Rerum Novarum

Rerum Novarum (New Things) is an encyclical issued on 15 May 1891 by Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903).
It is the opening text of the Social Doctrine of the Church Catholic.

Inspired thoughts (including the work of the union of Freiburg ) and the action of "social Christians", the encyclical, written against the rise of social issues, condemns "the misery and poverty that affect unjustly on the majority of the working class "as well as the" socialist atheist. " It also denounces the excesses of capitalism and thereby encourages the Christian trade unionism and social Catholicism.

About the publication

Background

The period of publication of the encyclical is marked by the emergence and development, mainly in Europe of industrialization. This industrialization led to a significant change in society: development of faster means of communication ( telegraph , railroad ...), the electricity , but also production. This industrialization will appear new category of workers. Workers become a social reality, but also a source of dispute: the 1848 revolution , Commune of 1871 , violent protests (for instance, ants) , the Chicago riots in 1886 , etc..

At the same time the labor movement began to organize and develop its own thought, the name of socialism ^{Catholics before the encyclical}

In this period, the social question is the subject of thoughts and actions of Christians and clergymen . ^Bishop von Ketteler , in Germany , the Cardinal Manning in England , the Cardinal de Bonald in France , develop a Christian social thought. They help to encourage the development of action movements and thinking done by lay Christians, encouraging the emergence of "social Catholics" .

^Bishop von Ketteler develops a more doctrinal in his work, The Question workers and Christianity (1864). It puts into question the structure of liberalism and suggests the strong intervention of the law and the autonomy of workers. It influences Karl von Vogelsang in Austria, developing ideas corporatist .

^Monsignor Mermillod , Bishop of Geneva, will play a key role. With his friend Ren de La Tour du Pin , he founded the Union Catholic social and economic studies, also called union of Freiburg , where you can find some of the biggest names in social Catholicism of the time (the Swiss Gaspard Decurtins , the French Ren de La Tour du Pin , Albert de Mun , Milcent Louis and Henri Lorin , Austrians, Karl von Vogelsang and Gustave Blome ...). The union of Fribourg and develops thinking in many areas such as trade unions, the corporatist regime, industrial organization, the agrarian question, the wages, labor insurance, international regulations for industrial production . This work on the "social question" form the basis of the encyclical of Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum .

The commitment of men to church in the social field will play an important role in the emergence of the encyclical. Thus, Cardinal Gibbons will defend to Pope Leo XIII the cause of the Knights of Labor . In 1889, Cardinal Manning defend the dock strike, and will participate in the negotiations by reaching agreement on November 4. This will be followed closely by Leo XIII . Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany requested the support of the pope to convene an international conference on Work Berlin in 1890 .

The encyclical Rerum Novarum

Writing of the encyclical

The drafting of the encyclical begins at 1890. Many people will influence the drafting. Father Liberatore, Jesuit Italian , a disciple of Massimo d'Azeglio , and member of the Union of Fribourg. Tommaso Maria Cardinal Zigliara and Cardinal Camillo Mazella contribute to this editorial , which will be translated into Latin by Bishop Volpini, after rereading Leo XIII.

Summary of the Encyclical

• I. Introduction

In the introduction to Leo XIII made the observation of the changing relationship between employers and workers , and notes the anxiety that exists in social relationships. This situation forces the church to intervene to find a "solution according to truth and fairness" . Pope condemns when "a situation of undeserved misfortune and misery" of the lower classes, and the concentration in the hands of some industry and trade, which "imposes an almost servile yoke to the infinite variety proletarians .

• II. Preliminary issue: the proposal to abolish private property. Its fatal consequences.

Leo XIII condemns socialism , understood as a theory which aims at the abolition of private property. He notes initially that "socialism" contributes to the development of hatred against those who own offering as a solution to the misery , the abolition of private property. But this abolition has three consequences according to the encyclical: it hurts the worker , empty the rights of legitimate owners , and subverts the role of the state .

Leo XIII then made a demonstration which led him to say that ownership gives the right to enjoy the fruits of his labor , abolish thus leads to prevent the improvement of the situation of workers in that they can not dispose of fruits of their work . Leo XIII then shows that there is a natural right of man to own, what differentiates it from the animal. But the labor and property are inseparable: the work making the land more fertile, it follows from the fact the natural right to property . This right is reinforced by the needs of the family : to confront the difficulties, we need to establish a heritage. Heritage rendered impossible by the abolition of property .

Leo XIII then defines the role of government. They must respect the sanctuary is the family and does not supersede the authority of parents. Socialism is wrong in that "socialists are against natural justice and break the bonds of family . "But the pope said that in the event of serious difficulties," it is right that the public can come to his aid, because every family is a member of society. Similarly, if there is somewhere a home that is the scene of serious violations of mutual rights, we need the public authority to reinstate the right of each . "

• III. The Law of the Church to address the subject, and his assurance to do so effectively.

In the third part, Leo XIII justifies the right of the Church to intervene in the social field, talking about duty of the Church. The intervention of the latter seeks to end the conflict or soften, as by education than by trying to improve "the plight of the poor to seek the best possible solution. "

It also calls for acceptance of differences and inequalities inherent in human nature. These differences are the wealth of society, wanting to abolish them would be futile. Finally recalling the text of Genesis , he says the work is related to suffering and pain , and condemns the utopias that deny this harsh reality.

Opposing the theory of class struggle, the pope said the complementarity of Capital and Labour, each needing the other. He then sets out the duties of the worker, which is to achieve its job properly, its claims to be free of violence .

The bosses, meanwhile, must follow the worker "the dignity of man." Valuing the work of the body as noble, the Pope protested against those who do not believe that "in proportion to the force of arms." The boss has a duty to care about the interests spiritual of the worker. It is well defended by the Pope to give a superior work to the strengths of people, or disagree with the age or sex. The bosses also have a duty to give a fair wage , even claiming that "it would be a crime to cry to heaven for vengeance to defeat someone that the price of its labors . "

Recalling the Church's teaching on eternal life the pope says that wealth should be considered for the use made of it. The search for eternal life and paradise , a priority for the Christian, it goes through the virtue and suffering to the image of Christ. The Pope then recalled the rich "they should go to God their judge, a very strict account of the use they have made their fortunes . "

• IV. The role of the state

• V. Corporations

• VI. Final Exhortation

Consequences and Influences

The same year, the Democratic League Belgian is created in the tradition of the encyclical. This event is received differently in politics: the Catholic social exalt him, while the conservatives, themselves, awaiting the next pope. Liberals do not see the importance of the document because it provides no practical solution.
The encyclical, which analyzes the actual situation and seeks to provide concrete suggestions, however, remains sometimes contains inaccuracies and moralizing on concrete issues. It contains an anti-socialist ideology very classic at the time ^Links

Internal Links

• Social Doctrine of the Church

This encyclical influenced the writing of subsequent encyclicals on the social doctrine of the Church:

• Quadragesimo Anno 1931, Pius XI
• Mater et Magistra , 1961, John XXIII
• Pacem in Terris, John XXIII ( 1963 )
• Populorum Progressio, Paul VI ( 1967 )
• Sollicitudo Rei Socialis John Paul II ( 1987 )
• Centesimus Annus , 1991, John Paul II

External link

• French text of the encyclical Rerum Novarum on the official website of the Vatican

References

Note

Sources

• : Source used for this article

• Vatican portal
• Catholicism portal
• Unionism portal

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