As far as the Church is concerned, the social message of the Gospel must not be considered a theory, but above all else a basis and a motivation for action. 51. The crisis of Marxism does not rid the world of the situations of injustice and oppression which Marxism itself exploited and on which it fed. Economic activity was directed towards satisfying these needs. Gen 4:9; Lk 10:29-37; Mt 25:31-46). In this way, Pope Leo XIII, in the footsteps of his Predecessors, created a lasting paradigm for the Church. At the same time, work has a "social" dimension through its intimate relationship not only to the family, but also to the common good, since "it may truly be said that it is only by the labour of working-men that States grow rich".14 These are themes that I have taken up and developed in my Encyclical Laborem exercens.15, Another important principle is undoubtedly that of the right to "private property".16 The amount of space devoted to this subject in the Encyclical shows the importance attached to it. But pastoral solicitude also prompts me to propose an analysis of some events of recent history. 1 Cor 3:11). It came on the heels of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Moreover, the worker was not even sure of being able to sell "his own commodity", continually threatened as he was by unemployment, which, in the absence of any kind of social security, meant the spectre of death by starvation. Man was compelled to submit to a conception of reality imposed on him by coercion, and not reached by virtue of his own reason and the exercise of his own freedom. Novak, Michael. Grace, in cooperation with human freedom, constitutes that mysterious presence of God in history which is Providence. The present Encyclical has looked at the past, but above all it is directed to the future. Forbes 147 (15 April 1991) 92-93. The Pope's intention was certainly to restore peace, and the present-day reader cannot fail to note his severe condemnation, in no uncertain terms, of the class struggle.10 However, the Pope was very much aware that peace is built on the foundation of justice: what was essential to the Encyclical was precisely its proclamation of the fundamental conditions for justice in the economic and social situation of the time.11. 52. Over the past hundred years the Church has remained faithful to this duty. This doctrine is likewise a source of unity and peace in dealing with the conflicts which inevitably arise in social and economic life. In the countries of the West, different forms of poverty are being experienced by groups which live on the margins of society, by the elderly and the sick, by the victims of consumerism, and even more immediately by so many refugees and migrants. There is a growing feeling, however, that this increasing internationalization of the economy ought to be accompanied by effective international agencies which will oversee and direct the economy to the common good, something that an individual State, even if it were the most powerful on earth, would not be in a position to do. This growth can be hindered as a result of manipulation by the means of mass communication, which impose fashions and trends of opinion through carefully orchestrated repetition, without it being possible to subject to critical scrutiny the premises on which these fashions and trends are based. An insane arms race swallowed up the resources needed for the development of national economies and for assistance to the less developed nations. On the hundredth anniversary of that Encyclical I wish to thank all those who have devoted themselves to studying, expounding and making better known Christian social teaching. It has further highlighted the reality of interdependence among peoples, as well as the fact that human work, by its nature, is meant to unite peoples, not divide them. It assimilates what these disciplines have to contribute, and helps them to open themselves to a broader horizon, aimed at serving the individual person who is acknowledged and loved in the fullness of his or her vocation. Cardinal Parolin situated the theme for this year’s Centesimus Annus conference within the context of Pope Francis’s appeal during the extraordinary moment of prayer on 27 March. It clearly rejects the idea that the fall of communism reflects the victory of capitalism. These consequences are not mechanistic or fatalistic in character, but rather are opportunities for human freedom to cooperate with the merciful plan of God who acts within history. Centesimus Annus represents the beginnings of a shift away from the static zero-sum economic world view that led the Church to be suspicious of capitalism and to argue for wealth redistribution as the only moral response to poverty. Centesimus Annus is often praised—rightly, in my view—for being the modern social encyclical most attentive to economics as a social science. PRIVATE PROPERTY AND THE UNIVERSAL DESTINATION OF MATERIAL GOODS. Moreover, it is becoming clearer how a person's work is naturally interrelated with the work of others. From this open search for truth, which is renewed in every generation, the culture of a nation derives its character. It should be added that certain kinds of demands often call for a response which is not simply material but which is capable of perceiving the deeper human need. Centesimus Annus (Hundredth Year) The encyclical Centesimus Annus was written in 1991 by Pope John Paul II on the one hundredth anniversary of Rerum Novarum. Pope Paul VI, expanding the concept to cover the many modern aspects of the social question, speaks of a "civilization of love".35. It was the conflict between capital and labour, or â as the Encyclical puts it â the worker question. A person who is deprived of something he can call "his own", and of the possibility of earning a living through his own initiative, comes to depend on the social machine and on those who control it. 14. This is the place to mention once more the role of trade unions, not only in negotiating contracts, but also as "places" where workers can express themselves. May people learn to fight for justice without violence, renouncing class struggle in their internal disputes, and war in international ones. The economy in fact is only one aspect and one dimension of the whole of human activity. Directly and according to the principle of solidarity, by defending the weakest, by placing certain limits on the autonomy of the parties who determine working conditions, and by ensuring in every case the necessary minimum support for the unemployed worker.45, The Encyclical and the related social teaching of the Church had far-reaching influence in the years bridging the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. But to accomplish this, the poor â be they individuals or nations â need to be provided with realistic opportunities. The human sciences and philosophy are helpful for interpreting