Given in Rome, at St. Peter's, on December 30 of the year 1987, the tenth of my Pontificate. Contexto histórico Guerra Indeed, the Lord Jesus himself, in the parable of the talents, emphasizes the severe treatment given to the man who dared to hide the gift received: "You wicked slothful servant! In this respect I wish to mention specifically: the reform of the international trade system, which is mortgaged to protectionism and increasing bilateralism; the reform of the world monetary and financial system, today recognized as inadequate; the question of technological exchanges and their proper use; the need for a review of the structure of the existing international organizations, in the framework of an international juridical order. As a third point, the Encyclical provides a very original contribution to the social doctrine of the Church in its totality and to the very concept of development. Later on these mechanisms will have to be subjected to a careful analysis under the ethical-moral aspect. INTRODUCTION. This phenomenon too, with its series of negative consequences for individuals and for society, ranging from humiliation to the loss of that self respect which every man and woman should have, prompts us to question seriously the type of development which has been followed over the past twenty years. Gen 1:25-26). This fact prompts me to turn my thoughts to the true nature of the development of peoples, along the lines of the Encyclical which we are commemorating, and as a mark of respect for its teaching. Pope john paul ii's seventh encyclical letter, issued Dec. 30, 1987, marking the twentieth anniversary of. The pace of progress in the developed and developing countries in recent years has differed, and this serves to widen the distances. Solidarity is undoubtedly a Christian virtue. Gal 5:1) encourages us to become the servants of all. It is the injustice of the poor distribution of the goods and services originally intended for all. Thus the exploitation, oppression and annihilation of others are excluded. When the West gives the impression of abandoning itself to forms of growing and selfish isolation, and the East in its turn seems to ignore for questionable reasons its duty to cooperate in the task of alleviating human misery, then we are up against not only a betrayal of humanity's legitimate expectations - a betrayal that is a harbinger of unforeseeable consequences - but also a real desertion of a moral obligation. In order to take this path, the nations themselves will have to identify their own priorities and clearly recognize their own needs, according to the particular conditions of their people, their geographical setting and their cultural traditions. In a concrete manner and with great clarity, it was possible to identify the above mentioned characteristics of continuity and renewal within the Church's social doctrine. I. The tragedy of these multitudes is reflected in the hopeless faces of men, women and children who can no longer find a home in a divided and inhospitable world. Sollicitudo rei socialis To the Bishops, Priests Religious Families, sons and daughters of the Church and all people of good will for the twentieth anniversary of "Populorum Progressio" 1987.12.30 Blessing Venerable Brothers and dear Sons and Daughters, Health and the Apostolic Blessing! Only in this way can such positive energies be fully released for the benefit of development and peace. Seen in this way, the present division of the world is a direct obstacle to the real transformation of the conditions of underdevelopment in the developing and less advanced countries. In it, the pontiff elaborates on Catholic social teaching and applies its principles to the problem of under-developed and developing nations. For this same purpose, the Pontifical Commission Iustitia et Pax sent a circular letter to the Synods of the Oriental Catholic Churches and to the Episcopal Conferences, asking for ideas and suggestions on the best way to celebrate the Encyclical's anniversary, to enrich its teachings and, if need be, to update them. This is the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, in an enlightening passage of the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes: "When we have spread on earth the fruits of our nature and our enterprise - human dignity, fraternal communion, and freedom - according to the command of the Lord and in his Spirit, we will find them once again, cleansed this time from the stain of sin, illumined and transfigured, when Christ presents to his Father an eternal and universal kingdom...here on earth that kingdom is already present in mystery."89. 