Leo XIII who died on the 20th July 1903 has gone down in history as the first pope ever to have written a social encyclical. It was 1891 and the title of this document was “ Rerum Novarum “, Latin words highlighting the novelty of the theme explored.
Veronica Scarisbrick asks Professor of Catholic Social Teaching at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas here in Rome, Dominican Father Alejandro Crosthwaite, to place this encyclical into an historical context for us.
While Father Crosthwaite explains how the Catholic Church's concern in social issues dates back to the times of the Fathers of the Church, he also notes how this document breaks new ground.
As for the first time in history a Roman Pontiff begins to realise the need to address social issues in a new way, expressing concern for the rights of workers.
Although Father Crosthwaite adds : "...the vision of society in this document still tends to be a little paternalistic ..it's not until Vatican II basically, although we already begin to see that in Pius XII in his Christmas radio messages and in John XXIII's writings that the worker himself or herself is a subject and is called to be an actor member. That will not be explicit until John Paul II's encyclical 'Laborem Exercens' ..."