man's central place within society and for enabling him to understand himself better as a "social being". The Gospel parable of the weeds among the wheat (cf. Man is thus reduced to a series of social relationships, and the concept of the person as the autonomous subject of moral decision disappears, the very subject whose decisions build the social order. Sacred Scripture continually speaks to us of an active commitment to our neighbour and demands of us a shared responsibility for all of humanity. This is, in fact, a responsibility which falls not only to the citizens of the countries in question, but to all Christians and people of good will. 36. In fact, the encyclical presents a detailed critique of contemporary capitalism. If economic life is absolutized, if the production and consumption of goods become the centre of social life and society's only value, not subject to any other value, the reason is to be found not so much in the economic system itself as in the fact that the entire socio-cultural system, by ignoring the ethical and religious dimension, has been weakened, and ends by limiting itself to the production of goods and services alone.79, All of this can be summed up by repeating once more that economic freedom is only one element of human freedom. Thus a great deal of educational and cultural work is urgently needed, including the education of consumers in the responsible use of their power of choice, the formation of a strong sense of responsibility among producers and among people in the mass media in particular, as well as the necessary intervention by public authorities. No one can say that he is not responsible for the well-being of his brother or sister (cf. We are dealing with each individual, since each one is included in the mystery of Redemption, and through this mystery Christ has united himself with each one for ever.108 It follows that the Church cannot abandon man, and that "this man is the primary route that the Church must travel in fulfilling her mission ... the way traced out by Christ himself, the way that leads invariably through the mystery of the Incarnation and the Redemption".109. Centesimus Annus is often praised—rightly, in my view—for being the modern social encyclical most attentive to economics as a social science. Indeed, the key to reading the Encyclical is the dignity of the worker as such, and, for the same reason, the dignity of work, which is defined as follows: "to exert oneself for the sake of procuring what is necessary for the various purposes of life, and first of all for self-preservation".12 The Pope describes work as "personal, inasmuch as the energy expended is bound up with the personality and is the exclusive property of him who acts, and, furthermore, was given to him for his advantage".13 Work thus belongs to the vocation of every person; indeed, man expresses and fulfils himself by working. Thus it is possible to meet these new situations without degrading the human person's transcendent dignity, either in oneself or in one's adversaries, and to direct those situations towards just solutions. It is a movement which today has spread to many countries, and which, far from opposing the Catholic Church, looks to her with interest. They have no possibility of acquiring the basic knowledge which would enable them to express their creativity and develop their potential. 3. A striking example of artificial consumption contrary to the health and dignity of the human person, and certainly not easy to control, is the use of drugs. It is worth noting that this is true in contrast both to the "atheistic" solution, which deprives man of one of his basic dimensions, namely the spiritual one, and to permissive and consumerist solutions, which under various pretexts seek to convince man that he is free from every law and from God himself, thus imprisoning him within a selfishness which ultimately harms both him and others. Mt 16:19). Legitimate demands for national recovery, forms of nationalism and also of militarism, principles drawn from ancient popular traditions (which are sometimes in harmony with Christian social doctrine) and Marxist-Leninist concepts and ideas â all these mingle in the many ideologies which take shape in ways that differ from case to case. John Paul II is highly critical of communism. For many years there has been in Europe and the world a situation of non-war rather than genuine peace. Changes in the world economy since 1991. The content of the text is an excellent testimony to the continuity within the Church of the so-called "preferential option for the poor", an option which I defined as a "special form of primacy in the exercise of Christian charity".36 Pope Leo's Encyclical on the "condition of the workers" is thus an Encyclical on the poor and on the terrible conditions to which the new and often violent process of industrialization had reduced great multitudes of people. Another important aspect, which has many applications to our own day, is the concept of the relationship between the State and its citizens. By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp. It would now be helpful to direct our attention to the specific problems and threats emerging within the more advanced economies and which are related to their particular characteristics. This explains why totalitarianism attempts to destroy the Church, or at least to reduce her to submission, making her an instrument of its own ideological apparatus.92. The result of this transformation was a society "divided into two classes, separated by a deep chasm".6 This situation was linked to the marked change taking place in the political order already mentioned. If Pope Leo XIII calls upon the State to remedy the condition of the poor in accordance with justice, he does so because of his timely awareness that the State has the duty of watching over the common good and of ensuring that every sector of social life, not excluding the economic one, contributes to achieving that good, while respecting the rightful autonomy of each sector. Rerum novarum criticizes two social and economic systems: socialism and liberalism. 