Catholic Social teaching sums up the teachings of the church on issues
of justice between groups in society. It seeks to bring the light of the
Gospel to bear on social justice issues that arise in the complex network
of relationships in which we live.
The documents below provide a general introduction to Catholic Social
Teaching.
Click here for links to the major international Catholic Social Teaching
Documents.
Major International Catholic Social Teaching Documents
The following documents are widely considered to be the most important
teaching documents from the Popes, Second Vatican Council and Synods of
Bishops, that address social justice issues at the international level.
Click here for
a printer friendly reference list or follow the links below for the full
text of each document.
Rerum
Novarum Issued by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, this encyclical letter
explores the conditions of the working classes in the wake of the industrial
revolution.
He sets out the rights and duties of workers, employers and governments.
Quadragesimo
Anno Pope Pius XI issued this encyclical in 1931 to mark the fortieth
anniversary of Rerum Novarum. He rejected both unfettered
liberalism, and the totalitarian forms of government that were emerging
in the Post War period, introducing the principle of subsidiarity into
Catholic teaching.
Mater
et Magistra Pope John XXIII issued this encyclical letter on Christianity
and social progress in 1961. He saw poverty and inequality as international
questions requiring the solidarity of the whole human family.
Pacem
in Terris This 1963 encyclical letter from Pope John XXIII focuses
on issues of peace in a nuclear age. Addressed to all people of good will,
it reflects in detail on human rights.
Gaudium
et Spes The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the
Modern World was issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1965. Its presentation
of the
role of the Church in the world marked a major development in the understanding
of the place of work for justice in the mission of the Church.
Populorum
Progressio Pope Paul VI’s 1967 encyclical introduced the
idea of integral human development. Noting the disparities in wealth between
countries as the process of decolonization progressed, it declared development
to be the ‘new name for peace’.
Octogesima
Adveniens In this 1971 Apostolic Letter Pope Paul VI reflects
on the challenges of post-industrial society and the inadequacy of ideologies
to address them.
Justicia
in Mundo The 1971 Synod of Bishops issued
this statement on justice in the world. They proclaim work for the
promotion
of justice to be an
essential part of the mission of the Church.
Evangelii
Nuntiandi Pope Paul VI’s 1974 Apostolic
Exhortation on evangelization in the modern world remains a landmark
document in the understanding
of the dimensions of the mission of the Church. It affirms the witness
of life as the first means of evangelization.
Laborem
Exercens Pope John Paul II issued this encyclical
on human labour to mark the ninetieth anniversary of Rerum Novarum.
It is
notable for
its well developed spirituality and philosophy of work.
Sollicitudo
rei Socialis Pope John Paul II’s
1987 encyclical on social concerns marks the twentieth anniversary
of Populorum Progressio.
It examines the nature of development and economic progress and emphasizes
the virtue of solidarity.
Centesimus Annus Pope John Paul II’s last major social encyclical
was issued in 1991 to mark the one hundredth anniversary of Rerum Novarum.
It reflects on the collapse of the Soviet Union and the role of culture
in authentic human development.
