Centesimus Annus

HUNDREDTH YEAR BY POPE JOHN PAUL II

 Pope John Paul II

Karol Jzef Wojtya

Reigned as Pope from 16-08-
1978 to 02-04-2005
Secondlongest-serving
modern pope
 Introduction to Centesimus Annus

Published on May 1, 1991

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Rerum Novarum (1)
Also honors the previous encyclicals written (2)
re-reading of Rerum Novarum with new things (3)
true meaning of the Churchs tradition (3)
Fruitfulness of principles and analysis of events in recent
history (3)
 I. Characteristics of Rerum Novarum

Radical changes in political, economic, social fields (4)

Labor became a commodity to be freely bought and sold in
the market
Conception of capital, labor for wages, socialism (4)
Rerum Novarum as the response to the workers question (5)
Dignity of work; rights of workers, right to private property (6-
9)
 I. Characteristics of Rerum Novarum

Criticism of socialism and liberalism is still relevant until today

The guiding light of Rerum Novarum is its view on human

dignity
 II. Toward the New things of today

REAL SOCIALISM
Evils caused by setting up socialism as a state system
Robs the possessor, distorts the functions of the state and
create utter confusion in the community.
Sociolist ideology in practice.
 II. Toward the New things of today

NATURE OF SOCIALISM
Mistaken concept of nature
Anthropological in Nature
Conceives of man wrongly, treats human as only an
element, a molecule withing the social organism, a gear to
a mechanical process.
Rooted in ATHEISM
 II. Toward the New things of today

SOLUTION TO REAL SOCIALSM

Juridical
Framework within which economic affairs are to be
conducted
Reforming the dignity of man and dignity of work
Society and State to be responsible
 II. Toward the New things of today

ROOT ERROR RELATED TO FREEDOM

Anunderstanding of human freedom which detaches it
from the obedience of truth
Used to contradict the social system under Marxism by
pointing out freedom.
 II. Toward the New things of today

AFFLUENT SOCIETY/CONSUMER SOCIETY

Seeks to defeat Marxism on the level of pure Materialism
Free Market Society.
Seeks to show the failure of Marxism.
 III. The Year 1989

THE EVENTS OF 1989

DICTATORS and OPRESSIVE REGIMES fell one by one.
A decisive contribution was the churchs commitment to
defend and promote human rights.
Complex problems can be resolved through dialogue and
solidarity rather than war
 III. The Year 1989

BERLIN WALL
Divided Germany into Eastern and Western Germany
Peoplewanted to get out from East Germany, before the
wall was built, refugees continued to surge through Berlin.
Teareddown in 1989, Signifying the truce between east and
west and signifying the end of war and the fall of
communism
 III. The Year 1989

FACTORS INVOLVING THE FALL OF COMMUNISM

Violation of human rights
Inefficiency of economic system
Spiritual void brought by Atheism
 III. The Year 1989

CONSEQUENCES of 1989
Encounter between the Church and Workers movement
Hatred and ill will developed
 III. The Year 1989

TRUE MEANING OF THE FALL OF MARXISM

Highlighted human interdependence
Peace
and prosperity are good which belong to the whole
human race
Advancementof the poor is an opportunity for moral, cultural,
and economic growth of all of us humans.
 IV. Private Property and the Universal
destination of Material Goods.
Private Property
Right to private property is a human right, not an absolute right.
It
is limited for the common purpose of goods, profiting not only the
owners, but to the people around them as well.
We are entitled to earn a property for ourselves, therefore we must
WORK for them. Earned not given. Man was given the earth for the
sustenance of all its members. This is the foundation of the
Universal destination of the earths goods.
 IV. Private Property and the Universal
destination of Material Goods.
New Factor of production-Know-how-to Technology/ Human
Skill
Land,capital and labor is being surpassed by human skills in terms
of production
Thewealth of industrialized nations is based on these more
than natural resources.
 IV. Private Property and the Universal
destination of Material Goods.
Problems regarding to the new found factor of skill
Majority
of the countries do not have the means to acquire such
knowledge. As such, Marginalization and exploitation occurs.
This further ignites Capitalism in a different form.
Solution:
It is the duty of justice and truth to TEACH and help the
needy people to acquire expertise and develop their skills.
 IV. Private Property and the Universal
destination of Material Goods.
Capitalism
Thedefeat of Real Socialism does not leave Capitalism
as the only model of economic organization.
StrongerNations must help the weaker nations and not
capitalized on their weakness.
 IV. Private Property and the Universal
destination of Material Goods.
Consumerism
New needs arise, and Man looks for ways to meet or
satisfy their needs. When people loses the much needed
respect to the dimension of all his being, they tend to
abuse their rights just to satisfy their needs
A good example of this is Drug usage. It is materialistic and
is a destructive reading of the human needs.
 IV. Private Property and the Universal
destination of Material Goods.
Ecological Question
Ina mans motivation to desire to possess things, rather
than relating them to the truth. He loses the ability to see in
things the message of God
Manmust be conscious of its duties for the Future
generation
 IV. Private Property and the Universal
destination of Material Goods.
Churchs Response
Thechurch doesnt have a perfect model in response to
these.
Assuch, the Church offers her Social teachings to be an
indispensable and ideal ORIENTATION towards solving
problems. Everything needs to be oriented towards the
common good
V. State and Culture

A sound theory of the State was needed for mans

normal development
organization of society under three powers legislative,
executive, judiciary
Rule of Law
V. State and Culture

Totalitarianism
belief that some people are exempt from error and can
arrogate themselves to exercise absolute power
arises from a denial of truth
No acknowledgement of truth = Disregard of others rights
rejects the Church as an objective criterion on good and
evil
absorbs everyone in the nation; removal of freedom
V. State and Culture

Democratic System
valued by the Church because:
ensured participation of citizens in political activities
guarantee of election and accountability of public officials
minimizes formation of bureaucracy
only authentic through rule of law and correct conception
on a person
V. State and Culture

Democratic System (cont.)

Democracy without values easily turns into open or thinly
disguised totalitarianism
Collapse of Communist totalitarianism -> Predomination of
democratic ideals -> Need to strengthen the foundation of
democracy
Church respects legitimate autonomy of the democratic order
V. State and Culture

State in the economic sector

economic activity cannot be institutional, juridical, or political
should safeguard the guarantee individual freedom and private
property
guarantee of human rights, but should primarily belong to the
individuals and associations of society
Complete Security = No Freedom
has the duty to make conditions for job opportunities
V. State and Culture

State in the economic sector (cont.)

intervention on monopolies
usage of a substitute function
intervention must be brief
Welfare State
principle of subsidiarity
Excess intervention induces bureaucracy
V. State and Culture

Volunteer Work
concrete commitment to solidarity and charity
Culture as the source of character
evangelization
VI. Man is the Way of the Church

Churchs purpose is the care and responsibility of each

individual
Churchs social teachings as instruments of evangelization
help man find his true identity
Church receives the meaning of man from Divine
Revelation
Real Socialism collapse must be corrected
Gospel must be a basis and motivation for action
VI. Man is the Way of the Church

Churchs love for the poor gives attention to the poor

Love is made concrete in the promotion of justice
Grace of God is needed
Cooperation is required for the society
Churchs obligation to denounce poverty