The Problem

1
The Problem

• Far too many Catholics are unfamiliar with the
  basic content of Catholic social teaching. More
  fundamentally, many Catholics do not adequately
  understand that the social mission of the Church
  is an essential part of Catholic faith.
• This poses a serious challenge for all Catholics,
  since it weakens our capacity to be a Church that
  is true to the demands of the Gospel. We need to
  do more to share the social mission and message
  of our Church.
• Sharing Catholic Social Teaching Challenges and
  Directions
• U.S. Bishops, 1998

2
Introduction

• Catholic Social Teaching
• - the teaching of the church that examines human
  society in light of the Gospel and Tradition to
  guide Christians in carrying out the mission of
  Christ
• - issued by popes and bishops in various forms

3

• Signs of the Times
• - interpretation by the Church of the religious,
  political, cultural, and economic factors that
  shape the overall situation of society.
• Rerum Novarum - 1891

4
European Climate

• Industrial Revolution 19th century
• Shift from a farming and craft trade economy to
  one based on factory production
• Capital
• Means of production
• Capitalism
• New economic system a few owned the means of
  production and workers sold their labor

5
Marxs Challenge

• Socialism 19th century
• Social philosophy advocating the distribution of
  wealth according to need, not ownership of
  capital and profits
• Communism
• The idea state of socialism an ideal equitable
  society in which government and laws would be
  unnecessary

6
Rerum Novarum

• Opposed Capitalisms harsh treatment of the poor
  as mere pawns
• Opposed Socialisms abolition of private property
• Proposed a system based on Natural Law
• The God-given need for creation to follow what
  God intended it to be

7
Major Components

• Cooperation between classes
• Not inevitable class warfare
• Dignity of work
• Primary purpose to provide a decent life for
  families not to be harsh or oppressive
• Just wage
• An amount sufficient to provide a decent life

8
cont

• Role of the State
• Balance between liberalist and socialist philo.
• Private ownership of property
• All have a right to own property fair
  distribution
• Defense of the poor
• Goal should be lifting up, not casting down the
  poor

9
A Key to Catholic Identity

• The central message is simple our faith is
  profoundly social. We cannot be called truly
  Catholic unless we hear and heed the Church's
  call to serve those in need and work for justice
  and peace.
• Communities of Salt and Light, U.S. Bishops,
  1993

10
Major Themes from Catholic Social Teaching

• Human dignity
• Participation Call to Family and Community
• Rights and responsibilities
• Option for the poor
• Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
• Solidarity
• Care of Creation

11
Americanist Controversy

• Question for the late 19th century American
  Church
• Should Catholics assimilate into American
  culture? Or, should Catholics remain separate
  from the rest of Americans?
• Americanism
• A modified accommodation of certain Catholic
  doctrinal statements and practices to modern
  Anglo-Saxon views
• Position held by several leading bishops
• Wanted American Catholics to become integrated
  into the American culture, especially new
  European immigrants to the United States
• Archbishop John Ireland of St. Paul, Minnesota

12
Archbishop Ireland

• Republic of America, receive from me the tribute
  of my love and of my loyalty. With my whole soul
  I do thee homage. I pray form my heart that thy
  glory be never dimmed. Thou bearest in thy hands
  the hopes of the human race, thy mission from God
  is to show to nations that men are capable of
  highest civil and political liberty. Be thou
  ever free and prosperous. Through thee may
  liberty triumph over the earth from the rising to
  the setting sun. Believe me, no hearts love thee
  more ardently than Catholic hearts, no tongues
  speak more honestly thy praises than Catholic
  tongues, and no hands will be lifted up stronger
  and more willing to defend, in war and in peace,
  thy laws and thy institutions than Catholic
  hands.

