Joseph Cardinal Höffner CHRISTIAN SOCIAL ... - Ordo Socialis

schools and training establishments. In many developing countries, social and economic ascent
will not be realized without a change of consciousness and behavior, to be reached
gradually through patient education. It is only under this presupposition that „helping others
to help themselves“ can be successful. The missions have had exemplary accomplishments
here. Nevertheless, in Latin America, for example, access to higher schooling must be rendered
possible and facilitated, not only for the wealthy upper stratum, but also for the gifted
children of the broad lower stratum. The future of the Church in developing countries will
depend to a large extent on whether Christians bear witness to justice and love, not only individually,
but in common.
c) Cooperation of the Local Churches
Without the effective co-operation of the local churches in the developing countries, the efforts
of the European Church would, of course, remain almost without effect. The readiness of
the local churches to commit themselves to a policy of development is growing from year to
year. This is connected with the healthy self-awareness of the local churches in the Third
World. A gradual shifting of weight from Europe and North America towards the South (Africa,
Asia, and Latin America) is also taking place in the Church.
The co-operation of the local native churches gives a human face
to relief measures. It further makes it possible that operations such as MISEREOR need not
carry out projects themselves because the local churches are developing sufficient personal
initiative. 79
The social, political, and economic witness of Christians in the developing countries is not
marked by an innerworldly hope of salvation, as many representatives of the ‘theology of liberation’
think. Nor can the greatest social reforms satisfy the longing of man for lasting life,
permanent happiness, and never-ending love. For man „feels himself to be boundless in his
desires and summoned to a higher life“ (Gaudium et spes, l0). There is no innerworldly escape
from the finiteness and limitation of man into the land of definitive and eternal freedom.
But it is precisely the hope for what is to come that is the strongest impetus for the Christian
to social and political commitment in the service of the freedom of the children of God.
„Sollicitudo rei socialis“ examines in detail the Church's contribution to the ~t development
of the nations. Apart from the socio-ethical considerations already mentioned, the following
postulations are particularly important: ( I) John Paul II refers to the notion that the development
of nations is a problem that can be resolved solely by technical and economic means
as „a naive mechanistic optimism“(27,1) and presents his own counter-argument: „Development
that does not include the cultural, transcendent and religious dimensions of man and
society“(46,4) will never achieve the goal of economic development. Scientific achievements,
which are of course indispensable, and their technical, economic and political applications
will not enhance „true human development“ unless they are „guided by a moral understanding“(28).
The Pope sees the most liable source of that attitude in „God's will, the only true
foundation of an absolutely binding ethic.“(38). In other words, a responsible society cannot
be established without corresponding „moral decisions „(35.2 „with respect to the behavior
of individuals considered as responsible persons „(35, I ). (2) An important aspect of the
Church's contribution lies in the motivation of people. The Christian knows about the evil in
people. Nonetheless, he cannot give up in spite of all his negative experience: „Anyone wishing
to renounce the difficult yet noble task of improving the lot of man in his totality, and of
all people, with the excuse that the struggle is difficult and that constant effort is required, or
simply because of the experience of defeat and the need to begin again, that person would be
betraying the will of God, the creator:“ (30.5 ) The Church, despite its realistic perception of
evil in the world, nevertheless „trusts in people as well „; for in the human per- son there
79 Joseph Höffner, „Hunger in der Welt“ (Cologne: Presseamt des Erzbistums, 1975) (Reprint n. 31).
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