JOHN PAUL II
SOLLICITUDO REI SOCIALIS
ENCYCLICAL LETTER OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF 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
Venerable Brothers and dear Sons and Daughters, Health and the Apostolic
Blessing!
1. The social concern of the Church, directed towards an authentic
development of man and society which would respect and promote all the
dimensions of the human person, has always expressed itself in the most
varied ways. In recent years, one of the special means of intervention
has been the Magisterium of the Roman Pontiffs which, beginning with the
Encyclical Rerum Novarum of Leo XIII as a point of reference,[1] has
frequently dealt with the question and has sometimes made the dates of
publication of the various social documents coincide with the
anniversaries of that first document.[2]
The Popes have not failed to throw fresh light by means of those messages
upon new aspects of the social doctrine of the Church. 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". It builds up gradually, as the
Church, in the fullness of the word revealed by Christ Jesus[3] and with
the assistance of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 14:16, 26; 16:13-15), reads
events as they unfold in the course of history. She thus seeks to lead
people to respond, with the support also of rational reflection and of
the human sciences, to their vocation as responsible builders of earthly
society.
2. Part of this large body of social teaching is the distinguished
Encyclical "Populorum Progressio"[4] which my esteemed predecessor Paul
VI
published on 26 March 1967.
The enduring relevance of this Encyclical is easily recognized if we note
the series of commemorations which took place during 1987 in various
forms and in many parts of the ecclesiastical and civil world. 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. At the time of the twentieth anniversary, the
same Commission organized a solemn commemoration in which I myself
took
part and gave the concluding address.[5] And now, also taking into
account the replies to the above mentioned circular letter, I consider it
appropriate, at the close of the year 1987, to devote an Encyclical to
the theme of "Populorum Progressio".
3. In this way I wish principally to achieve two objectives of no little
importance: on the one hand, to pay homage to this historic document of
Paul VI and to its teaching; on the other hand, following in the
footsteps of my esteemed predecessors in the See of Peter, to reaffirm
the continuity of the social doctrine as well as its constant renewal. In
effect, continuity and renewal are a proof of the perennial value of the
teaching of the Church.
This twofold dimension is typical of her teaching in the social sphere.
On the one hand it is constant, for it remains identical in its
fundamental inspiration, in its "principles of reflection", in its
"criteria of judgment", in its basic "directives for action",[6] and
above all in its vital link with the Gospel of the Lord. On the other
hand, it is ever new, because it is subject to the necessary and
opportune adaptations suggested by the changes in historical conditions
and by the unceasing flow of the events which are the setting of the life
of people and society.
4. I am convinced that the teachings of the Encyclical Populorum
Progressio, addressed to the people and the society of the sixties,
retain all their force as an appeal to conscience today in the last part
of the eighties, in an effort to trace the major lines of the present
world always within the context of the aim and inspiration of the
"development of peoples", which are still very far from being exhausted.
I therefore propose to extend the impact of that message by bringing it
to bear, with its possible applications, upon the present historical
moment, which is no less dramatic than that of twenty years ago.
As we well know, time maintains a constant and unchanging rhythm. Today
however we have the impression that it is passing ever more quickly,
especially by reason of the multiplication and complexity of the
phenomena in the midst of which we live. Consequently, the configuration
of the world in the course of the last twenty years, while preserving
certain fundamental constants, has undergone notable changes and
presents
some totally new aspects.
The present period of time, on the eve of the third Christian millennium,
is characterized by a widespread expectancy, rather like a new
"Advent",[7] which to some extent touches everyone. It offers an
opportunity to study the teachings of the Encyclical in greater detail
and to see their possible future developments.
The aim of the present reflection is to emphasize, through a theological
investigation of the present world, the need for a fuller and more nuance
concept of development, according to the suggestions contained in the
Encyclical. Its aim is also to indicate some ways of putting it into
effect.
5. As soon as it appeared, the document of Pope Paul VI captured the
attention of public opinion by reason of its originality. 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. The intention of rediscovering numerous aspects
of this teaching, through a careful re-reading of the Encyclical, will
therefore constitute the main thread of the present reflections.
But first I wish to say a few words about the date of publication: the
year 1967. The very fact that Pope Paul VI chose to publish a social
Encyclical in that year invites us to consider the document in
relationship to the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, which had ended on
8 December 1965.
6. We should see something more in this than simple chronological
proximity. The Encyclical Populorum Progressio presents itself, in a
certain way, as a document which applies the teachings of the Council. It
not only makes continual reference to the texts of the Council,[8] but it
also flows from the same concern of the Church which inspired the whole
effort of the Council--and in a particular way the Pastoral Constitution
Gaudium et Spes to coordinate and develop a number of themes of her
social teaching.
We can therefore affirm that the Encyclical Populorum Progressio is a
kind of response to the Council's appeal with which the Constitution
Gaudium et Spes begins: "The joys and the hopes, 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. Indeed, nothing genuinely human
fails to raise an echo in their hearts".[9] These words express the
fundamental motive inspiring the great document of the Council, which
begins by noting the situation of poverty and of under-development in
which millions of human beings live.
This poverty and underdevelopment are, under another name, the "griefs
and the anxieties" of today, of "especially those who are poor". Before
this vast panorama of pain and suffering the Council wished to suggest
horizons of joy and hope. The Encyclical of Paul VI has the same purpose,
in full fidelity to the inspiration of the Council.
7. There is also the theme of the Encyclical which, in keeping with the
great tradition of the Church's social teaching, takes up again in a
direct manner the new exposition and rich synthesis which the Council
produced, notably in the Constitution Gaudium et Spes.
With regard to the content and themes once again set forth by the
Encyclical, the following should be emphasized: the awareness of the duty
of the Church, as "an expert in humanity", "to scrutinize the signs of
the times and to interpret them in the light of the Gospel";[10] the
awareness, equally profound, of her mission of "service", a mission
distinct from the function of the State, even when she is concerned with
people's concrete situation;[11] the reference to the notorious
inequalities in the situations of those same people;[12] the confirmation
of the Council's teaching, a faithful echo of the centuries-old tradition
of the Church, regarding the "universal purpose of goods";[13] the
appreciation of the culture and the technological civilization which
contribute to human liberation,[14] without failing to recognize their
limits;[15] finally, on the specific theme of development, which is
precisely ...
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