Abstract
Catholic social teaching contains a vast array of moral theories, but not much of applied politics. It does not give final answers but applies Christian principles to actual problems. According to Catholic social teaching, economic activity needs to be guided by clear and fair rules and the actors by fundamental principles of the dignity of the human person, the common good, solidarity and subsidiarity. But the question remains as to how far Catholic theology is equipped to address economic issues. This question is addressed in this chapter by giving a historical outline of the developments that shape Catholic social thought today.
The author would like to thank two of her Dominican Sisters: Sheeba Jem Irudayam for her very valuable assistance in preparing this article, and Madeleine Fredell for constructive feedback on the manuscript. The language has been revised by Fr. Vivian Boland, O.P.
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Notes
- 1.
Gen 2:16–17; Wis 9:16–17. Cf. Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace 2004 § 323–327.
- 2.
Mt. 25:14–20; Lk 19:12–27.
- 3.
Noteworthy is the fact that Pius did not condemn the concept of trading in slaves, only the enslavement of those who were recently baptised, who represented a very small minority of those captured and taken to Portugal.
- 4.
Callistus III in 1455; Leo X in 1515.
- 5.
For a far more extensive overview see Schuck (1991).
- 6.
- 7.
All major documents presented in the following, are freely available on the internet. The same goes for Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (2004). For readers with Scandinavian language skills, the following edition is highly recommended: Den katolska sociallären. Dokument 1891–2015 (2019). This volume brings together - for the first time in Swedish - the basic texts from Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum (1891) to Pope Francis’ Laudato Si ‘(2015). Introductions to each document are also included.
- 8.
Protecting the existence and prosperity of “our common home” are examples of themes that can be found in Populorum Progressio: The common good and the special care of the poor who suffer most from the abuse of our planet (Fredell 2020).
- 9.
Included also are bishops’ synods and bishops’ conferences without forgetting the Second Vatican Council. Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace 2004 § 87 n. 141.
- 10.
Very meagre income, serious lack of protection, job insecurity etc. (Hervada 1983).
- 11.
- 12.
Leo XIII developed Thomas’ teaching by affirming that the law of nature (natural law) includes the sacred right to acquire property, as one’s own and to possess it “by stable and perpetual right”. Rerum Novarum 11. Here after Benestad (2011 p.322).
- 13.
- 14.
These laws were adopted in 1884 and 1889.
- 15.
Besides economic life, the other actual key domains in Catholic social teaching are the following: the family, work and workers’ rights, political life and authorities, the international community and development, care for the earth, the promotion of peace.
- 16.
Mater et Magistra §§ 157–211; Caritas in Veritate §§ 10–33. See also Massaro (2012 p. 98ff).
- 17.
- 18.
- 19.
- 20.
CELAM (General Conference of Latin American Bishops). The themes for CELAM II in Medellin 1968 were radical transformation, solidarity; for CELAM III (Puebla 1979) structural injustice, preferential option. Cf. Charles (1998a pp. 231–330).
- 21.
John Paul II deliberately avoided using the term “preferential option for the poor” during the early years of his pontificate. “He perceived it as a source of potential divisiveness within the Church and society, and as identified too closely with partisan interests and ideologies such as Marxism.... [F]ear of the development of a “parallel church” emanating from within base communities fuelled concern within certain Vatican circles that the term had been interpreted as a quasi-class alignment, vis-a-vis, pitting the poor against the rich. This led to the standard Vatican practice of substituting the phrases “preferential love” or “love of preference of the poor” in place of “preferential option for the poor” in official documents, deliberately avoiding the latter phrase in writings and allocutions issued during John Paul’s early pontificate.” Op.cit Silecchia (2008 p. 104, n. 53).
- 22.
Yes, maybe even for Pope Benedict’s thoughts in Caritas in Veritate. One should not disregard his personal friendship with Gustavo Gutierrez.
- 23.
The letter also situates itself in a direct line with John Paul II’s Sollicitudo Rei Socialis.’
- 24.
For the presentation of Caritas in Veritate in this and the following paragraph cf. Massaro (2012), pp. 136–39.
- 25.
Octogesima Adveniens is not an encyclical but an Apostolic Letter – generally known as a “Call to Action on the Eightieth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum”,
- 26.
Evangelii Gaudium is not an encyclical but an Apostolic Exhortation on evangelisation. Francis’ first encyclical Lumen Fidei – published earlier the same year (2013) – was inspired by the draft of an encyclical written by Benedict XVI, which Francis rewrote and published under his own name. As such, he may have wished to signal continuity with Benedict. However, he clearly indicates that he wants Evangelii Gaudium to be programmatic of his papacy.
- 27.
“Pope says he is not a Marxist, but defends criticism of capitalism”. The Guardian. 15 December 2013.
- 28.
- 29.
- 30.
- 31.
- 32.
Humanity is the ‘way of the Church’- https://www.Catholicaustralia.com.au/church-documents/papal-documents/123-redemptor-hominis-1979-pope-john-paul-ii
Man is the way for the Church - a way that, in a sense, is the basis of all the other ways that the Church must walk- because man - every man without any exception whatever - has been redeemed by Christ, and because with man - with each man without any exception whatever - Christ is in a way united, even when man is unaware of it: “Christ, who died and was raised up for all, provides man” - each man and every man - “with the light and the strength to measure up to his supreme calling.” (Redemptor Hominis § 14).
- 33.
Beginning with the Encyclical Pacem in Terris of John XXIII, the recipients are expressly identified in this manner – usually in the initial address of such documents.
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Nilsen, EB. (2023). Economic Life and the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church. In: Kærgård, N. (eds) Market, Ethics and Religion. Ethical Economy, vol 62. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08462-1_13
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