Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE

COMPENDIUM
OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE
OF THE CHURCH

TO HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II
MASTER OF SOCIAL DOCTRINE AND
EVANGELICAL WITNESS
TO JUSTICE AND PEACE

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abbreviations
Biblical Abbreviations
Letter of Cardinal Angelo Sodano
Presentation

INTRODUCTION

AN INTEGRAL AND SOLIDARY HUMANISM

a. At the dawn of the Third Millennium
b. The significance of this document
c. At the service of the full truth about man
d. In the sign of solidarity, respect and love

PART ONE

CHAPTER ONE
GOD'S PLAN OF LOVE FOR HUMANITY

I. GOD'S LIBERATING ACTION IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL
a. God's gratuitous presence
b. The principle of creation and God's gratuitous action
II. JESUS CHRIST, THE FULFILMENT OF THE FATHER'S PLAN OF LOVE
a. In Jesus Christ the decisive event of the history of God with mankind is fulfilled
b. The revelation of Trinitarian love
III. THE HUMAN PERSON IN GOD'S PLAN OF LOVE
a. Trinitarian love, the origin and goal of the human person
b. Christian salvation: for all people and the whole person
c. The disciple of Christ as a new creation
d. The transcendence of salvation and the autonomy of earthly realities
IV. GOD'S PLAN AND THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH
a. The Church, sign and defender of the transcendence of the human person
b. The Church, the Kingdom of God and the renewal of social relations
c. New heavens and a new earth
d. Mary and her “fiat” in God's plan of love

CHAPTER TWO
THE CHURCH'S MISSION AND SOCIAL DOCTRINE

I. EVANGELIZATION AND SOCIAL DOCTRINE
a. The Church, God's dwelling place with men and women
b. Enriching and permeating society with the Gospel
c. Social doctrine, evangelization and human promotion
d. The rights and duties of the Church
II. THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH'S SOCIAL DOCTRINE
a. Knowledge illuminated by faith
b. In friendly dialogue with all branches of knowledge
c. An expression of the Church's ministry of teaching
d. For a society reconciled in justice and love
e. A message for the sons and daughters of the Church and for humanity
f. Under the sign of continuity and renewal
III. THE CHURCH'S SOCIAL DOCTRINE IN OUR TIME: HISTORICAL NOTES
a. The beginning of a new path
b. From Rerum Novarum to our own day
c. In the light and under the impulse of the Gospel

CHAPTER THREE
THE HUMAN PERSON AND HUMAN RIGHTS

I. SOCIAL DOCTRINE AND THE PERSONALIST PRINCIPLE
II. THE HUMAN PERSON AS THE “IMAGO DEI”
a. Creatures in the image of God
b. The tragedy of sin
c. The universality of sin and the universality of salvation
III. THE MANY ASPECTS OF THE HUMAN PERSONA. The unity of the person
B. Openness to transcendence and uniqueness of the person

a. Open to transcendence
b. Unique and unrepeatable
c. Respect for human dignity

C. The freedom of the human person

a. The value and limits of freedom
b. The bond uniting freedom with truth and the natural law

D. The equal dignity of all people
E. The social nature of human beings
IV. HUMAN RIGHTS
a. The value of human rights
b. The specification of rights
c. Rights and duties
d. Rights of peoples and nations
e. Filling in the gap between the letter and the spirit

CHAPTER FOUR
PRINCIPLES OF THE CHURCH'S SOCIAL DOCTRINE

I. MEANING AND UNITY
II. THE PRINCIPLE OF THE COMMON GOOD
a. Meaning and primary implications
b. Responsibility of everyone for the common good
c. Tasks of the political community
III. THE UNIVERSAL DESTINATION OF GOODS
a. Origin and meaning
b. The universal destination of goods and private property
c. The universal destination of goods and the preferential option for the poor
IV. THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITY
a. Origin and meaning
b. Concrete indications
V. PARTICIPATION
a. Meaning and value
b. Participation and democracy
VI. THE PRINCIPLE OF SOLIDARITY
a. Meaning and value
b. Solidarity as a social principle and a moral virtue
c. Solidarity and the common growth of mankind
d. Solidarity in the life and message of Jesus Christ
VII. THE FUNDAMENTAL VALUES OF SOCIAL LIFE
a. The relationship between principles and values
b. Truth
c. Freedom
d. Justice
VIII. THE WAY OF LOVE

PART TWO

CHAPTER FIVE
THE FAMILY, THE VITAL CELL OF SOCIETY

I. THE FAMILY, THE FIRST NATURAL SOCIETY
a. Importance of the family for the person
b. Importance of the family for society
II. MARRIAGE, THE FOUNDATION OF THE FAMILY
a. The value of marriage
b. The sacrament of marriage
III. THE SOCIAL SUBJECTIVITY OF THE FAMILY
a. Love and the formation of a community of persons
b. The family is the sanctuary of life
c. The task of educating
d. The dignity and rights of children
IV. THE FAMILY AS ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN SOCIAL LIFE
a. Solidarity in the family
b. The family, economic life and work
V. SOCIETY AT THE SERVICE OF THE FAMILY

