Church’s Social Justice Teachings

Included here are synopses of some of the Catholic Church’s Social Justice teachings.

Further information can be obtained by viewing www.osjspm.org/cst/doclist  which also includes notable quotations from each document.  (These synopses were sourced from the above website.)

Rerum Novarum (on the condition of labour) – Pope Leo XIII, 1891

This seminal work on modern Catholic social thought addresses the plight of the industrial workers in the wake of the Industrial Revolution.  It calls for the protection of the weak and the poor through the pursuit of justice while excluding socialism and class struggle as legitimate principles of change.  It affirms the dignity of work, the right to private property and the right to form and join professional associations.

Quadragesimo Anno (after forth years) – Pope Pius XI, 1931

Writing in response to the alarming concentration of wealth and power in the socio-economic realm, Pius XI calls for the re-establishment of a social order based on the principle of subsidiarity.  In commemorating the 40^th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, this encyclical reaffirms the need for a social order animated by justice.

Mater et Magistra (Christianity and Social Progress) – Pope John XXIII 1961

Applying the teachings of his predecessors to modern problems and affirming the role of the Church as a teacher, and as a nurturing guardian of the poor and oppressed, John XXIII calls for a greater awareness of the need for all peoples to live as one community with a common good.  Special attention is focussed on the plight of the farmers and farm workers in depressed rural, agricultural economies.

“Covering the entire spectrum of relations between individuals, between the individual and the community and between nations, John XXIII affirms the inviolability of human rights.  Peace, based on mutual trust can be well-founded only if undergirded by a unity of right order in human affairs arising from a genuine respect for and adherence to the law of God.”

Guadium et Spes (Pastoral constitution on the Church in the Modern World) – Vatican Council II 1965

Calling for a new sense of service by the Church in a rapidly changing world, the Council presents the ethical framework of the Church’s commitment to pastoral work in the world.  This servant Church addresses itself to the real concerns and problems faced by Christians living in the modern age and calls for a development based on an unqualified acceptance of the inherent dignity of the human person.

Populorum Progressio (on the Development of Peoples) – Pope Paul VI, 1967

Calling attention to the worsening marginalisation of the poor, Paul VI presents the various dimensions of an integral human development and the necessary conditions for growth in the solidarity of peoples.  Only with an accompanying theological reflection on liberation from injustice and genuine human values can there be true development towards a more human condition.

Octogesima Adveniens (A call for action) – Pope Paul VI 1971

Realising the need for a genuine renewal in domestic and international societal structures, Paul VI calls on Christians to live up to the duty of participation in social and political reform as a way of discovering the truth and living out the Gospel.

Justicia in Mundo (Justice in the world) – Synod of Bishops 1971

Calling attention to the structural roots of injustice afflicting human relations, the Bishops declare that action in the pursuit of justice and participation in the transformation of the world are constitutive elements in the Church’s mission of preaching the Gospel.

Laborem Exercens (On human work) – Pope John Paul II 1981

Exhorting Christians everywhere to be involved in the transformation of existing socio-economic systems, John Paul II presents work as a fundamental dimension of human existence through which the ‘social question’ must be viewed.  The meaning of work can only be properly understood when the dignity of labour is taken as an underlying premise.

Solicitudo Rei Socialis (on social concern) – Pope John Paul II, 1987

Expanding on the notion of development in Populorum Progressio, John Paul II reviews the state of world development in the previous two decades.  The moral nature of development leading humanity to the ‘fullness of being’ is emphasised.

 SOME SOCIAL JUSTICE REALITIES

DID YOU KNOW? (January 2006)

Did you know that for many Indigenous Australians, 26^th January (Australia Day) is an occasion to reflect on past loss and suffering.  There are also those in the wider community who share these mixed emotions about our national day.  Australia Day is an important annual opportunity to recognise the honoured place of indigenous Australians in our nation’s history, to promote understanding, respect and reconciliation and to acknowledge that Australia Day evokes a variety of emotions.

(Source:  Social Justice Diary 2006 – Australian Catholic Social Justice Council)

DID YOU KNOW?  (Dec 2005)

Did you know there is a Movement that challenges us to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas?  It is called “Buy Nothing Christmas Movement”.  It challenges us to avoid becoming consumers who exist only to buy and produce.  So this Christmas be a rebel: take back your identity as a person.  Alternatives include making gifts, recycling old treasures, giving vouchers or gifts to charity and starting new traditions of sharing memories.   (http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/index.html)

DID YOU KNOW?  (November 2005)

Did you know that 25^th November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.  The UN has described violence against women as an obstacle to the achievement of equality, development and peace.  Some of the women especially vulnerable are women from minority groups, indigenous women, refugee women, migrant women and women in situations of armed conflict.  Trafficking in women is another form of violence and is not only confined to developing countries.  

(Source:  Social Justice Diary 2005 – Australian Catholic Social Justice Council)

Did you know that people within our sugar communities are experiencing added pressures and challenges as a result of industry changes?  In recognition of this, Centacare has been funded to provide a community-based support and counselling service to both the Herbert and the Burdekin.  The service is free, confidential and available to all individuals, families or groups who are experiencing difficulties as a result of the reform processes. (Source:  Centacare Townsville)