22. In other words, we are faced with the absolutizing of human attitudes with all its possible consequences. In fact, "all things hold together in him," since "in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things" (v. 20). It often happens that these campaigns are the result of pressure and financing coming from abroad, and in some cases they are made a condition for the granting of financial and economic aid and assistance. "57, Some Fathers of the Church were inspired by this idea to develop in original ways a concept of the meaning of history and of human work, directed towards a goal which surpasses this meaning and which is always defined by its relationship to the work of Christ. These and other explicit references to the Pastoral Constitution lead one to conclude that the Encyclical presents itself as an application of the Council's teaching in social matters to the specific problem of the development and the underdevelopment of peoples. The purpose of this note is threefold: (1) to provide from a Christian Filipino perspective an overview of … Development that does not include the cultural, transcendent and religious dimensions of man and society, to the extent that it does not recognize the existence of such dimensions and does not endeavor to direct its goals and priorities toward the same, is even less conducive to authentic liberation. But those demanded by the situation of international imbalance, as already described, must not be forgotten. "19 Considered superficially, both themes could seem extraneous to the legitimate concern of the Church seen as a religious institution - and "development" even more so than the "condition of the workers.". 20. INTRODUCTION 1. Some nations will have to increase food production, in order to have always available what is needed for subsistence and daily life. Interdependence is already a reality in many of these countries. It is impossible not to take account of the existence of these realities. 37. A. In this way, the solidarity which we propose is the path to peace and at the same time to development. II. Sollicitudo rei socialis 41. At the same time, in a world divided and beset by every type of conflict, the conviction is growing of a radical interdependence and consequently of the need for a solidarity which will take up interdependence and transfer it to the moral plane. Sollicitudo Rei Socialis “On Social Concern” Pope John Paul II December 30, 1987 Sollicitudo Rei Socialis is an encyclical written by Pope John Paul II on 30 December 1987. Indeed, as a result of a sort of internal dynamic and under the impulse of mechanisms which can only be called perverse, this interdependence triggers negative effects even in the rich countries. SOLLICITUDO REI SOCIALIS DEL SOMMO PONTEFICE GIOVANNI PAOLO II NEL XX ANNIVERSARIO DELLA POPULORUM PROGRESSIO . Those who are more influential, because they have a greater share of goods and common services, should feel responsible for the weaker and be ready to share with them all they possess. In the light of these considerations, we easily arrive at a clearer picture of the last twenty years and a better understanding of the conflicts in the northern hemisphere, namely between East and West, as an important cause of the retardation or stagnation of the South. Rm 4:11f. In his Encyclical Pope Paul VI stands in the line of this teaching, taking his inspiration from the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes.60 For my own part, I wish to insist once more on the seriousness and urgency of that teaching, and I ask the Lord to give all Christians the strength to put it faithfully into practice. Among today's positive signs we must also mention a greater realization of the limits of avail able resources, and of the need to respect the integrity and the cycles of nature and to take them into account when planning for development, rather than sacrificing them to certain demagogic ideas about the latter. Remote health initiatives to help minimize work-from-home stress; Oct. 23, 2020 The denial or the limitation of human rights - as for example the right to religious freedom, the right to share in the building of society, the freedom to organize and to form unions, or to take initiatives in economic matters - do these not impoverish the human person as much as, if not more than, the deprivation of material goods? Blessing. We can say therefore - as we struggle amidst the obscurities and deficiencies of underdevelopment and superdevelopment - that one day this corruptible body will put on incorruptibility, this mortal body immortality (cf. Furthermore the Christian who is taught to see that man is the image of God, called to share in the truth and the good which is God himself, does not understand a commitment to development and its application which excludes regard and respect for the unique dignity of this "image." But first I wish to say a few words about the date of publication; the year 1967. Private property, in fact, is under a "social mortgage,"79 which means that it has an intrinsically social function, based upon and justified precisely by the principle of the universal destination of goods. It is God, in "whose hands are the hearts of the powerful"67 and the hearts of all, who according his own promise and by the power of his Spirit can transform "hearts of stone" into "hearts of flesh" (cf. Gen 2:7). We have here a reference to the "second tablet" of the Ten Commandments (cf. SOLLICITUDO REI SOCIALIS To the Bishops, Priests Religious Families, sons and daughters of the Church and all people of good will for the twentieth anniversary