What does Rerum novarum stand for?
Rerum novarum (from its incipit, with the direct translation of the Latin meaning "of the new things" ), or Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor, is an encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on 15 May 1891. It was an open letter, passed to all Catholic patriarchs, primates, archbishops and bishops,...
What are the 6 themes of Rerum novarum?
6 Themes of Rerum Novarum. Terms in this set (6) Cooperation Between the Classes. -Labor & Capital must work together (cooperate) -Each has rights to be upheld and duties to society & the other classes. Dignity of Work. -Work should provide a decent life for workers & their families. -Right to safe working conditions.
Who does Leo XIII address Rerum novarum to?
Leo XIII addresses Rerum Novarum to the bishops of the Catholic Church. He introduces his reflections by highlighting the social difficulties of the day.
What is the difference between Rerum novarum and Laborem exercens?
But the text of Rerum Novarum (RN) itself is set as series of optional readings, whereas the text of Laborem Exercens (LE) is set as required reading. There are two basic reasons for this difference. First, the amount of study the unit would require would be simply too much if you were expected to read both encyclicals.
What is the focus of Rerum Novarum when it was created?
It enunciated the late 19th-century Roman Catholic position on social justice, especially in relation to the problems created by the Industrial Revolution, and it emphasized the church's right to make pronouncements on social issues as they related to moral questions.
What was the issue addressed by Rerum Novarum?
Since Pope Leo XIII addressed the problem of labor and capital in Rerum Novarum (1891. 1891.
What is the historical context of quadragesimo Anno?
In Quadragesimo anno, “social justice” was used primarily in the context of showing how justice required a system of property rights, high levels of employment, and the realization of the right to wages that enabled someone to maintain a family, while being attentive to the ability of different businesses to actually ...
What is the purpose of the encyclical Rerum Novarum 1891 by Pope Leo XIII?
The letter supported the rights of labor to form unions, rejected socialism as well as unrestricted capitalism, while affirming the right to private property.
What are the main themes of Rerum Novarum?
Themes of Rerum Novarum include the roles of church and state, the rights of people, and the place of familial and societal units. The roles of church and state as pertains to economics, social responsibility, and the rights of workers are a major theme in Rerum Novarum.
What is the literal meaning of Rerum Novarum?
Rerum novarum (from its incipit, with the direct translation of the Latin meaning "of revolutionary change"), or Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor, is an encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on 15 May 1891.
What is the historical context of Mater et Magistra?
Context. Mater et magistra was written in observance of the 70th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's social encyclical Rerum novarum. It also refers to the social teaching of Pope Pius XI in Quadragesimo anno, and of Pope Pius XII in a radio broadcast given 1 June 1941.
What is the main message of the encyclical letter Laborem Exercens?
Laborem exercens argued that the dignity of labor is such that laborers are entitled to co-own the goods they produce and thus share in the decisions regarding the use of these goods. Workers are also entitled to share in the decisions concerning the work process.
What is reconstruction of the Social Order?
The Reconstruction of the Social Order commemorates the fortieth anniversary of The Condition of Labor. Pius wrote and issued this encyclical during a time when major depression was shaking the economic and social founda- tions in society worldwide.
What has been one of the most important results of Rerum Novarum for the Church?
What has been one of the most important results of Rerum Novarum for the Church? Catholic social teaching became more concerned with global issues rather than just focusing on Western society, because more of the Church's bishops were from poor, undeveloped countries.
What does "rerum novarum" mean?
In Latin. In English. ← In ipso. Pastoralis →. Leo XIII. Rerum novarum (from its incipit, with the direct translation of the Latin meaning "of revolutionary change" ), or Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor, is an encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on 15 May 1891. It is an open letter, passed to all Catholic patriarchs, primates, ...
What does "rerum novarum semel excitata cupidine" mean?
^ The opening words in Latin are "Rerum novarum semel excitata cupidine", which in the official English translation is rendered "the spirit of revolutionary change". Rerum novarum is the genitive case of res novae, which literally means "new things" but idiomatically has meant "political innovations" or "revolution" since at least the days of Cicero. John Molony argues that the word "revolution" is misleading in the context, and that a more appropriate rendering of the Latin would be "the burning desire for change".
