Catholic Social Teaching, Quezon City, Claretian Publications,
2013, page 91).

THINGS TO REMEMBER
What are the key points in Pope Leo XIII Rerum Novarum ?

Pope Leo XIII Rerum Novarum stresses the need for the restructuring human society in response to
the demands of justice which may be done by providing laborers with the wage that is enough for
them and their family to live a decent standard of living and the capacity to possess some private
property.
What social teachings are discussed in Pope Pius XI’s Quadragesimo Anno ?

Pope Pius XI’s Quadragesimo Anno attributes unjust poverty and unemployment to the concentration
of wealth and power in the hand of a few, a condition caused by the socialist and capitalist systems.
The Pope suggested the revival of the professional guilds based on the principle of subsidiarity and
hoped that this initiative will bring about greater employment and the spreading of wealth to as many
as possible.

What social teachings are discussed in St. John XXIII’s Mater et Magistra ?

St. John XXIII’s Mater et Magistra challenges the entire Church to embrace truth, justice, and love to
cooperate in building with all men and women an authentic communion which safeguards not only
responding to everyone’s needs but also respecting everyone’s dignity.

What social teachings are discussed in St. John XXIII’s Pacem in Terris ?

St. John XXIII’s Pacem in terris emphasizes the importance of the cooperation of all men and women;
thus, this is addressed to all men of good will, who are called to a great task: to establish with truth,
justice, love, and freedom new methods of relationships human society. This insistence for people to
work together for the common good is to be facilitated by the civil authorities.

How can we create a culture of sharing amidst the materialistic and profit-oriented way of modern
living?

We can create a culture of sharing by undergoing personal attitudinal transformation. We can

strengthen our resolve to become “cheerful givers” and not “craving getters” to our neighbors; let us
attitudinally transform ourselves from being Avaricious to Austere, from being Big-mouthed to being
Big-hearted, form being Covetous to being Contented, and from Divisive to
being Different.