From the bulletin of November 15, 2020
At last we come to the most landmark Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, titled Rerum Novarum, which means “On New Things,” published in May of 1891. The subtitle for this points us to what it is about: “On Capital and Labor.” Essentially, this encyclical becomes a foundational part of what is now called Catholic Social Teaching. Written at a time of heightening tensions between capitalism and communism, this encyclical tries to lay out key principles to guide efforts to reform society and make it more just. It includes criticisms of both sides and seeks primarily to correct serious injustices and terrible conditions faced by workers around the world. Considering the importance and nuance of this document, we will spend multiple weeks making our way through it and trying to understand what the Church teaches through it. Remember that not every word and not every document is of the same authority and most of them are not infallible. Because of the way this document relies on scripture and tradition and because the Church has continually reinforced it over the past 100 years, we should consider it to be of a very high authority.
Right at the beginning, it is clear that Leo is focused on the rights of laborers and that he wants to protect them from being abused and taken advantage of. He points out that laborers used to have the protection of guilds that could influence politics and hold powerful organizations in check when they trampled over the rights of workers. By 1891, guilds were long gone and the industrial revolution created a situation in which workers were isolated from each other. Child labor, excessive hours, low pay, and dangerous conditions were a frequent problem. Because this problem was widely recognized, different movements sought to fix the situation with new ways of running a government and managing the economy.
The first one that the Pope addresses is socialism. As the Pope puts it, this movement was using “the poor man’s envy of the rich” to attempt to “do away with private property, and contend that individual possessions should become the common property of all, to be administered by the State.” Note here that he gives a specific definition of the word socialism. As we saw in an earlier column, the Church’s condemnation of socialism is based on the specific definition which says people should not be allowed to own property. To this day, the Church teaches that “every man has by nature the right to possess property as his own. This is one of the chief points of distinction between man and the animal creation.” Today, people use the word “socialism” in a different way. Many “socialists” will agree that people can own property. So, we shouldn’t get caught up on the word but focus on the main idea that private property is a natural right.
The reason that Pope Leo defends private property is important. He points out that human beings do not merely live on instinct in the present, but, as part of having the image of God, look ahead and seek to provide for the future for themselves and others. Because a human being’s need are continual, he needs a stable and continual way to provide for them. Despite all the complexity of our economy, it is still true that man’s needs are met by the land – plants, animals, and other resources all depend on the existence of land. It is ability to own some of this land which enables a human being to have the stability and providence which is natural to them. It’s also true that the land requires labor in order to produce the goods need by human beings. So, if a man trades his labor in order to produce and provide for his needs, it is only natural that he have the right to possess what he produces. In short, private property is a right because it is directly connected to a person’s need to provide for themselves. This will be important to understand when it’s later made clear that private property is not an absolute right and that this right does not justify greed or certain other excesses
. – In Christ,
Fr. Albert