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Leo
XIII. Pius XI expanded on his earlier encyclical.
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t is not rash by any means to say that
the whole scheme of social and economic life is now such as to put in
the way of vast numbers of mankind most serious obstacles which prevent
them from caring for the one thing necessary; namely, their eternal salvation..."
With these words Pope Pius XI shone a light on a real, but often neglected,
fact. Popular concerns about economic injustice are important, but only
in focus of eternity.
His words appeared in an encyclical issued on May 15, 1931. Encyclicals
take their names from the words with which they begin. Quadregismo
anno "Forty years" was timed to mark the fortieth anniversary
of an earlier encyclical On the Condition of Workers given by
Leo XIII. The two popes encouraged labor unions and rejected both individualism
and socialism.
No person can stand completely alone. We need each other. But at the
same time, the popes pointed out that socialism is faulty, because it
robs men of legitimate property which God has given them to support their
families and help one another. This is especially true under Communism
which showed itself an implacable foe of Christianity--and indeed of the
workers it claimed to help.
At root, social ills are spiritual problems said the pope. But "no genuine
cure can be furnished for this lamentable ruin of souls, which, so long
as it continues, will frustrate all efforts to regenerate society, unless
men return openly and sincerely to the teaching of the Gospel, to the
precepts of Him Who alone has the words of everlasting life..."
"...There is the greatest need now of...valiant soldiers of Christ who
will work with all their strength to keep the human family safe from the
dire ruin into which it would be plunged were the teachings of the Gospel
to be flouted, and that order of things permitted to prevail which tramples
underfoot no less the laws of nature than those of God."
"Therefore, let all men of good will stand united, all who under the
Shepherds of the Church wish to fight this good and peaceful battle of
Christ; and under the leadership and teaching guidance of the Church let
all strive according to the talent, powers, and position of each to contribute
something to the Christian reconstruction of human society which Leo XIII
inaugurated through his immortal Encyclical, On the Condition of Workers, seeking not themselves and their own interests, but those of Jesus Christ,
not trying to press at all costs their own counsels, but ready to sacrifice
them, however excellent, if the greater common good should seem to require
it, so that in all and above all Christ may reign, Christ may command
to Whom be 'honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.' " So spoke
Pope Pius on this date.
Resources:
- Brusher, J. Popes Through the Ages. Princeton, New Jersey:
Van Nostrand, 1964.
- Sugrue, Francis. Popes in the Modern World. New York: Thomas
Y. Crowell, 1961.
- The quotes from this Encyclical came from newadvent.org and were made
available to the Net by Paul Halsall.
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