By Dan Ebener
Guest Column
When I first heard that the new pope had selected the name Leo XIV, I immediately thought of Rerum Novarum. This encyclical, written in 1891 by Pope Leo XIII, provides the foundation of modern Catholic Social Teaching. It was written in response to the Industrial Revolution, which was rapidly changing the way of life for working people around the globe.
Every pope since 1891 has quoted from Rerum Novarum and built upon its foundation. Four popes wrote encyclicals specifically to note its 40th, 70th, 80th and 100-year anniversaries: Pope Pius XI wrote Quadragesimos Anno (1931); Pope John XXIII wrote Mater et Magristra (1961); Pope Paul VI wrote Octogesima Adveniens (1971); and Pope John Paul II wrote Centesemus Annus (1991).
What is so pivotal about this encyclical? Three major points:
- Rerum Novarum states the Catholic case for a middle ground between capitalism and socialism. Raising major objections to both economic systems, the encyclical launches modern Catholic Social Teaching pertaining to the economy. This teaching can perhaps best be summarized by a later pastoral letter of the U.S. bishops (1986), which borrows heavily from Rerum Novarum and states: “The economy exists to serve people, not the other way around.”
- Rerum Novarum emphasizes the dignity of work and the dignity of workers. Simply put, it protects workers from exploitation and prioritizes human dignity over sheer profit. It states: “Economic activity … serves human dignity and the common good rather than fostering greed and exploitation.” Protecting human dignity has become the cornerstone for Catholic Social Teaching on economic justice, world peace and reverence for all human life, especially that which is most vulnerable.
- Rerum Novarum clearly takes a Gospel position in favor of the poor, what the U.S. bishops today would call “the preferential option for the poor.” It calls all Catholics to live in solidarity with the poor and most vulnerable, in the interest of the common good, and as the fulfillment of our discipleship in Jesus. In Centesemus Annus, Pope John Paul II picks up on the theme of “solidarity,” which he defines as losing oneself in the struggle of another.
Of course, these three themes of Rerum Novarum are inter-related. The glue that holds them together is the pre-eminence of human dignity, the Latin root of which means worthiness. The idea is that we are all worthy of basic human rights because we are all created in the image and likeness of God. Dignity connects us all as humans. Responding to the Industrial Revolution, Pope Leo XIII feared that people working in factories were becoming cogs in the economic grind seeking greater profits.
Look for Pope Leo XIV to speak, teach, practice and live out the principles of Rerum Novarum throughout his papacy. And look for a major encyclical in 2031, marking the 140th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, building upon its foundation and applying it to the present day.
(Dan R Ebener is director of parish planning for the Diocese of Davenport and a professor of leadership at St. Ambrose University in Davenport.)