What was Zigliara's role in the Thomist revival?
Zigliara's fame as a scholar at the forefront of the Thomist revival was widespread in Rome and elsewhere. "Zigliara also helped prepare the great encyclicals Aeterni Patris and Rerum novarum and strongly opposed traditionalism and ontologism in favor of the moderate realism of Aquinas.".
What is fair wage in Rerum Novarum?
Fair wages are defined in Rerum novarum as at least a living wage, but Leo recommends paying enough to support the worker, his wife and family, with a little savings left over for the worker to improve his condition over time. He also prefers that women work at home.
What was the idea of Estado Novo?
The Estado Novo promulgated by Salazar accepted the idea of corporatism as an economic model, especially in labor relations. According to historian Howard J. Wiarda, its basic policies were deeply rooted in European Catholic social thought, especially those deriving from Rerum Novarum. Portuguese intellectuals, workers organizations and trade unions and other study groups were everywhere present after 1890 in many Portuguese Republican circles, as well as the conservative circles that produced Salazar. Wiarda concludes that the Catholic social movement was not only powerful in its own right but it also resonated with an older Portuguese political culture which emphasized a natural law tradition, patrimonialism, centralized direction and control, and the 'natural' orders and hierarchies of society.
Which astrological figure strongly supported the right of private societies to exist and govern themselves?
Leo strongly supported the right of private societies to exist and govern themselves:
Who wrote the first encyclical?
The first draft and content of the encyclical was written by Tommaso Maria Zigliara, professor 1870-1879 at the College of Saint Thomas (rector after 1873), a member of seven Roman congregations including the Congregation for Studies, and co-founder of the Academia Romano di San Tommaso in 1870.
Overview
Leo XIII addresses Rerum Novarum to the bishops of the Catholic Church. He introduces his reflections by highlighting the social difficulties of the day.
Christian Themes
In the years preceding the papacy of Leo XIII, Church and state relations were often polemical. For his part, Leo engages the state in a manner that affirms the important role of political leadership but still manages to have a critical edge.
Sources for Further Study
Himes, Kenneth R., ed. Modern Catholic Social Teaching: Commentaries and Interpretations. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2005. This scholarly collection includes four foundational essays and fourteen commentaries on influential church documents. Each essay includes thorough bibliographical information. Brief index.
What is the rerum novarum?
(Melbourne, may 19, 2016) – Rerum novarum (from its first two words, Latin for “of revolutionary change” [n 1]), or Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor, is an encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on 15 May 1891. It was an open letter, passed to all Catholic bishops, that addressed the condition of the working classes.
What was the primary concern of the Rerum Novarum?
Of primary concern was the need for some amelioration of “The misery and wretchedness pressing so unjustly on the majority of the working class.” [Rerum novarum, p. 3] It supported the rights of labor to form unions, rejected socialism and unrestricted capitalism, whilst affirming the right to private property.
What did Francis call for in 1891?
Francis is expanding on what Leo called for in 1891: fair wages for working people; a more equitable distribution of wealth and ownership; support for trade unions so workers could bargain with employers with a degree of equality and power; recognition of the right to strike to defend essential rights; the State to regulate working conditions and the economy to protect workers and the common good; and establishing a system of arbitration and conciliation to mediate between employers and employees.
Who blamed neoliberalism for the economic trauma?
Francis blames neoliberalism for much of the economic trauma the world has suffered since the 1980s. As adopted by Ronald Reagan in the United States and Margaret Thatcher in Britain, neoliberalism emphasised supply-side economics, deregulation of restraints on business, liberalisation of capital controls, privatising state-owned enterprises and downsizing the role of government.
Do Popes take such strong positions on contentious social issues on mere whim?
Popes do not take such strong positions on contentious social issues on mere whim. Rather, on the advice of experts, they are articulating the experience of people struggling to improve human wellbeing.
