Oct. 26
GLOBAL:
Compendium Of The Social Doctrine Of The Church Issued; Cardinal Says
Document Unprecedented In Church History
The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church is a first of its kind
document that "had no precedent in the Church's history," according to
Cardinal Renato Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice
and Peace.
The long-awaited document is "an instrument for fostering ecumenical and
interreligious dialogue on the part of Catholics with all who sincerely
seek the good of mankind," the Cardinal said.
Speaking at the Holy See Press Office where the Compendium was released
today, the Cardinal said the Church's social doctrine must be "known,
lived, and propagated." Work on the document, published in both Italian
and English, began at the Pontifical Council 5 years ago under the
presidency of the late Cardinal Francois-Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan.
Cardinal Martino said the Compendium is dedicated to Pope John Paul II
who, in the 1999 Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Ecclesia in America,"
recommended that "it would be very useful to have a compendium or approved
synthesis of Catholic social doctrine--which would show the connection
between it and the new evangelization."
Over 500 pages in length, the volume opens with a letter to the president
of the Pontifical Council from Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican Secretary
of State.
Cardinal Martino said the drafting of the Compendium was not a simple
undertaking. Besides the lack of historical precedent, he explained, other
complex problems had to be dealt with, including the need to give the
document a unified and universal dimension, notwithstanding an unlimited
variety of social realities in the world, and "the desire to offer a
teaching that loses nothing of its luster over time, in an historical
period marked by very rapid and radical social, economic and political
changes."
The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church has an introduction
followed by 3 parts. The 1st part deals with the fundamental
presuppositions of social doctrine--God's plan of love for humanity and
society, the Church's mission and the nature of social doctrine, the human
person and human rights, and the principles and values of social doctrine.
The 2nd part deals with the contents and classical themes of social
doctrine--the family, human work, economic life, the political community,
the international community, the environment and peace. The 3rd part
contains a series of recommendations for the use of social doctrine in the
pastoral activity of the Church and in the life of Christians, above all,
the laity. The Conclusion, entitled For a Civilization of Love, expresses
the underlying purpose of the entire document.
Cardinal Martino stressed that the Compendium "is made available to all
Catholics, other Christians, people of good will." It is "an instrument
for the moral and pastoral discernment of the complex events that mark our
time, a guide to inspire, and an aid to the faithful concerning the
Church's teaching in the area of social morality." It is also, he said,
"an instrument for fostering ecumenical and interreligious dialogue on the
part of Catholics with all who sincerely seek the good of mankind."
The Cardinal cited "certain decisive challenges of great relevance and
importance" to which it is hoped the Compendium will respond: "First is
the cultural challenge, which social doctrine deals with by keeping in
mind its constitutive interdisciplinary dimension. The 2nd challenge
arises from ethical and religious indifference and the need for renewed
interreligious cooperation.
The 3rd challenge is a properly pastoral challenge. The future of the
Church's social doctrine in the modern world will depend on the
continually renewed understanding of this social doctrine as being rooted
in the mission proper to the Church. It depends on the renewed
understanding, therefore, of how this doctrine is connected with all
aspects of the Church's life and action."
The Compendium of the Church's Social Doctrine is expected to be published
in this country by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
(USCCB).
(source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
