Joseph Cardinal Höffner CHRISTIAN SOCIAL ... - Ordo Socialis
Joseph Cardinal Höffner CHRISTIAN SOCIAL ... - Ordo Socialis Joseph Cardinal Höffner CHRISTIAN SOCIAL ... - Ordo Socialis
FOREWORD „The Church’s social teaching and activity“ the Second Vatican Council declares, belong to the Church’s life (Unitatis redintegratio n.6) and should contribute at the same time to „making the family of man and its history more human (Gaudium et spes n. 40). The Church therefore claims the right „always and everywhere“ to announce its social teaching „with true freedom“ and to pass moral judgments, even on matters touching the political order, whenever basic personal rights or the salvation of souls make such judgments necessary“ (ibid.76). The Council did not advance a new social teaching, but, „ according to the circumstances of the times,“ reinforced the principles of the traditional teaching, which had been elaborated „in the course of the centuries“, and „set forth certain guidelines“ (ibid. 63). This short outline of Christian social teaching, which is now appearing in the eighth edition and is already available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Korean, and Japanese translations, with a translation into Dutch being prepared, is designed to respond to the concern repeatedly expressed by the Council, that the faithful „should above all learn the principles and conclusions of this social doctrine so as to become capable of playing their part in advancing this doctrine and of rightly applying these same principles and conclusions to individual cases“ (Apostolicam actuositatem n. 31). It would thus be faithful to the exhortation of John XXIII:“ We urge that attention be given to such studies in Catholic schools on all levels, and especially in the seminaries...Moreover, we desire that social study of this sort be included among the religious materials used to instruct and inspire the lay apostolate be this in parishes or in associations“ (Mater et magistra, 223). Cologne, January 1 st , 1983 Joseph Cardinal Höffner Archbishop of Cologne 14
INTRODUCTION § 1 The Concerns and the Concept of Christian Social Teaching 1. Christian social teaching is neither a bundle of practical instructions for the solution of social questions nor a skilful selection of certain findings of modern sociology useful for Christian social training, but „an integral component of the Christian doctrine of man“ (Mater et magistra). Christian social teaching, which was proclaimed by the Church „from the very first centuries“ (Pius XII, February 23, 1944, achieved a special importance in the age of industrialism, which has been confirmed by the great social encyclicals, Rerum novarum (1891), Quadragesimo anno (1931), Mater et magistra (1961), Pacem in terris (1963), Populorum progressio (1976) and Laborem exercens (1981), as well as by the pastoral constitution of the Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et spes, on the Church in the modern world. Twenty years after „Populorum progressio” John Paul II once again expresses, in his encyclical „Sollicitudo rei socialis“ (1987), „the social concern of the church, directed toward an authentic development of man and society” in the light of changed conditions. Finally, the centenary of „Rerum novarum“ was the occasion for „Centesimus annus“ (1991), no doubt the most important social encyclical of the present Pope. 2.The theological importance of Christian social teaching is shown by five considerations: a) Man is the likeness of God, redeemed by the blood of Christ, and called to eternal communion with God. He may not be degraded to become the object and means of state, social or economic processes. For „the social order...must...be subordinate to the personal realm and not contrariwise“ (Gaudium et spes, 26). Love of God and neighbor is the great commandment of the New Covenant. b) Christ redeemed the whole man, even insofar as he is essentially related to the interpersonal other and the community. It would be a suspect curtailment of the Christian doctrine of man were one to see in him only the individual soul called by God. c) Over against a widespread supranaturalism, Christian social teaching emphasizes that even after the Fall there is an order of common social life grounded in the social nature of man and thus divinely willed. This „social order, its restoration, and its perfection according to the saving plan of the good news“ (Quadragesimo anno), the „formation of it in the light of Christian teaching“ (Mater et magistra), is the object of Christian social teaching. God has not left the fallen age to his adversary. d) An unsettling importance with respect to our salvation attaches to social conditions as a result of our humbling dependence on the given milieu because „men are often diverted from doing good and spurred toward evil by the social circumstances in which they live and are immersed from their birth“ (Gaudium et spes, 25). The perversion of the divinely willed order „ is now such as to put in the way of vast numbers of mankind most serious obstacles which prevent them from caring for the one thing necessary; namely, their eternal salvation“ (Quadragesimo anno, 130). Conditions adverse to salvation, such as the levels of poverty in some developing countries, are scandals that cry out for redress, and not only in the form of critique and alms, but also in the form of a new social order that accords with the principles of Christian social teaching. The hard and passionate struggle against poverty, hunger, disease, misery, and need is a Christian duty. Premature resignation would not be a Christian surrender to the will of God, but a fatalistic quietism that would bring the reproach of being „an opium for the People“ upon the Christian faith.
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- Page 27 and 28: a) The flight into the impersonal
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- Page 33 and 34: ure and, above all, to the misuse o
- Page 35 and 36: tional economic co-operation (Gaudi
- Page 37 and 38: tive law, and that, on the other ha
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- Page 45 and 46: new formal object is exhibited here
- Page 47 and 48: PART TWO: THE STRUCTURE OF SOCIAL O
- Page 49 and 50: wished to have the feminine princip
- Page 51 and 52: to be emphasized that, precisely be
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- Page 57 and 58: tion towards a decrease in the divo
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FOREWORD<br />
„The Church’s social teaching and activity“ the Second Vatican Council declares, belong to<br />
the Church’s life (Unitatis redintegratio n.6) and should contribute at the same time to „making<br />
the family of man and its history more human (Gaudium et spes n. 40). The Church therefore<br />
claims the right „always and everywhere“ to announce its social teaching „with true freedom“<br />
and to pass moral judgments, even on matters touching the political order, whenever<br />
basic personal rights or the salvation of souls make such judgments necessary“ (ibid.76). The<br />
Council did not advance a new social teaching, but, „ according to the circumstances of the<br />
times,“ reinforced the principles of the traditional teaching, which had been elaborated „in the<br />
course of the centuries“, and „set forth certain guidelines“ (ibid. 63).<br />
This short outline of Christian social teaching, which is now appearing in the eighth edition<br />
and is already available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Korean, and Japanese translations,<br />
with a translation into Dutch being prepared, is designed to respond to the concern<br />
repeatedly expressed by the Council, that the faithful „should above all learn the principles<br />
and conclusions of this social doctrine so as to become capable of playing their part in advancing<br />
this doctrine and of rightly applying these same principles and conclusions to individual<br />
cases“ (Apostolicam actuositatem n. 31). It would thus be faithful to the exhortation of<br />
John XXIII:“ We urge that attention be given to such studies in Catholic schools on all levels,<br />
and especially in the seminaries...Moreover, we desire that social study of this sort be included<br />
among the religious materials used to instruct and inspire the lay apostolate be this in<br />
parishes or in associations“ (Mater et magistra, 223).<br />
Cologne, January 1 st , 1983<br />
<strong>Joseph</strong> <strong>Cardinal</strong> <strong>Höffner</strong><br />
Archbishop of Cologne<br />
14
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