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INTRODUCTION:

Development of
the Social Teachings of the Church

OBJECT OF
SOCIAL DOCTRINES

Critical reflection on:
The existing social structures
& collective action

DIRECTED
TOWARDS:

Reform and
establishment of
new structures

Humanization of
structures:
justice, freedom,
human rights and
equality

DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHURCH’S
UNDERSTANDING
OF HER SOCIAL MISSION

EARLY HISTORICAL
DEVELOPMENT

1. BIBLE: PRIMARY
SOURCE OF CATHOLIC
SOCIAL ETHICS

O. T. CONCEPT OF THE
INDIVIDUAL:

BELONGS TO A
COMMUNITY.

WORKS FOR JUSTICE
WITHIN THAT
COMMUNITY.

MANIFESTED IN THE CONCERN FOR THE POOR:
ANAWIM WIDOWS, STRANGERS, & ORPHANS.

OLD TESTAMENT

"Do not take advantage of a widow or an
orphan."
Exodus 22:22

"During the seventh year, let the land lie
unplowed and unused. Then the poor among
your people may get food from it, and the wild
animals may eat what they leave. Do the same
with your vineyard and your olive grove."
Exodus 23:11

"Do not go over your vineyard a second time or
pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them
for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your
God." Leviticus 19:10

"If there is a poor man among your brothers in any
of the towns of the land that the LORD your God
is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted
toward your poor brother." Deuteronomy 15:7

"When you are harvesting in your field and you
overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it
for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that
the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of
your hands. When you beat the olives from your
trees, do not go over the branches a second time.
Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless
and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in
your vineyard, do not go over the vines again.
Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless
and the widow."
Deuteronomy 24:19-21

"There will always be poor people in the land.
Therefore I command you to be openhanded
toward your brothers and toward the poor and
needy in your land." Deuteronomy 15:11

"Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: The
seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,
so that you do not show ill will toward your needy
brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal
to the LORD against you, and you will be found
guilty of sin." Deuteronomy 15:9

NEW TESTAMENT

"Jesus answered, If you want to be perfect, go, sell
your possessions and give to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'"
Matthew 19:21

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I
was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was
a stranger and you invited me in." Matthew 25:35

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has
anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and
recovery of sight for the blind, to release the
oppressed." Luke 4:18

"So he replied to the messengers, Go back and
report to John what you have seen and heard: The
blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have
leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are
raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.'"
Luke 7:22

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his
brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the
love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not
love with words or tongue but with actions and in
truth."
1 John 3:17-18

Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a
gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in
shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special
attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say,
'Here's a good seat for you,' but say to the poor
man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my
feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves
and becomes judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my
dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are
poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and
to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love
Him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the
rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones
who are dragging you into court?“James 2:2-6

THE BIBLE
IS AN IMPORTANT
SOURCE OF SOCIAL
ETHICS BUT: DEALS WITH
A SPECIFIC TEACHING;
MAN’S SALVATION

HENCE: NOT PRIMARILY
INTERESTED IN
METHODOLOGICAL AND
SYTEMATIC APPORACH
TOWARDS SOCIAL ETHICS

2. FIRST 1 THOUSAND
YEARS

MOVEMENT TOWARDS:
SYSTEMATIC AND
SCIENTIFIC
UNDERSTANDING OF
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN:

SECULAR AND SACRED

STATE AND CHURCH

ISSUES OF POLITICS,
COMMERCE, AND FAMILY
WERE DISCUSSED IN
GREAT DETAIL.

CONCERNS OF JUSTICE
AND CARE FOR THE POOR
ALWAYS CONSTITUTED AN
IMPORTANT CONCERN
FOR THE CHURCH
THROUGHOUT ITS HISTORY.

3. EARLY PART OF THE 2ND MILLENIUM:

THE ORIGIN OF UNIVERSITIES.
MORE SYSTEMATIC AND SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE

SAINT TOMAS AQUINAS:

PROVIDED A LASTING
ORIENTATION FOR
CATHOLIC SOCIAL
TEACHING

THROUGH:

DIALOGUE WITH &
INCORPORATION OF…

ARISTOTELIAN
PERSPECTIVES

ESPECIALLY THE
ANTHROPOLOGICAL BASIS

a. MAN AS A PERSON

AN INDIVIDUAL SUBSTANCE ENDOWED WITH
KNOWLEDGE, FREEDOM AND VOLUNTARINESS.

b. MAN IS SOCIAL

EXISTS IN MULTIPLE LAYERS OF RELATIONSHIPS:
FAMILY, CHURCH, STATE BROADER HUMAN COMMUNITIES

c. MAN IS POLITICAL

HENCE, THE STATE IS:

NATURAL TO MAN

BASICALLY GOOD;
TOWARDS WHICH MAN
IS CALLED TO BE
HAPPY AND FULFILLED.

