Graves de communi re

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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

Web links

  • Text of the encyclical (English) [1]
  • Comments and treatises on the encyclical [2] [3] (PDF; 373 kB)