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Sollicitudo Rei Socialis Short Analysis
Sollicitudo Rei Socialis Short Analysis
In Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, Pope John Paul II celebrates the twentieth anniversary of
Populorum Progressio by updating the Church’s teaching on the “development of
peoples” and changes that took place in the preceding two decades.
Lack of adequate housing, unemployment and international debt all threaten humanity;
hitting affluent and poor nations alike. These three phenomenons were characteristic of
the 1960s and 1970s when despite praiseworthy efforts, the conditions for many became
notably worse.
the gap between developed and developing countries continued to widened in a variety
of areas, including: the production and distribution of goods, hygiene, health and housing,
availability of drinking water, and working conditions (especially for women).
the cold war hampered the development of many nations in the southern
hemisphere. Instead of becoming autonomous nations concerned with their own progress,
developing nations were pawns in the battle between the West and the East. (The opening
of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, the treaty of September 12, 1990, mark the end of
the Cold War. - Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation.
All rights reserved.)
One area that seems to transcend ideological differences between the East and the West
was the arms trade. Instead of using resources to help alleviate the misery of people
around the globe, funds and energy are used to stockpile arms to try and gain the upper
hand in the Cold War. The new phenomenon of terrorism, which is explicitly forbidden
in Christianity, also threatens the safety and security of society.
TRIVIA - 1987 is the International Year of The Homeless in the U.S.
CONCLUSION:
Twenty years after The Development of Peoples, Pope John Paul II celebrates that
encyclical of Paul VI with a strong statement updating the Church’s teaching on international
development. The document reflects the severity of global economies at the end of the 1980s,
with debt, unemployment, and recession seriously affecting the lives of millions not only in the
developing countries but also in the more affluent countries. It echoes several of the justice-
related themes addressed by the Pope in his worldwide travels.
2. Focus or concern –
Main points:
3. Guiding Principles –
John Paul II notes that one of the guidelines in forming the Church’s social doctrine is the
option or (preference) for the poor. Christian charity has long recognized the importance
and primacy of this option which inspires us to help the hungry, the needy, the homeless,
those without medical care and, above all, those without hope of a better future.
Development must respect one’s religion and way of life, while also promoting human
rights. The Church is obligated, by her vocation, to relieve the misery of the suffering
and work within a hierarchy of values to provide the basic needs of humanity. The
Church promotes human dignity and solidarity in the process of development. She
proclaims the truth about Christ and applies this truth to the world situation.
Believing humans are made in the image and likeness of God,[31] Catholic
doctrine teaches to respect all humans based on an inherent dignity. According to John
Paul II, every human person "is called to a fullness of life which far exceeds the
dimensions of his earthly existence, because it consists in sharing the very life of
God."[32] Catholics oppose racism and other forms of discrimination.
Every person has a fundamental right to life and to the necessities of life. In
addition, every human has the right to what is required to live a full and decent life,
things such as employment, health care, education]. The right to exercise religious
freedom publicly and privately by individuals and institutions along with freedom of
conscience need to be constantly defended. In a fundamental way, the right to free
expression of religious beliefs protects all other rights.
The Church supports private property and teaches that “every man has by nature
the right to possess property as his own." The right to private property is not absolute,
however, and is limited by the concept of the social mortgage.[40] It is theoretically moral
and just for its members to destroy property used in an evil way by others, or for the state
to redistribute wealth from those who have unjustly hoarded it.[10]
Through our words, prayers and deeds we must show solidarity with, and
compassion for, the poor. When instituting public policy we must always keep the
"preferential option for the poor" at the forefront of our minds. The moral test of any
society is "how it treats its most vulnerable members. The poor have the most urgent
moral claim on the conscience of the nation. We are called to look at public policy
decisions in terms of how they affect the poor."
Pope Benedict XVI has taught that “love for widows and orphans, prisoners, and
the sick and needy of every kind, is as essential as the ministry of the sacraments and
preaching of the Gospel”.[43] This preferential option for the poor and vulnerable includes
all who are marginalized in our nation and beyond—unborn children, persons with
disabilities, the elderly and terminally ill, and victims of injustice and oppression.
Dignity of work
Society must pursue economic justice and the economy must serve people, not the
other way around. Employers must not "look upon their work people as their bondsmen,
but ... respect in every man his dignity as a person ennobled by Christian character.”
Employers contribute to the common good through the services or products they provide
and by creating jobs that uphold the dignity and rights of workers.
Workers have a right to work, to earn a living wage, and to form trade union and
to protect their interests. All workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair
wages, and to safe working conditions. Workers also have responsibilities—to provide a
fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay, to treat employers and co-workers with respect, and
to carry out their work in ways that contribute to the common good. Workers must "fully
and faithfully" perform the work they have agreed to do.
Solidarity
All the peoples of the world belong to one human family. We must be our
brother's keeper,[48] though we may be separated by distance, language or culture. Jesus
teaches that we must each love our neighbors as ourselves and in the parable of the Good
Samaritan we see that our compassion should extend to all people. Solidarity includes the
Scriptural call to welcome the stranger among us—including immigrants seeking work, a
safe home, education for their children, and a decent life for their families.
Stewardship of creation: The world's goods are available for humanity to use only
under a "social mortgage" which carries with it the responsibility to protect the
environment. The "goods of the earth" are gifts from God, and they are intended by God
for the benefit of everyone. Man was given dominion over all creation as sustainer rather
than as exploiter, and is commanded to be a good steward of the gifts God has given him.
We cannot use and abuse the natural resources God has given us with a destructive
consumer mentality. Catholic Social Teaching recognizes that the poor are the most
vulnerable to environmental impact and endure disproportional hardship when natural
areas are exploited or damaged.