Graves de communi re
Under the impression that the encyclical Rerum novarum could lead to reactionary effects in Europe and Latin America and that the new development of the workers would lead the working class to socialism , Pope Leo XIII published. on January 18, 1901, the encyclical Graves de communi re , on Christian democracy in the sense of social welfare. This encyclical is assigned to the so-called "small social encyclicals".
Socialism and Christian Democracy
Graves de communi re categorically denied any compatibility between Christianity and atheistic socialism. The activism for "Christian democracy" that has broken out since rerum novarum should not be misused as a call to battle to achieve popular rule. In the opinion of the Pope, the commandments of love and unity were the only permitted basis for solving the social question and therefore he repeatedly admonished the rich and the poor not to leave this soil.
decree
Leo XIII. therefore stipulated in his circular - which resembled a decree - that the party and association political activities of Catholics had to be limited to social and charitable activities.
According to the circular , the Christian idea of democracy was only allowed to focus on the welfare of the people , but not on political and constitutional questions.
According to the Pope's will, the Catholics should support the given state order - whether monarchical or democratic - but should not do anything themselves to bring about a democratic order.
literature
- Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace - Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church , Herder Verlag, Freiburg in Breisgau, 2006, ISBN 3-451-29078-2
- Texts on Catholic social doctrine - The social circulars of the popes and other church documents , introduction by Oswald von Nell-Breuning SJ and Johannes Schasching SJ, publisher Federal Association of the Catholic Workers' Movement in Germany - KAB , Kettelerverlag Bornheim, 1992, ISBN 3-927494- 01-1 ; Verlag Butzon & Becker, Kevelaer, 1992, ISBN 3-7666-9789-7
- Carl Andresen , Georg Denzler : dtv dictionary of church history , Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich, May 1982, ISBN 3-423-03245-6