Joseph Cardinal Höffner CHRISTIAN SOCIAL ... - Ordo Socialis

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lators and governors, but only secondarily and rather ‘administratively’ in the citizens (Thomas Aquinas II-II, 58,6). The legislator fulfills the duties of legal justice through a just legislation and administration above all. It demands of the citizens that they obey the laws and, in case of emergency, support the common good with property, person, and life. If legal justice is related to the state above all, it nevertheless enters the picture wherever it is necessary to preserve the common good. It is in this sense that Cajetan († 1534), for example, speaks of legal justice in the ecclesiastical realm, whereas Martin de Esparza († 1689) explicitly assigns it to the so-called ‘social’ space as well by inculcating the duties of legal justice within the municipality, the trading company, and so on. 4. Since the nineteenth century, a fourth kind of justice has customarily been placed next to the above-mentioned three fundamental forms of justice: social justice. At first, this designation was only a catchword behind which an unclear wish and demand did indeed stand, but not a scientific concept. The neoscholastic social philosopher Luigi Taparelli († 1862) was probably the first to have employed the expression ‘social justice’ in the not very clear sense of a justice ‘between man and man’. In 1848, Antonio Rosmini held up social justice, the content of which was unclearly defined, as a guiding principle in his proposal for a model Christian constitution. At the turn of the century, others designated ‘social justice’, which Thomas Aquinas allegedly did not know, as a „poisonous fruit of modernism“ and vehemently rejected both „word and substance.“ 34 In spite of these suspicions, the name spread more and more in Catholic literature and was taken up under Pius X in the official writings of the Roman Curia as well. Finally, in1931, the encyclical Quadragesimo anno pushed social justice so much to the centre that this important letter has been called the ‘encyclical of social justice’. Is social justice only a new name for a long familiar question, or is it a new law for the construction of social life that was not at all or not sufficiently noticed earlier? Many equate social justice with legal justice (e.g. A. Vermeersch, E. Genicot, L. Lachance, and P. Tischleder). Others limit social justice to natural-law requirements of the common good that are not established by law (e.g. E. Höring, A.E. Utz). Still others combine both legal and apportioning justice in the concept of social justice (H. Pesch, O. Schilling, and E. Welty). Others go further still and interpret social justice as „the harmony between legal, distributive, and commutative justice correctly conceived (B. Mathis, F. Cavallera). Whereas the above-mentioned definitions remain within the realms of the traditional three fundamental forms of justice, others would like to see in social justice a specifically new kind. Thus, for example, Johannes Messner affirms that social justice orders the relationship of intrasocietal groups and classes to one another, whereas the familiar division into three is „quite obviously“ related to the state. Gustav Gundlach, however, seeks to place social justice above the usual division into three. The three traditional fundamental forms are allegedly of a static nature; social justice, however, has a dynamic character, shapes the development of the legal system, and actualizes itself „in the three static forms of justice mentioned above.“ In reality, social justice cannot be interpreted as a fourth fundamental form of cardinal virtue. It is rather identical with legal justice correctly understood. Those definitions are a priori excluded that subsume several fundamental forms of the cardinal virtue under social justice. For since a proper formal object is lacking to such a comprehensive term, a new fundamental form of justice cannot possibly be meant. Messner’s proposal to limit the scope of social justice to the relationships between social groups and classes is not convincing either, since a 34 Cf. Jos. <strong>Höffner</strong>, Soziale Gerechtigkeit und soziale Liebe. Saarbrücken 1935, S. 10. 44
new formal object is exhibited here; rather, only a certain field of the application of legal justice is emphasized. Against the interpretive sense of Gustav Gundlach, which is tempting in itself, it is to be objected that the traditional legal justice in no way lacks a dynamic character. Thomas Aquinas presupposes that the one responsible for the common good has, like an artist, ‘architectonically’ beheld the shape of the order to be realized in his mind. Only then can he make political decisions and enact laws in a meaningful way. Consequently, the proper function of legal justice lies prior to legislation, namely, in the creative, political conception that takes shape in legislation and government policy. It would therefore better correspond to the essence and function of legal justice if it were not called „legal“, but „common-good justice“ or „social justice.“ It would also be an etatist constriction to limit common-good justice to the state and its common good. Its field of application is broader. It exercises its office not only in the state, but also in territorial authorities, in the professional classes, in the Church, and so on, and thus wherever it is a question „of the dynamically conceived common good“ (Gaudium et spes, 74) § 3 Social Justice and Social Love 1. Justice and love do not exclude each other, but secure in their mutual connection the existence and the development of human society. „Both radiate from the same spirit of God, both are a program for and a seal of the dignity of the spirit of man. Both complement each other, work together, animate and support one another, and lend each other a hand on the road to harmony and peace“ (Pius XII). Rights have something harsh and divisive about them; they are independent of feeling and inclination. „Justice alone can, if faithfully observed, remove the causes of social conflict but can never bring about union of minds and hearts.“ Social peace and collaboration among men presupposes a „mutual bond of minds and hearts“, which does not mean that „charity can substitute for justice which is due as an obligation and is wrongfully denied“ (Quadragesimo anno, 137). The laborer „is not to receive alms what is his due in justice. And let no one attempt with trifling charitable donations to exempt himself from the great duties imposed by justice (Divini redemptoris, 49). 2. Thomas Aquinas probably coined the term „social love“ (dilectio socialis) (De caritate, a. 9). The expression is employed today in close connection with social justice. Thus, in the encyclical Quadragesimo anno, for example, it is explained that social justice permeates state and social institutions, but that social love must be operative as the soul of this order. Social groups must „deeply feel themselves members of one great family and children of the same Heavenly Father; nay, that they are one body in Christ (n.137). Here it is presupposed that man is able to fulfill the duties of social love out of the power of love of God and neighbor embracing it. In contradistinction to conjugal love, filial love, sibling love, and the love of friends, social love, understood in the narrower sense, is the community- building, well wishing, and self-surrendering recognition and affirmation of the values lying in social ties and groups as well as the share in the common good accruing to individuals and groups. Social love is prepared for selfless service to the common good and grants each one his or her social position. Important tasks are set for social love, especially in relation of estates, professions, groups, and classes to one another. Social love strives to overcome conflicts through understanding. It sees and seeks that which is unitive and common. It takes away the coldness and the stringency from the demands of justice. Nothing contradicts it so much as class hatred. Even if disputes between classes that remain within limits do not automatically offend against social love, social justice as well as social love demand in this situation that everything be staked in order to eliminate class division through a new ordering of social relations. (Cf. Quadragesimo anno, 114). Incidentally, social love not infrequently clears the way for social 45
Page 1 and 2: Joseph Cardinal Höffner CHRISTIAN
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS INTRODUCTION TO THE ENGLIS
Page 5 and 6: 2. The Family in the Service of Spi
Page 7 and 8: e) Competition is what steers the o
Page 9 and 10: e) The Ethos of Advertising .......