13
The Paulists

• 1858 Pope Pius IX gave permission to begin a new
  order of priests in the United States
• Fr. Isaac Hecker founded the Paulist Order
• Goal of the Paulists was to Catholicize
  Protestant America
• Preach in ways appealing to Protestants
• Americanize Catholicism
• Beginnings of the Ecumenical movement
• Ecumenism
• Actions aimed at dialogue and the restoration of
  unity among Christians, continued at the Second
  Vatican Council

14
1893 Worlds Parliament of Religions

• Held in Chicago and included representatives from
  major Christian denominations and major
  non-Christian religions
• Beginning of the international interfaith
  movement
• Attended by leaders in the Americanist movement
• Goal of the Parliament
• Empathy ? identifying and understanding the
  situation of other cultures and peoples learning
  through the experiences of others
• Attitude that would not become popular with the
  rest of the Church until Vatican II
• Even today, conservative Catholics question the
  ecumenical movement questioning its loyalty to
  the Faith

15
Romes Response

• 1899 Pope Leo XIII sent a letter to the leader of
  the American Church, Cardinal Gibbons
• Condemned what some have called Americanism
• Response to conservative fears about the U.S.
  Church becoming too liberal
• Leo XIII also issued Testem Benevolentiae
• Opposed the attempts to downplay or reinterpret
  Catholic doctrines and dogmas for the purpose of
  winning converts
• Did not attack individuals, rather warned that
  these were dangerous practices to be avoided

16
Modernist Controversy

• Question
• Is scientific knowledge helpful or dangerous for
  Catholics?
• Modernism
• Liberal movement of the late 19th century
  advocating the use of modern biblical and
  historical study to understand the dogmas of
  Catholicism
• Problem
• In the wake of the Renaissance, Protestant
  Reformation, and the Enlightenment, Church
  leaders were concerned that modern science would
  replace Christian faith
• Church leaders maintained the Aquinas
  contributions were adequate for explaining
  Christian belief
• Key issue ? what should have more authority,
  science or theology?

17
Romes Response

• 1907 Pius X issued Pasceni Dominici Gregis
• Feeding the Lords Flock
• 1910 Oath Against Modernism
• Remained as a requirement for ordination until
  1967
• Goal to stop false teachings

18
Aftermath of the Controversy

• Stifled Catholic intellectual life
• Scholars became hesitant in terms of exploring
  areas of learning
• Too much reliance on belief
• No opportunity to understand why Catholics
  believed what they believed
• Alienation from outside the Church
• Lack of connection to the real world
• Loss of influence guiding scientific research and
  discovery

19
Catholic Spiritual Life

• Modern Era
• Growing secularism
• Less respect for importance of religion and faith
• Devotional Catholicism
• Practices of religious piety among Catholics
• Marian Apparitions
• Holy individuals
• St. Damien
• St. Therese of Lisieux
• Frances Cabrini and Katharine Drexel

20
An Age of Wars

• World War I The Great War
• Catholics fought on both sides
• Pope Benedict XV called for an end to fighting
• Issued a seven point proposal
• Peace Note of 1917
• Ignored by both sides
• Declared that the Vatican was neutral and desired
  peace
• Each side accused him of supporting the enemy
• At Versailles, Benedict petitioned against
  retaliation

21
Pope Pius XI

• Elected pope following the death of Benedict XV
• Desired to resolve the Vaticans relationship
  with Italy, because Mussolini initiated Fascism
  in Italy
• 1929 Lateran Treaty was signed
• Pius XI gave up all claims to the former Papal
  States in return for complete control of the
  Vatican city-state
• Strained relations between the Vatican and
  Italian governments lasting until the end of
  World War II
• Mussolinis alliance with Hitler

22
Developments Between the Wars

• Catholic-Protestant Relations
• After WWI, Catholic and Protestant joint relief
  efforts to aid victims of the fighting
• Led to collaboration on scripture and theology
  paving the way for the efforts following Vatican
  II
• Native Clergy
• Increased efforts to establish a native clergy in
  missionary countries increase Catholic presence
  across the globe
• Lay Involvement
• Catholic Action ? movement for active involvement
  of all Catholics
• Liturgical Renewal
• As the participation of the laity increased,
  Catholics started to call for the liturgy to make
  more sense to them more participation led to
  sweeping changes called for by the Second Vatican
  Council
• The Church and Communism

23
The Church and the Holocaust

• In the aftermath of the Holocaust, some
  historians have questioned the Churchs actions
  to oppose the Holocaust
• Pope Pius XII elected in 1939
• Politically neutral, against all hostilities
• Wrote a condemnation of Hitler and Nazism
• Castle Gandolfo
• Location where more than 15,000 Jews were hidden
  to avoid persecution
• Underground Catholic movement to help Jews flee
  persecution
• Extra Credit Challenge
• Watch the Scarlet and the Black and describe
  the efforts of the main character of the movie
  and write a one page reflection. Worth 10 pts.