THE UNDERSTANDING OF JUSTICE

IN KEEPING WITH MAN’S SOCIAL NATURE:

BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS
INDIVIDUALS AND STATE
STATE AND INDIVIDUALS

4. 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES
GROWTH OF ENLIGHTENMENT

EMPHASES:
INDIVIDUAL &
HUMAN FREEDOM

THAT IS TOTALLY CUT-OFF
FROM RELATIONSHIP TO GOD
AND GOD’S LAW.

AFFECTED CATHOLIC
SOCIAL TEACHING AND
SOCIAL LIFE

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS
STRONGLY OPPOSED
TO ENLIGHTENMENT:

a. RELIGIOUS LIBERALISM

BY EXTOLLING CONSCIENCE
AND FREEDOM OF
INDIVIDUAL BELIEVER:

THE INDIVIDUAL WAS
SEPARATED FROM THE
IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE CHURCH AND
HER TEACHINGS

b. PHILOSOPHICAL
LIBERALISM

STRESSED FREEDOM
OF INDIVIDUAL
AND POWER OF
HUMAN REASON

DIVORCED FROM ANY
RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD

c. POLITICAL LIBERALISM

STRESSED THE ROLE
OF INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS,
DECISIONS MADE
BY MAJORITY VOTE…

WITHOUT
CONSIDERATION GIVEN
TO GOD’S LAW

5. SECOND HALF OF
19TH CENTURY

INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION

GAVE RISE TO
ECONOMIC QUESTIONS:

CAPITALISM &
EXPLOITATION OF
WORKERS

CAPITALISM: ECONOMIC LIBERALISM

ALLOWED THE ENTREPRENEUR TO DO WHATEVER
HE/SHE WANTS IN PURSUIT OF PROFITWITH NO
CONCERN FOR OTHERS INVOLVED IN THE ENTERPRISE.

6. 20TH CENTURY
CATHOLIC FASCINATION WITH
THE MIDDLE AGES

THE MIDDLE AGES EPITOMIZED THE CHRISTIAN IDEAL:
A.THE SOCIAL PERSON IN AN ORGANIC SOCIETY

B. ALL CHRISTIANS
WERE UNITED
UNDER ONE TRUE
RELIGION

C. KINGS AND RULERS
RECOGNIZED THEIR OBLIGATION TO GOD

D. SOCIAL SOLIDARITY MARKED THE
ECONOMIC ORGANIZATION OF THE SOCIETY

NO INDIVIDUAL QUEST FOR WEALTH AND
PERSONAL GAIN.

7. SOCIALISM

THE MODERN SOCIALIST
MOVEMENT HAD ITS
ORIGIN LARGELY IN THE
WORKING CLASS
MOVEMENT OF THE
LATE 19TH CENTURY.

CONDEMNED CAPITALISM
AND PRIVATE PROPERTY.

KARL MARX, HELPED
ESTABLISH AND DEFINE
THE MODERN SOCIALIST
MOVEMENT,

SOCIALISM IMPLIED THE
ABOLITION OF:
MONEY, MARKET,
CAPITAL AND LABOR AS A
COMMODITY.

PROPERTY AND THE
DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH
ARE SUBJECT TO
SOCIAL CONTROL

THIS CONTROL MAY BE:

DIRECT : EXERCISED
THROUGH POPULAR
COLLECTIVES SUCH AS
WORKERS’ COUNCILS

INDIRECT : EXERCISED ON
BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE
BY THE STATE

IN SOCIALISM,
THE COMMUNITY
OR WORKER
OWN THE
MEANS OF
PRODUCTION.

MEANS OF PRODUCTION:
ANYTHING NECESSARY FOR LABOR TO PRODUCE;
MACHINES, TOOLS, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, LAND,
RAW MATERIALS, MONEY, POWER GENERATION, AND
SO ON.

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED CATHOLIC
RESPONSE TO ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL
QUESTIONS:

1. SACRED SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION

2. RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF WORKERS
AND POOR PEOPLE

3. ATTITUDE TOWARDS ENLIGHTENMENT AND SOCIALISM

4. CATHOLIC TENDENCY TO LOOK
ON THE MIDDLE AGES AS THE IDEAL LIFE

5. REVIVED INTEREST
IN THE PHILOSPHY
AND TEACHINGS OF
SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS

REFERENCES:

Curran, Charles E. Catholic Social Teaching, 1891-Present: A Historical,
Theological and Ethical Analysis (Washington: Georgetown University Press, 2002).

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