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KNOWLEDGE ILLUMINATED BY FAITH
- 72.
- “The Church’s social doctrine was not initially thought of as an organic system but was formed over the course of time, through the numerous interventions of the Magisterium on social issues.”
- 73.
- “The Church’s social doctrine is therefore of a theological nature, specifically theological-moral.”
- 74.
- “The Church’s social doctrine finds its essential foundation in biblical revelation and in the tradition of the Church.”
- “Faith, which receives the divine word and puts it into practice, effectively interacts with reason.”
- 75.
- “Faith and reason represent the two cognitive paths of the Church’s social doctrine: Revelation and human nature.”
- Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Declaration Dignitatis Humanae, 14: AAS 58 (1966), 940.
- John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor, 13, 50, 79: AAS 85 (1993), 1143-1144, 1173-1174, 1197.
IN FRIENDLY DIALOGUE WITH ALL BRANCHES OF KNOWLEDGE
- 76.
- “The Church’s social doctrine avails itself of contributions from all branches of knowledge, whatever their source, and has an important interdisciplinary dimension.”
- 77.
- “Above all, the contribution of philosophy is essential. This contribution has already been seen in the appeal to human nature as a source and to reason as the cognitive path of faith itself.”
- “Affirming that the Church’s social doctrine is part of theology rather than philosophy does not imply a disowning or underestimation of the role or contribution of philosophy. In fact, philosophy is a suitable and indispensable instrument for arriving at a correct understanding of the basic concepts of the Church’s social doctrine.”
- 78.
- “A significant contribution to the Church’s social doctrine comes also from human sciences and the social sciences.”
- “This attentive and constant openness to other branches of knowledge makes the Church’s social doctrine reliable, concrete and relevant.”
AN EXPRESSION OF THE CHURCH'S MINISTRY OF TEACHING
- 79.
- “The social doctrine belongs to the Church because the Church is the subject that formulates it, disseminates it and teaches it.”
- “These many and varied contributions –– which are themselves expressions of the ‘supernatural appreciation of the faith of the whole people’ –– are taken up, interpreted and formed into a unified whole by the Magisterium, which promulgates the social teaching as Church doctrine.”
- 80.
- “In the Church’s social doctrine the Magisterium is at work in all its various components and expressions.”
- “Insofar as it is part of Church’s moral teaching, the Church’s social doctrine has the same dignity and authority as her moral teaching.”
FOR A SOCIETY RECONCILED IN JUSTICE AND LOVE
- 81.
- “The object of the Church’s social doctrine is essentially the same that constitutes the reason for its existence: the human person called to salvation, and as such entrusted by Christ to the Church’s care and responsibility.”
- “In the first place it is the proclamation of what the Church possesses as proper to herself.”
- Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 13: AAS 59 (1967), 264.
- Paul VI, Apostolic Letter Octogesima Adveniens, 4: AAS 63 (1971), 403-404.
- John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 41: AAS 80 (1988), 570-572.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2423.
- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction Libertatis Conscientia, 72: AAS 79 (1987), 586.
- “This social doctrine also entails a duty to denounce, when sin is present.”
- 82.
- “The intent of the Church’s social doctrine is of the religious and moral order.”
- Paul XI, Encyclical Letter Quadragesimo Anno: AAS 23 (1931), 190.
- Pius XII, Radio Message for the fiftieth anniversary of Rerum Novarum: AAS 23 (1931), 196-197.
- Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 42: AAS 58 (1966), 1079.
- John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 41: AAS 80 (1988), 570-572.
- John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 53: AAS 83 (1991), 859.
- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction Libertatis Conscientia, 72: AAS (1987), 585-586.
- John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptor Hominis, 14: AAS 71 (1979), 284.
- John Paul II, Address to the Third General Conference of Latin American Bishops, Puebla, Mexico (28 January 1979), III/2: AAS 71 (1979), 199.
- Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 42: AAS 59 (1967), 278.
- Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, 9: AAS 68 (1976), 10.
- Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 42: AAS 59 (1967), 278.
A MESSAGE FOR THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE CHURCH AND FOR HUMANITY
- 83.
- “The first recipient of the Church’s social doctrine is the Church community in its entire membership, because everyone has social responsibilities that must be fulfilled.”
- “This social doctrine implies as well responsibilities regarding the building, organization and functioning of society, that is to say, political, economic and administrative obligations –– obligations of a secular nature.”
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2442.
- John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici, 15: AAS 81 (1989), 413.
- Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, 31: AAS 57 (1965), 37.
- Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 43: AAS 58 (1966), 1061-1064.
- Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 81: AAS 59 (1967), 296-297.
- 84.
- “Besides being destined primarily and specifically to the sons and daughters of the Church, her social doctrine also has a universal destination.
- “This social doctrine is a teaching explicitly addressed to all people of good will.”
- Beginning with the Encyclical Pacem in Terris of John XXIII, the recipient is expressly identified in this manner in the initial address of such documents.
UNDER THE SIGN OF CONTINUITY AND RENEWAL
- 85.
- “Guided by the perennial light of the Gospel and ever attentive to evolution of society, the Church’s social doctrine is characterized by community and renewal.”
- John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 3: AAS 80 (1988), 515.
- Pius XII, Address to Participants in a Convention of the Catholic Action movement (29 April 1945), in Discorsi e Radiomessaggi di Pio XII, vol. VII, 37-38.
- John Paul II, Address at the international symposium “From Rerum Novarum to Laborem Exercens: towards the year 2000” (3 April 1982): Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, V, 1 (1982), 1095-1096.
- John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 3: AAS 80 (1988), 515.
- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction Libertatis Conscientia, 72: AAS 79 (1987), 585-586.
- John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollictudo Rei Socialis, 3: AAS 80 (1988), 515.
- 86.
- “The Church’s social doctrine is presented as a ‘work site’ where the work is always in progress, where perennial truth penetrates and permeates new circumstances, indicating paths of justice and peace.”
- “Mother and Teacher, the Church does not close herself off nor retreat within herself but is always open, reaching out to and turned towards man, whose destiny of salvation is her reason for being.”
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