CHAPTER SIX
HUMAN WORK

I. BIBLICAL ASPECTS
a. The duty to cultivate and care for the earth
b. Jesus, a man of work
c. The duty to work
II. THE PROPHETIC VALUE OF “RERUM NOVARUM”
III. THE DIGNITY OF WORK
a. The subjective and objective dimensions of work
b. The relationship between labour and capital
c. Work, the right to participate
d. The relationship between labour and private property
e. Rest from work
IV. THE RIGHT TO WORK
a. Work is necessary
b. The role of the State and civil society in promoting the right to work
c. The family and the right to work
d. Women and the right to work
e. Child labour
f. Immigration and work
g. The world of agriculture and the right to work
V. THE RIGHTS OF WORKERS
a. The dignity of workers and the respect for their rights
b. The right to fair remuneration and income distribution
c. The right to strike
VI. SOLIDARITY AMONG WORKERS
a. The importance of unions
b. New forms of solidarity
VII. THE “NEW THINGS” OF THE WORLD OF WORK
a. An epoch-making phase of transition
b. Social doctrine and the “new things”

CHAPTER SEVEN
ECONOMIC LIFE

I. BIBLICAL ASPECTS
a. Man, poverty and riches
b. Wealth exists to be shared
II. MORALITY AND THE ECONOMY
III. PRIVATE INITIATIVE AND BUSINESS INITIATIVE
a. Business and its goals
b. Role of business owners and management
IV. ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS AT THE SERVICE OF MAN
a. Role of the free market
b. Action of the State
c. Role of intermediate bodies
d. Savings and consumer goods
V. THE “NEW THINGS” IN THE ECONOMIC SECTOR
a. Globalization: opportunities and risks
b. The international financial system
c. Role of the international community in an era of a global economy
d. An integral development in solidarity
e. Need for more educational and cultural formation

CHAPTER EIGHT
THE POLITICAL COMMUNITY

I. BIBLICAL ASPECTS
a. God's dominion
b. Jesus and political authority
c. The early Christian communities
II. FOUNDATION AND PURPOSE OF THE POLITICAL COMMUNITY
a. Political community, the human person and a people
b. Defending and promoting human rights
c. Social life based on civil friendship
III. POLITICAL AUTHORITY
a. The foundation of political authority
b. Authority as moral force
c. The right to conscientious objection
d. The right to resist
e. Inflicting punishment
IV. THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM
a. Values and democracy
b. Institutions and democracy
c. Moral components of political representation
d. Instruments for political participation
e. Information and democracy
V. THE POLITICAL COMMUNITY AT THE SERVICE OF CIVIL SOCIETY
a. Value of civil society
b. Priority of civil society
c. Application of the principle of subsidiarity
VI. THE STATE AND RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIESA. Religious freedom, a fundamental human right
B. The Catholic Church and the political community

a. Autonomy and independence
b. Cooperation

CHAPTER NINE
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

I. BIBLICAL ASPECTS
a. Unity of the human family
b. Jesus Christ, prototype and foundation of the new humanity
c. The universal vocation of Christianity
II. THE FUNDAMENTAL RULES OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
a. The international community and values
b. Relations based on harmony between the juridical and moral orders
III. THE ORGANIZATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
a. The value of international organizations
b. The juridical personality of the Holy See
IV. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
a. Cooperation to guarantee the right to development
b. The fight against poverty
c. Foreign debt

CHAPTER TEN
SAFEGUARDING THE ENVIRONMENT

I. BIBLICAL ASPECTS
II. MAN AND THE UNIVERSE OF CREATED THINGS
III. THE CRISIS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAN AND THE ENVIRONMENT
IV. A COMMON RESPONSIBILITY
a. The environment, a collective good
b. The use of biotechnology
c. The environment and the sharing of goods
d. New lifestyles

CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE PROMOTION OF PEACE

I. BIBLICAL ASPECTS
II. PEACE: THE FRUIT OF JUSTICE AND LOVE
III. THE FAILURE OF PEACE: WAR
a. Legitimate defence
b. Defending peace
c. The duty to protect the innocent
d. Measures against those who threaten peace
e. Disarmament
f. The condemnation of terrorism
IV. THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE CHURCH TO PEACE

PART THREE

CHAPTER TWELVE
SOCIAL DOCTRINE AND ECCLESIAL ACTION

I. PASTORAL ACTION IN THE SOCIAL FIELD
a. Social doctrine and the inculturation of faith
b. Social doctrine and social pastoral activity
c. Social doctrine and formation
d. Promoting dialogue
e. The subjects of social pastoral activity
II. SOCIAL DOCTRINE AND THE COMMITMENT OF THE LAY FAITHFUL
a. The lay faithful
b. Spirituality of the lay faithful
c. Acting with prudence
d. Social doctrine and lay associations
e. Service in the various sectors of social life

1. Service to the human person
2. Service in culture
3. Service in the economy
4. Service in politics

CONCLUSION
FOR A CIVILIZATION OF LOVE

a. The help that the Church offers to modern man
b. Starting afresh from faith in Christ
c. A solid hope
d. Building the “civilization of love”
Index of references
Analytical index