of Populorum Progressio . As a result, this doctrine, beginning with the outstanding contribution of Leo XIII and enriched by the successive contributions of the Magisterium, has now become an updated doctrinal "corpus." To ignore them would mean becoming like the "rich man" who pretended not to know the beggar Lazarus lying at his gate (cf. In fact there is a better understanding today that the mere accumulation of goods and services, even for the benefit of the majority, is not enough for the realization of human happiness. It is likewise essential, as the Encyclical Populorum Progressio already asked, to recognize each people's equal right "to be seated at the table of the common banquet,"61 instead of lying outside the door like Lazarus, while "the dogs come and lick his sores" (cf. However imperfect and temporary are all the things that can and ought to be done through the combined efforts of everyone and through divine grace, at a given moment of history, in order to make people's lives "more human," nothing will be lost or will have been in vain. The Encyclical of Paul VI has the same purpose, in full fidelity to the inspiration of the Council. It is important to note therefore that a world which is divided into blocs, sustained by rigid ideologies, and in which instead of interdependence and solidarity different forms of imperialism hold sway, can only be a world subject to structures of sin. Peoples or nations too have a right to their own full development, which while including - as already said - the economic and social aspects, should also include individual cultural identity and openness to the transcendent. Gen 4:17-26). "16 The same idea of development proposed by the Encyclical flows directly from the approach which the Pastoral Constitution takes to this problem.17. According to this latter viewpoint, there enter in the will of the Triune God, his plan for humanity, his justice and his mercy. It likewise implies a lively awareness of the need to respect the right of every individual to the full use of the benefits offered by science and technology. It needs a greater degree of international ordering, at the service of the societies, economies and cultures of the whole world. Its failure resides in its blindness to the essential contribution that feminists, both women and men, are making to the development debate. Looking at all the various sectors - the production and distribution of foodstuffs, hygiene, health and housing, availability of drinking water, working conditions (especially for women), life expectancy and other economic and social indicators - the general picture is a disappointing one, both considered in itself and in relation to the corresponding data of the more developed countries. because like the former it is contrary to what is good and to true happiness. Mt 6:25-32; 10:23-31; Lk 12:6-7, 22- 30). In him God wished to conquer sin and make it serve our greater good,56 which infinitely surpasses what progress could achieve. On the contrary, it means that the problems in industrial enterprises or in the workers' and union movements of a particular country or region are not to be considered as isolated cases with no connection. This also involves interference in the process of the development of peoples, the delay or slowness of which must be judged also in this light. Thirty years ago, in late December of 1987, St. John Paul II promulgated his encyclical Sollicitudo rei Socialis, or On Social Concern. We should add here that in today's world there are many other forms of poverty. This general analysis, which is religious in nature, can be supplemented by a number of particular considerations to demonstrate that among the actions and attitudes opposed to the will of God, the good of neighbor and the "structures" created by them, two are very typical: on the one hand, the all-consuming desire for profit, and on the other, the thirst for power, with the intention of imposing one's will upon others. 43. 1 Cor 15:54), when the Lord "delivers the Kingdom to God the Father" (v. 24) and all the works and actions that are worthy of man will be redeemed. This then is the picture: there are some people - the few who possess much - who do not really succeed in "being" because, through a reversal of the hierarchy of values, they are hindered by the cult of "having"; and there are others - the many who have little or nothing - who do not succeed in realizing their basic human vocation because they are deprived of essential goods. Fill the hearts of all with the fire of your love, and the desire to ensure justice for all their brothers and sisters. This happens with particularly negative effects in the international relations which concern the developing countries. In this pursuit of integral human development we can also do much with the members of other religions, as in fact is being done in various places. But all this plants within the human being - man and woman - the seed and the requirement of a special task to be accomplished by each individually and by them as a couple. Pope Paul's Encyclical translates more succinctly the moral obligation