Re-thinking Solidarity as a Principle of Catholic Social Teaching: Going Beyond Gaudium et spes and the Social Encyclicals of John Paul II

2008 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 525-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uzochukwu Njoku
1984 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-79
Author(s):  
Miroslav Volf

Last year John Paul II published his encyclical, Laborem exercens (LE), and Roman Catholic social teaching was so much the richer for it. Only his illness prevented the encyclical from being published on the day of the ninetieth anniversary of the first encyclical on the question of work, Rerum novarum (1891), written by the great pope of the ‘social question’, Leo XIII. LE was intended to contribute to the ‘immortal fame of the encyclical, Rerum novarum’, as Pius XI said of his encyclical Quadragesimo anno (1931). This indicates a basic continuity of LE with the developments in Roman Catholic social teaching set in motion by Rerum novarum. In fact John Paul II explicitly states his intention to remain in organic connexion with these developments. And indeed, with respect to the content of the encyclical, one finds hardly anything fundamentally new.


Horizons ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (01) ◽  
pp. 7-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Sniegocki

ABSTRACTNeoconservative interpreters of the social ethics of Pope John Paul II have made the claim that John Paul shifted the tradition of Catholic Social Teaching in the direction of an embrace of “democratic capitalism” and other neoconservative ideals. This article challenges those claims. Major differences between the social ethics of Pope John Paul II and those of neoconservatives such as Michael Novak, George Weigel, and Richard John Neuhaus are highlighted. These differences include contrasting assessments of current forms of capitalism and of economic globalization, as well as differing views concerning economic democracy, economic rights, consumerism, the significance of structural injustice as a cause of poverty, the proper economic role of the state, the value of the United Nations, the importance of lifestyle simplification, and the urgency of ecological issues. An understanding of these major differences is essential in enabling Catholic Social Teaching to play a truly prophetic and constructive role in responding to current global crises.


Exchange ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 403-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge E. Castillo Guerra

This article searches for contributions provided by the social teaching of the Roman Catholic Church to avoid suffering and death under migrants, that, following Pope Francis, are provoked from a ‘culture of rejection’. From an interdisciplinary approach this article facilitates the assessment of mechanisms that generate these situations. It also focuses on the ethical and theological criteria of the Catholic social teaching to achieve a culture of encounter and acceptance of migrants and refugees.


2017 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Shields Wright

Catholic social teaching (CST), a branch of moral theology, addresses contemporary issues within the political, economic, and cultural structures of society. The threefold cornerstone of CST contains the principles of human dignity, solidarity, and subsidiarity. It is the foundation on which to form our conscience in order to evaluate the framework of society and is the Catholic criteria for prudential judgment and direction in developing current policy-making. With knowledge of these social principles, in combination with our faith, we will be more armed and informed as to articulate the Catholic vision of reality, the truthful nature of the human person and society, to apply and integrate the social teachings in our everyday administrative and clinical encounters, and through the virtue of charity take action within the social, political, and economic spheres in which we have influence. Summary The Church's social encyclicals are a reflection upon the issues of the day using the light of faith and reason. They offer commentary on the ways to evaluate and address particular social problems—also using natural law principles—in the areas of politics, economics, and culture. Quotes were selected from the encyclicals that define and expand upon the primary principles for the purpose of representing them for study, reflection, and use in everyday personal and business encounters and decision making for healthcare professionals.


10.23856/3408 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 68-73
Author(s):  
Jan Mazur ◽  
Władysław Majkowski ◽  
Hameni Blaise

The presented text is an attempt to answer the question: how was understood the social and political ethics by the Priest Professor Józef Majka (1918-1993) - one of the leading minds of Catholic social teaching in Poland? It is, of course, about capturing the specificity of this understanding, comparing it with the perspectives of other outstanding authors. Views of Priest Majka on this subject were included mainly in His book: Social and Political Ethics (1993). In His opinion, this kind of ethics is not only a group of philosophical considerations, but a real attempt to show Catholic social and political ethics. He wrote: "We do not think that it would be possible at all to develop a sensible system of social ethics, especially political, without referring to Christian principles and focusing on the message of the ultimate goal of a man in the Gospel message" (Majka, 1993:12). It seems that this unambiguous reference to the values and principles of the Gospel, recognizing them as necessary in the construction of a sensible system of social and political ethics allows us to consider His concept as original, thoroughly Christian, marked by a testimony of faith and penetrated by intellectual depth. It can be stated  that the social ethics in the sense of Father Majka is not an ideology, but an integral part of Catholic social science, situating above all in the area of  philosophy and theology, where it finds the necessary premises for moral principles and norms.


1970 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 233-240
Author(s):  
Tadeusz Ślipko

The author of the article argues against some of Stanisław Pyszka's views presented in the article Ewolucja katolickiej nauki społecznej [Evolution of the Catholic social teaching], published in: „Forum Philosophicum", 8: 2003. T. Ślipko reproaches S. Pyszka for considering the views on social problems expressed in the encyclical letter „Kerum novarum" „dogmatic", as influenced in part by the Thomistic philosophy. Pyszka opposes them to a pastoral perspective of the encyclical letters written by Pope John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II. Ślipko states that Catholic social teaching develops, taking into consideration historical circumstances in which human social groups are placed, but the moral principles are unchanged.


Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 173
Author(s):  
John F. McVea ◽  
Michael J. Naughton

In this paper, we propose that unreflective use of the term social entrepreneurship may perpetuate the idea that “entrepreneurship” is largely a financial and private reality and that this view of entrepreneurship will eventually trivialize or perhaps undermine the important benefits and the real intentions behind the social entrepreneurship movement. We believe that Catholic Social Teaching can shed important light on this dilemma by emphasizing three specific strategies inherent to entrepreneurship when assessing the moral contribution of the firm. As a result, we argue for the principles of good goods, good work and good wealth as an alternative framework for all good entrepreneurial venture.


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