Catholic Social Science Central Office Mönchengladbach
The Katholische Sozialwissenschaftliche Zentralstelle Mönchengladbach ( KSZ ) is a supra-diocesan institution of the Roman Catholic Church , sponsored by the German Bishops' Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics, to deal with fundamental socio-ethical questions that concern living together in church and society.
history
The Catholic Social Science Center was founded on the basis of a resolution passed by the German Bishops' Conference in 1961 . On February 12, 1963, it was registered as a registered association with its seat in Mönchengladbach . Gustav Gundlach SJ was the founding director . From 1963 to 2010 Anton Rauscher SJ was director of the KSZ; He was followed in April 2010 by Peter Schallenberg (Director) and Arnd Küppers (Deputy Director).
The KSZ is assigned to the commission for societal and social issues of the German Bishops' Conference.
activity
The aim of the institute is to deal with Christian global responsibility. The focus of the activities of the KSZ is the scientific discussion of social and sociopolitical questions on the basis of Catholic social teaching and Christian social ethics.
This focus of the work of the Catholic Social Science Center Mönchengladbach is linked to statements in the pastoral constitution " Gaudium et spes " of the Second Vatican Council , which emphasize the inner connection between religious life and social activity of Christians. It is their task to proclaim the faith by trying to introduce the Catholic social doctrine into the social discourse and also to subject political matters to a moral judgment, if the fundamental rights of the human person so require.
Since 1973 the KSZ has published the series Church and Society , which aims to contribute to the information and orientation of Christian world responsibility. Ten issues of 16 pages each appear annually. The 400th issue was published in 2013.
In addition, the KSZ has been issuing the publication series "Social Ethics in Discourse" since 2012, in which, on the one hand, conference proceedings of the KSZ and, on the other hand, scientifically outstanding dissertations in the field of social ethics are published. The Catholic Social Science Center organizes scientific events, such as the “Social Ethics Conferences” that have been taking place in Mönchengladbach since 1968. In addition, she is co-organizer of the Berlin workshop talks together with the working group of social ethicists in German-speaking countries. Since 1998 the work of the KSZ has been supported by a group of friends and sponsors of the Catholic Social Science Center.