Over the course of the Church’s history, many documents have played a large role in the influencing of church adaptations and people’s lives today. Catholic Social Teaching is the backbone of how one should interact with their modern society and with others. It touches base on aspects such as charity, community participation, human dignity, and so forth. Some documents show of great significance within Catholic Social Teaching. Examples of these include the Quadragesimo Anno, Octogesima Adveniens, and the Evangelium Vitae.
The Quadragesimo Anno was written by Pope Pius XI in May 1931 in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Rerum Novarum. This document was in response to the Great Depression which had begun in 1929 and had drastically changed the world. In Europe, the Depression showed its impact as democracy had declined and dictators had begun to take on the power. Pope Pius XI was alarmed by this concentration of power and called to have social order be put back in place through the introduction of subsidiarity. Subsidiarity was the principle that called for a social problem to be resolved initially on local levels and then expanding. This had an impact on the people as it was a calling for Christians to return to the Gospel and its principles during times of division and hierarchy. Christians during that time would have been advocates for charity and justice to be sources of hope and light.
The Octogesima Adveniens, translating to “A Call to Action”, was written in May of 1971 by Pope Paul VI. This was written in response to the problems caused by urbanization. Urbanization caused social problems such as loneliness and problems for those marginalized in society (the youth, women, elderly, disabled, etc). It was a calling for Christians to challenge said injustices in society, and in doing so, focus on political and social actions. This had an impact on people as it provided them with the duty to respond to injustice through the participation in political and social reform. This would be of great significance as it would be a way for those to find out the truth and live out the Gospel in their everyday lives.
The Evangelium Vitae was written in 1995 by Pope John Paul II. This document was written in response to a growing refusal to acknowledge the right to life globally. He touches base on increasing numbers of abortions, euthanasia, the death penalty, and torture during the time. In this, Pope John Paul II calls for Christians to examine our conscience, and the aspect of it that supports the normalization of “sinful” actions. It drives home the point that life is precious and sacred in the eyes of God and should be the same within ours. This had an impact on people as it was a calling for the faithful to follow the gospel, and oppose all aspects that threaten sacred life. This is apparent in today’s society as there are many activists that call for abortion to be illegal or others that call for more funding being placed into care for the less fortunate. For instance, within my school community, we often do canned food drives to provide the poor with meals during the holiday times. This is fulfilling the call to care for sacred life and allows us to view others as equal as we all are humans trying to aid one another.
Rerum Novarum helped the Church shift its approach to helping the poor and vulnerable people. What shift was made and how do you see this present in the Church today?
During the late 19th century, the industrial revolution and political change had swept across Europe. The power of employers was evident during this time as poverty struck many workers. This was because of money-hungry employers exploiting the vulnerable working minority. Pope Leo XIII, was concerned with the events unfolding around him and wrote the encyclical Rerum Novarum. The encyclical, published on May 15, 1891, provided a voice for those affected and targeted by social injustice. In his document, a few this he argued for were the recognition of human dignity, the right to private property, the rights of labour over capital, and organizations for the common good. This interference with the Pope and the working world during this time was a stepping stone for the church and its voice in social ordeals and issues.
The movement had created a great shift within the relationship of the church and the modern world. This encyclical opened the door for the church and its members as it allowed them to examine the issues of evident social injustice. Social injustice goes against the basis of Catholic Social Teachings as we are called to treat our neighbours as we would like to be treated. The seven important themes of Catholic Social Teachings include human dignity, community and participation, care for God’s creation, dignity in work, peace and reconciliation, solidarity and common good and charity These themes have been apparent in the church and today’s society for quite sometimes as generations of social activists have been inspired to engage with social issues. We are taught through schooling, scripture and the church of the importance to help one another, and these themes play a large role in our lives. For example, George McGraw is the Executive Director of DIGDEEP, Right to Water Project in Los Angeles and the founder of 4liters.org. George uses the Catholic Social Teaching theme of human dignity in modern society to advocate for the building of sustainable water solutions for those globally. It is these themes that blossomed from Pope Leo XIII’s initial argument against social injustice that aid in us doing the same in today’s present day.