55. To destroy such structures and replace them with more authentic forms of living in community is a task which demands courage and patience.77. The concept of alienation needs to be led back to the Christian vision of reality, by recognizing in alienation a reversal of means and ends. 44. Therefore class struggle in the Marxist sense and militarism have the same root, namely, atheism and contempt for the human person, which place the principle of force above that of reason and law. It is also necessary that in evaluating the consequences of their decisions, these agencies always give sufficient consideration to peoples and countries which have little weight in the international market, but which are burdened by the most acute and desperate needs, and are thus more dependent on support for their development. However, the historical experience of socialist countries has sadly demonstrated that collectivism does not do away with alienation but rather increases it, adding to it a lack of basic necessities and economic inefficiency. Today we are facing the so-called "globalization" of the economy, a phenomenon which is not to be dismissed, since it can create unusual opportunities for greater prosperity. Man tends towards good, but he is also capable of evil. Indeed, she intervened in the turbulent period of class struggle after the First World War in order to defend man from economic exploitation and from the tyranny of the totalitarian systems. The commemoration of Rerum novarum would be incomplete unless reference were also made to the situation of the world today. A traditional society was passing away and another was beginning to be formed â one which brought the hope of new freedoms but also the threat of new forms of injustice and servitude. Different cultures are basically different ways of facing the question of the meaning of personal existence. From this mistaken conception of the person there arise both a distortion of law, which defines the sphere of the exercise of freedom, and an opposition to private property. This is the culture which is hoped for, one which fosters trust in the human potential of the poor, and consequently in their ability to improve their condition through work or to make a positive contribution to economic prosperity. The social order will be all the more stable, the more it takes this fact into account and does not place in opposition personal interest and the interests of society as a whole, but rather seeks ways to bring them into fruitful harmony. It is his disciplined work in close collaboration with others that makes possible the creation of ever more extensive working communities which can be relied upon to transform man's natural and human environments. Through the power of the Gospel, down the centuries monks tilled the land, men and women Religious founded hospitals and shelters for the poor, Confraternities as well as individual men and women of all states of life devoted themselves to the needy and to those on the margins of society, convinced as they were that Christ's words "as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me" (Mt 25:40) were not intended to remain a pious wish, but were meant to become a concrete life commitment. In this regard, Rerum novarum points the way to just reforms which can restore dignity to work as the free activity of man. Centesimus Annus summarises Catholic objections to communism and explains the reasons for its failure. However, he correctly judged the danger posed to the masses by the attractive presentation of this simple and radical solution to the "question of the working class" of the time â all the more so when one considers the terrible situation of injustice in which the working classes of the recently industrialized nations found themselves. Given this situation, many think that Marxism can offer a sort of short-cut for building up the nation and the State; thus many variants of socialism emerge with specific national characteristics. But if war can end without winners or losers in a suicide of humanity, then we must repudiate the logic which leads to it: the idea that the effort to destroy the enemy, confrontation and war itself are factors of progress and historical advancement.51 When the need for this repudiation is understood, the concepts of "total war" and "class struggle" must necessarily be called into question. The validity of this teaching has already been pointed out in two Encyclicals published during my Pontificate: Laborem exercens on human work, and Sollicitudo rei socialis on current problems regarding the development of individuals and peoples.4. 29. They serve the development of an authentic culture of work and help workers to share in a fully human way in the life of their place of employment.44, The State must contribute to the achievement of these goals both directly and indirectly. But this is also an invitation to "look around" at the "new things" which surround us and in which we find ourselves caught up, very different from the "new things" which characterized the final decade of the last century. 35. At times it seems as though he exists only as a producer and consumer of goods, or as an object of State administration. In this context, mention should be made of the serious problems of modern urbanization, of the need for urban planning which is concerned with how people are to live, and of the attention which should be given to a "social ecology" of work. These events, and the radical transformations which followed, can only be explained by the preceding situations which, to a certain extent, crystallized or institutionalized Leo XIII's predictions and the increasingly disturbing signs noted by his Successors. This awareness is also a source of her preferential option for the poor, which is never exclusive or discriminatory towards other groups. However, excesses and abuses, especially in recent years, have provoked very harsh criticisms of the Welfare State, dubbed the "Social Assistance State". At the root of the senseless destruction of the natural environment lies an anthropological error, which unfortunately is widespread in our day. These resources could become even more abundant if, in place of war, reliable procedures for the resolution of conflicts could be set up, with the resulting spread of the principle of arms control and arms reduction, also in the countries of the Third World, through the adoption of appropriate measures against the arms trade.60 But it will be necessary above all to abandon a mentality in which the poor â as individuals and as peoples â are considered a burden, as irksome intruders trying to consume what others have produced. In this regard, special mention must be made of volunteer work, which the Church favours and promotes by urging everyone to cooperate in supporting and encouraging its undertakings. This disarmed the adversary, since violence always needs to justify itself through deceit, and to appear, however falsely, to be defending a right or responding to a threat posed by others.54 Once again I thank God for having sustained people's hearts amid difficult trials, and I pray that this example will prevail in other places and other circumstances. The Pope also drew inspiration from the teaching of his Predecessors, as well as from the many documents issued by Bishops, from scientific studies promoted by members of the laity, from the work of Catholic movements and associations, and from the Church's practical achievements in the social field during the second half of the nineteenth century. The root of the social question from the Christian life involves a against... 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