Page 11 and 12: 3. The Contribution of the Church .
Page 13 and 14: on the basis of the classical socia
Page 15 and 16: INTRODUCTION § 1 The Concerns and
Page 17 and 18: powerful grace of Christ“ that ma
Page 19 and 20: 5. In this outline, the presentatio
Page 21 and 22: ern society considers everything
Page 23 and 24: human sociality.“ 3 In the prayer
Page 25 and 26: CHAPTER TWO: COMMUNITY, SOCIETY, LO
Page 27 and 28: a) The flight into the impersonal
Page 29 and 30: difficult to comprise Christian soc
Page 31 and 32: intended; it is the totality of ins
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
Page 39 and 40: In view of this sharp rejection of
Page 41 and 42: „justice“ according to this law
Page 43: 1. When the legal partners encounte
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
Page 53 and 54: than an enchantment (fascination),
Page 55 and 56: trivialize the serious problem of '
Page 57 and 58: tion towards a decrease in the divo
Page 59 and 60: Christian marriage and family are d
Page 61 and 62: the family. Its origin is not of th
Page 63 and 64: speaks of a new „metropolitan mat
Page 65 and 66: schooling for conjugal love. It is
Page 67 and 68: a) In primitive social relations, f
Page 69 and 70: family“ is false. „While it mus
Page 71 and 72: Abstracting from so-called 'asocial
Page 73 and 74: the doing, separates work from play
Page 75 and 76: great thing if I could make shoes.
Page 77 and 78: § 3 Work and Leisure 1. The Proble
Page 79 and 80: ings, fields and work sites. In a s
Page 81 and 82: the wage system bear inspection by
Page 83 and 84: agreed wage. Above and beyond every
Page 85 and 86: foreseen a few decades ago. For aut
Page 87 and 88: ) Personnel management and authorit
Page 89 and 90: place here: the price of raw materi
Page 91 and 92: economic realm; integration in the
Page 93 and 94: ody. For that reason, if man wishes
Page 95 and 96:
development worthy of man, for the
Page 97 and 98:
lations of the Creator as he manife
Page 99 and 100:
a) The market economy and free comp
Page 101 and 102:
nomic and civil progress?“ (42,1)
Page 103 and 104:
subject to Soviet imperialism. Thro
Page 105 and 106:
doctrine of historical epochs the f
Page 107 and 108:
nist community of goods might have
Page 109 and 110:
piece-work bonuses, and the like. L
Page 111 and 112:
(the rector multitudinis), of reali
Page 113 and 114:
towards absolutism“ (Georges Ripe
Page 115 and 116:
oad strata of the population posses
Page 117 and 118:
) Dissemination of wealth through n
Page 119 and 120:
net profit of a national economy th
Page 121 and 122:
tion of a formula which should allo
Page 123 and 124:
intensive primary sector of agricul
Page 125 and 126:
a) No Objection to Pioneer Profits
Page 127 and 128:
3. Critical Evaluation Christian so
Page 129 and 130:
and juridical doctrinarians!“ 77
Page 131 and 132:
without any thought as to whether i
Page 133 and 134:
an agreement; every lawful power is
Page 135 and 136:
Christian philosophy of the state,
Page 137 and 138:
2. Objection to the Doctrine of the
Page 139 and 140:
§ 3 Rights and Duties of Governmen
Page 141 and 142:
sheds the blood of man, by man shal
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). War and Peace in the Nuclear Age
Page 145 and 146:
d). Ten Guiding Principles The Firs
Page 147 and 148:
the employment of nuclear weapons,
Page 149 and 150:
freedom of association, the freedom
Page 151 and 152:
when it is a question, not of a pol
Page 153 and 154:
constitution. Pressure groups disti
Page 155 and 156:
a) Church and state go back „to t
Page 157 and 158:
their faith, as it were, in the pol
Page 159 and 160:
l397), one also reads that, accordi
Page 161 and 162:
was furthered by the two world wars
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Europe became conscious in the seco
Page 165 and 166:
medium-sized and small-scale compan
Page 167 and 168:
exist“ sufficient qualities and e
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