Centesimus Annus - Centesimus Annus

The hundredth anniversary of the Encyclical "Rerum Novarum" (May 15th, 1891/1991) offered Pope John Paul II the opportunity to analyze the ideas of economists, sociologists, historians, moralists and business people, collect his own thoughts and expound them in a new social Encyclical (the tenth starting with Leo XIII's). His purpose was to call the world's attention on the new scope and, in part, the new terms upon which the "social question" - which Leo XIII had dealt with from the then pre-eminent viewpoint of the condition and rights of workers - now rests.

This was the genesis of the Encyclical "Centesimus Annus". It is imbued with evangelical spirit supported by explicit references and texts. In truth, the Author attributes this Encyclical, as that of Leo XIII, to the Holy Spirit, the true Teacher and Leader of the life of the Church. In particular we want to note the emphasis (cfr. Chapt. V and the speech of May 1st, 1991) on the problems of the unjust sharing of goods among industrialized and poor countries; of the unjust distribution of goods within a given nation; of the exploitation of goods with disregard to the environment; of the role of governments who have the duty to manage the destination of goods for the welfare of all and not only of particular groups; of the danger that States turn into welfare agencies easily blocked by bureaucratic trappings; of the necessity for a free market and for the movement of capital to be regulated for the common good, to which even legitimate profit ought to be ordained and subordinated.

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