(31). But We have no doubt as to the need for giving workers an active part in the business of the company for which they work—be it a private or a public one. Yet at the same time, the divine Master frequently extends to the rich the insistent invitation to convert their material goods into spiritual ones by conferring them on the poor. This has created considerable problems for public authorities, whose duty it is to see that the aims pursued by the leaders of the principal organizations—especially those which have an important part to play in the national economy—do not conflict in any way with the interests of the common good. On this score alone the right of the Church to full liberty in the exercise of her mission must be recognized. 28. (6). Moreover, man is not just a material organism. The Great Depression and World War II had ended, the cold war had begun, and technology allowed for increased productivity, but vast poverty remained across the globe. But We must remind you here of an important truth: the Christian conception of life demands of all—whether highborn or lowly—a spirit of moderation and sacrifice. The Participation of Workers in Specific Enterprises. It is also true that more and more people today, through belonging to insurance groups and systems of social security, find that they can face the future with confidence—the sort of confidence which formerly resulted from their possession of a certain amount of property. In this Leo XIII showed his complete mastery of the situation. There is the lure of novelty and adventure which has taken such a hold on the present generation, the attractive prospect of easy money, of greater freedom and the enjoyment of all the amenities of town and city life. Our purpose, therefore, is not merely to commemorate in a fitting manner the Leonine encyclical, but also to confirm and make more specific the teaching of Our predecessors, and to determine clearly the mind of the Church on the new and important problems of the day. For true Christians cannot help feeling obliged to improve their own temporal institutions and environment. 200. Mater et Magistra. (35) Encyclical letter Quadragesimo anno; AAS 23 (1931) 214. The wise development, the encouragement within limits, of that genius, those qualities, does no harm; and if a nation cares to take precautions, to lay down rules, for that end, it has the Church's approval. Individual political communities may indeed enjoy a high degree of culture and civilization. 247. It is a gross error to suppose that a man cannot perfect himself except by putting aside all temporal activity, on the plea that such activity will inevitably lead him to compromise his personal dignity as a human being and as a Christian. 83. "Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth; where the rust and moth consume and where thieves break through and steal. It is rightly regarded as a compendium of Catholic social and economic teaching. 139. It lays claim to the whole man, body and soul, intellect and will, inducing him to raise his mind above the changing conditions of this earthly existence and reach upwards for the eternal life of heaven, where one day he will find his unfailing happiness and peace. Venerable Brethren and dear sons, We began with that wonderful Encyclical of Pope Leo, and passed in review before you the various problems of our modern social life. The transmission of human life is the result of a personal and conscious act, and, as such, is subject to the all-holy, inviolable and immutable laws of God, which no man may ignore or disobey. They should also form a flourishing system of cooperative undertakings, and organize themselves professionally to take an effective part in public life, both on the administrative and the political level. She has formulated, particularly over the past hundred years, and through the efforts of a very well informed body of priests and laymen, a social doctrine which points out with clarity the sure way to social reconstruction. And this is as it should be. "Mater et Magistra," a Latin expression which literally means "Mother and Teacher," has long been used to refer to the authority that Christ Himself bestowed upon the Church, in entrusting to her the Petrine "Keys of the Kingdom." "The Church of Jesus Christ," as Our Predecessor Pius XII observed with such penetration, "is the repository of His wisdom; she is certainly too wise to discourage or belittle those peculiarities and differences which mark out one nation from another. 88. Enormous riches accumulated in the hands of a few, while large numbers of workingmen found themselves in conditions of ever-increasing hardship. 237. And in other countries a notable percentage of income is absorbed in building up an ill-conceived national prestige, and vast sums are spent on armaments. 164. State and public ownership of property is very much on the increase today. Unrestricted competition in the liberal sense, and the Marxist creed of class warfare; are clearly contrary to Christian teaching and the nature of man. John XXIII also wrote extensively on the relationship between workers and managers, whose relationship ought to be “re-established” based on justice and equity. Of special doctrinal and practical importance is his affirmation that "if the social and individual character of work be overlooked, it can be neither justly valued nor equitably recompensed." And another thing happening today is that people are aiming at proficiency in their trade or profession rather than the acquisition of private property. For these groups must themselves necessarily present the form and substance of a true community, and this will only be the case if they treat their individual members as human persons and encourage them to take an active part in the ordering of their lives. There is a sureness of touch in all his activity in every field. Animated, too, by the charity of Christ, he finds it impossible not to love his fellow men. This attitude is disastrous. 69. They must try to reconcile their rights and interests with those of other classes of workers, and even subordinate the one to the other if the common good demands it. 106. Justice shall walk before him: and shall set his steps in the way." It is for individuals, therefore, to regulate their mutual relations where their work is concerned. There are some indeed who go so far as to deny the existence of a moral order which is transcendent, absolute, universal and equally binding upon all. 126. It must surely worsen, even to the point of extreme hardship. We therefore paternally invite Our beloved sons—craftsmen and members of cooperatives throughout the world—to realize the greatness of this task which is theirs in the State. 21. Mater et magistra is the encyclical written by Pope John XXIII on the topic of "Christianity and Social Progress". On this subject it must not be forgotten that the price of agricultural produce represents, for the most part, the reward of the farmer's labor rather than a return on invested capital. 9. LATIN TEXT: Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 53 (1961), 401-64. In addition, a sound agricultural program is needed if public authority is to maintain an evenly balanced progress in the various branches of the economy. For "charity is patient, is kind; charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." Men, and consequently States, are in mortal fear of each other. Aid from the developed world should come in the form of food for the hungry, but also technology and infrastructure to help other nations develop themselves. 24. 187. In it the Supreme Pontiff confirmed the right and duty of the Catholic Church to work for an equitable solution of the many pressing problems weighing upon human society and calling for a joint effort by all the people. Our predecessors have insisted time and again on the social function inherent in the right of private ownership, for it cannot be denied that in the plan of the Creator all of this world's goods are primarily intended for the worthy support of the entire human race. They may even go so far as to bring discredit on the Church's teaching, lending substance to the opinion that, in spite of its intrinsic value, it is in fact powerless to direct men's lives. Men, too, are becoming more and more conscious of their rights as human beings, rights which are universal and inviolable; and they are aspiring to more just and more human relations with their fellows. But if the family farm is not to go bankrupt it must make enough money to keep the family in reasonable comfort. Future generations are secured through education which allows for a sound cultural and religious formation. Va ser promulgada el 15 de maig de 1961. 99. Ideally, such price protection should be enforced by the interested parties themselves, though supervision by the public authority cannot be altogether dispensed with. In the first place, those nations which are still only at the beginning of their journey along the road to economic development would do well to consider carefully the experiences of the wealthier nations which have traversed this road before them. However, it is no less necessary—and justice itself demands—that the riches produced be distributed fairly among all members of the political community. It also puts into the hands of public authority a greater means for limiting fluctuations in the economy and for providing effective measures to prevent the recurrence of mass unemployment. Thus, religion and moral and physical well-being are one in demanding this periodic rest, and for many centuries now the Church has set aside Sunday as a special day of rest for the faithful, on which they participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the memorial and application of Christ's redemptive work for souls. (39a) has undertaken to establish effective collaboration among nations, to promote the modernization of agriculture especially in less developed countries, and to alleviate the suffering of hunger-stricken peoples. In business the main operative principle was that of free and unrestricted competition. Allied to what We have said so far is the question of the Sunday rest. We most earnestly beg all Our sons the world over, clergy and laity, to be deeply conscious of the dignity, the nobility, which is theirs through being grafted on to Christ as shoots on a vine: "I am the vine; you the branches.'' 257. 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