Who helped develop the Catholic social tradition?
Some fabulous women also helped develop the Catholic social tradition. The famous economist Barbara Ward worked with Pope Paul VI to push through the Vatican Council document, The Church in the Modern World, and to set up the Pontifical Commission for Justice and Peace. Recall also Australian member of international women’s movement the Grail, Rosemary Goldie, working in key positions in the Vatican to help develop lay social activism.
Is Rerum Novarum a Catholic document?
It would be a mistake to see Rerum Novarum as simply a Catholic document. Other Christian traditions helped shape it, including through the English Cardinal Manning who had been an Anglican priest and social activist, and brought the Anglican tradition of social concern into the English Catholic church.
Overview
Rerum novarum (from its incipit, with the direct translation of the Latin meaning "of revolutionary change" ), or Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor, is an encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on 15 May 1891. It is an open letter, passed to all Catholic patriarchs, primates, archbishops and bishops, that addressed the condition of the working classes.
Composition
The first draft and content of the encyclical was written by Tommaso Maria Zigliara, professor from 1870 to 1879 at the College of Saint Thomas (rector after 1873), a member of seven Roman congregations including the Congregation for Studies, and co-founder of the Academia Romano di San Tommaso in 1870. Zigliara's fame as a scholar at the forefront of the Thomist revival was widespread in Rome and elsewhere. "Zigliara also helped prepare the great encyclicals Aeterni P…
Message
Rerum novarum is subtitled "On the Conditions of Labor". In this document, Pope Leo XIII articulates the Catholic Church's response to the social conflict in the wake of capitalism and industrialization which had provoked socialist and communist movements and ideologies.
The pope declared that the role of the state is to promote justice through the protection of rights, while the church must speak out on social issues to teach correct social principles and ensure cl…
Rerum novarum is subtitled "On the Conditions of Labor". In this document, Pope Leo XIII articulates the Catholic Church's response to the social conflict in the wake of capitalism and industrialization which had provoked socialist and communist movements and ideologies.
The pope declared that the role of the state is to promote justice through the protection of rights, while the church must speak out on social issues to teach correct social principles and ensure cl…
Criticism of Socialism
Pope Leo XIII saw socialism as fundamentally flawed, seeking to replace rights and Catholic moral teaching with the ideology of state power. He believed that this would lead to the destruction of the family unit, where moral, productive individuals were taught and raised most successfully.
In the encyclical, the Pope says:
Pope Leo XIII saw socialism as fundamentally flawed, seeking to replace rights and Catholic moral teaching with the ideology of state power. He believed that this would lead to the destruction of the family unit, where moral, productive individuals were taught and raised most successfully.
In the encyclical, the Pope says:
Rights and duties
To build social harmony, the pope proposes a framework of reciprocal rights and duties between workers and employers. Some of the duties of workers are:
• "fully and faithfully" to perform their agreed-upon tasks
• individually, to refrain from vandalism or personal violence
Principles
The encyclical mentions several fundamental principles to guide relationships between capital and labor.
Leo states that "...according to natural reason and Christian philosophy, working for gain is creditable, not shameful, to a man, since it enables him to earn an honorable livelihood." He asserts that God has given human dignity to each person, creating them in God's image and end…
Rights and duties of property ownership
Private ownership, as we have seen, is the natural right of man, and to exercise that right, especially as members of society, is not only lawful, but absolutely necessary. "It is lawful," says St. Thomas Aquinas, "for a man to hold private property; and it is also necessary for the carrying on of human existence."
Whoever has received from the divine bounty a large share of temporal blessings, whether they …
Preferential option for the poor
Leo emphasizes the dignity of the poor and working classes.
As for those who possess not the gifts of fortune, they are taught by the Church that in God's sight poverty is no disgrace, and that there is nothing to be ashamed of in earning their bread by labor.
God Himself seems to incline rather to those who suffer misfortune; for Jesus Christ calls the poor "blessed"; (Matt.5:3) He lovingly invites those in labor and grief to come to Him for solace; (…