as the "duty of solidarity"25; and this affirmation, even though many situations have changed in the world, has the same force and validity today as when it was written. In those years there was a certain widespread optimism about the possibility of overcoming, without excessive efforts, the economic backwardness of the poorer peoples, of providing them with infrastructures and assisting them in the process of industrialization. During this International Year of the Home less proclaimed by the United Nations. DALAM SOLLICITUDO REI SOCIALIS CB. "20 Here, in the document of Paul VI, one finds these three elements with a prevalently practical orientation, that is, directed towards moral conduct. In the context of the sad experiences of recent years and of the mainly negative picture of the present moment, the Church must strongly affirm the possibility of overcoming the obstacles which, by excess or by defect, stand in the way of development. The Encyclical of Paul VI, in declaring that the social question has acquired worldwide dimensions, first of all points out a moral fact, one which has its foundation in an objective analysis of reality. In effect, continuity and renewal are a proof of the perennial value of the teaching of the Church. John Paul states that there is a right to economic initiative for human subjects who must be permitted to exercise their freedom and creativity for self-realization and the common good. Blog. Magisterial Documents: Sollicitudo Rei Socialis. The encyclical presents differences between progress and development, and insists that true development cannot be limited to the multiplication of goods and services, but must contribute to the fullness of being a human being. Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? And since it is a doctrine aimed at guiding people's behavior, it consequently gives rise to a "commitment to justice," according to each individual's role, vocation and circumstances. It is important then that as far as possible the developing nations themselves should favor the self-affirmation of each citizen, through access to a wider culture and a free flow of information. Peoples excluded from the fair distribution of the goods originally destined for all could ask themselves: why not respond with violence to those who first treat us with violence? For the decisions which either accelerate or slow down the development of peoples are really political in character. Carta Encíclica del Papa Juan Pablo II, promulgada el 30 de diciembre de año 1987. The goal of peace, so desired by everyone, will certainly be achieved through the putting into effect of social and international justice, but also through the practice of the virtues which favor togetherness, and which teach us to live in unity, so as to build in unity, by giving and receiving, a new society and a better world. In this regard, the Encyclical had no illusions. SOLLICITUDO REI SOCIALIS “Social Concern” Pope John Paul II To the Bishops, Priests, Religious Families, sons and daughters of the Church and all people of good will for the twentieth anniversary of Populorum Progressio Blessing Venerable Brothers and dear Sons and Daughters, Health and the Apostolic Blessing! Other nations need to reform certain unjust structures, and in particular their political institutions, in order to replace corrupt, dictatorial and authoritarian forms of government by democratic and participatory ones. the griefs and the anxieties of the people of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these too are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. 11. And this happens not through the fault of the needy people, and even less through a sort of inevitability dependent on natural conditions or circumstances as a whole. )88 and the tradition of the Old Testament, as well as to the Muslims who, like us, believe in a just and merciful God. Sollicitudo Rei Socialis a naliza los críticos problemas mundiales del armamentismo y del terrorismo, el Papa encara el problema demográfico actual, con signo opuesto en el Sur y en el Norte. In the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians, we read that Christ is "the first-born of all creation," and that "all things were created through him" and for him (1:15-16). IOANNES PAULUS PP. As a consequence, there arises, not so much a true equality as a "leveling down." Its very existence and gradual acceptance by the international community are signs of a growing awareness. The Church too feels profoundly involved in this enterprise, and she hopes for its ultimate success. 45. Sollicitudo rei socialis (Latin: The Social Concern) is an encyclical promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 30 December 1987, on the twentieth anniversary of Populorum progressio.It deals once more with the theme of development along two fundamental lines: 1) the failed development of the Third World and 2) the meaning of, conditions and requirements for a development of a worthy person. While it illuminates from within the nature of development proposed by the title... 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