Catholic Social Teaching

Modern Catholic Social Teaching develops from the teachings of Pope Leo XIII. His famous letter on social teaching, titled “Rerum Novarum” was issued in 1891 and dwelt with changes in the economic system and social life at the time. Pope Leo sought to address changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution with insights from the work of St Thomas Aquinas. The focus is on humans as “people” rather than “objects” or “ideas.” People have worth and are owed certain things by justice. People are not here to be used or exploited. Since the time of Pope Leo, the Church has issued a great many authoritative documents on aspects of the economy and society. Among these documents are: Pacem en Terris, Populorum Progressio, Economic Justice for All, and Caritas en Veritate. These documents form what is known as Catholic Social Teaching. Looked at as a whole we can identify seven basic principles of social doctrine: a) The Dignity of the Human Person, b) Subsidiarity between units of society, c) Rights have corresponding Responsibilities, d) a Preferential Option for the Poor, e) Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers, f) Solidarity among peoples, and g) Stewardship of the Environment.