On Paul VI’s

8/12/2019 On Paul VIs

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On Paul VIs

OCTOGESIMA ADVENIENS

CADIZ, Maru

MANIQUIS, Alkaid


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Octogesima adveniens

Apostolic letter dated 14 May 1971

Addressed to Cardinal Maurice Roy

Literally, eightieth anniversary, on accountof the 80thanniversary of Leo XIIIs Rerum

Novarum


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Universal Appeal

(P)roblems xxx are particular to each part of

the world, but at the same time they are

common to all mankind xxx . Flagrant

inequalities exist in the economic, culturaland political development of the nations.


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Diversity of Situations

It is up to the Christian communities to discern

the options and commitments which are

called for in order to bring about the social,

political and economic changes seen inmany cases to be urgently needed


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Extent of Present Day Changes

human conditions of production

fairness in the exchange of goods and in the

division of wealth

increased needs of consumption

sharing of responsibility


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New Social Problems

Urbanization

Christians in the City

Youth

The Role of Women

Workers

Victims of Changes

Discrimination

Right to Emigrate

Creating Employment

Media of Social

Communication

The Environment


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Fundamental Aspirations and Currents of Ideas

Aspiration for equality

Aspiration for participation


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Advantages and Limitations of Juridical

Recognition

xxx legislation does not keep up with real

situations. Legislation is necessary, but it is

not sufficient for setting up true relationships

of justice and equity.


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Recognition, cont.

(H)uman rights are still too often disregarded,

if not scoffed at, or else they receive only

formal recognition, despite the international

trend for its promotion.


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Recognition, cont.

the Gospel instructs us in the preferential

respect due to the poor xxx: the more

fortunate should renounce some of their

rights so as to place their goods moregenerously at the service of others


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Recognition, cont.

Without a renewed education in solidarity, an

overemphasis of equality can give rise to an

individualism in which each one claims his

own rights without wishing to be answerablefor the common good


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The Political Society

In line with the two aspirations and human

growth, (t)he Christian has the duty to take

part in this search and in the organization

and life of political society


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Ideologies and Human Liberty

The Christian xxx cannot without contradicting

himself adhere to ideological systems which

radically or substantially go against his faith

and his concept of man.


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Ideologies and Human Liberty, cont.

The Christian faith is above and is sometimes

opposed to the ideologies, in that it

recognizes God, who is transcendent and the

Creator xxx.


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Ideologies and Human Liberty, cont.

Adherence to an ideology often lead people to

regard it, wittingly or unwittingly, as a

justification for their violent activities.


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Attraction of Socialist Currents

Too often Christians attracted by socialism

tend to idealize it in terms which, apart from

anything else, are very general: a will for

justice, solidarity and equality.


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Historical Evolution of Marxism

People are at risk in entering into the practice

of class struggle and its Marxist

interpretations, while failing to note the kind

of totalitarian and violent society to which thisprocess leads.


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The Liberal Ideology

Is it not that Christians who take this path tend

to idealize liberalism in their turn, making it a

proclamation in favor of freedom?


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Christian Discernment

The Christian should avoid permitting himself

to be first attracted by and then imprisoned

within a system whose limitations and

totalitarianism may well become evident tohim too late, if he does nor perceive them in

their roots


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Rebirth of Utopias

Bureaucratic socialism, technocratic

capitalism and authoritarian democracy are

showing how difficult it is to solve the great

human problem of living together in justiceand equality


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Rebirth of Utopias, cont.

The limitations and corruption of ideologies

lead to the rebirth of utopias.

However, (t)he appeal to a utopia is often a

convenient excuse for those who wish to

escape from concrete tasks in order to take

refuge in an imaginary world.


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Rebirth of Utopias, cont.

Nonetheless, the espousing of utopias

sustains social dynamism and it can also

meet the Christian appeal.

It urges man to go beyond every system and

ideology.


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The Questioning of Human Sciences

Having subdued nature by using his reason,

man now finds that he himself is as it were

imprisoned within his own rationality; he in

turn becomes the object of science


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The Questioning of Human Sciences, cont.

To give a privileged position in this way to

such an aspect of analysis is to mutilate man

and, xxx to make it impossible to understand

man in his totality.


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Widening of the Horizons

Should the Church in its turn contest the

proceedings of the human sciences, and

condemn their pretentions?


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Widening the Horizons, cont.

(T)he Church has confidence in this research

also and urges Christians to play an active

part in it.


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Widening the Horizons, cont.

Human Sciences become more and more

complex, yet one that deepens rather than

solves the mystery of the heart of man; nor

does it provide the complete and definitiveanswer to the desire which springs from his

innermost being


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Ambiguous Nature of Progress

What is the meaning of this never-ending,

breathless pursuit of a progress that always

eludes one just when one believes one has

conquered it sufficiently in order to enjoy it inpeace?


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Ambiguous Nature of Progress, cont.

Is not genuine progress to be found in the

development of moral consciousness, which

will lead man to exercise a wider solidarity

and to open himself freely to others and toGod?


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Dynamism of the Churchs Social Teaching

The Church does not intervene to authenticate

a given structure or to propose a ready-made

model, it does not thereby limit itself to

recalling general principles.


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Dynamism of the Churchs Social Teaching

It also develops with the sensitivity proper to

the Church which is characterized by a

disinterested will to serve and by attention to

the poorest.


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For Greater Justice

There is a need to establish a greater justice

in the sharing of goods, xxx (and) to go

beyond relationships based on force, in order

to arrive at agreements reached with thegood of all in mind


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For Greater Justice, cont.

(T)he most important duty in the realm of

justice is to allow each country to promote its

own development, within the framework of a

cooperation free from any spirit ofdomination, whether economic or political.


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For Greater Justice, cont.

The multinational enterprises are largely

independent of the national political powers

and therefore not subject to control from the

point of view of the common good.


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Change of Attitudes and Structures

The most revolutionary ideologies lead only to

a change of masters; once installed in power

in their turn, these new masters surround

themselves with privileges, limit freedom andallow other forms of injustice to become

established.


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Christian Meaning of Political Activity

Political power, xxx must have as its aim the

achievement of the common good.


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Christian Meaning of Political Activity, cont.

(T)he true aim of all social activity should be to

help individual members of the social body,

but never to destroy or absorb them.


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Christian Meaning of Political Activity, cont.

Christians who are invited to take up political

activity should try to make their choices

consistent with the Gospel xxx.


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Sharing in Responsibility

In order to counterbalance increasing

technocracy, modern forms of democracy

must be devised, not only making it possible

for each man to become informed and toexpress himself, but also by involving him in

a shared responsibility.


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Call to Action

Double function of the Church:

To enlighten minds

To take part in the action

It is to all Christians that we address a fresh

and insistent call to action.


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Call to action, cont.

It is not enough to recall principles, state

intentions, point to crying injustice and utter

prophetic denunciations; these words will

lack real weight unless they areaccompanied for each individual by a livelier

awareness of personal responsibility and by

effective action.


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(A)mid the diversity of situations, functions

and organizations, each one must determine,

in his conscience, the actions which he is

called to share in.


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The Christian shall take a more all-embracing

view which will avoid the danger of selfish

particularism and oppressive totalitarianism.


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The Church invites all Christians to take up a

double task of inspiring and of innovating, in

order to make structures evolve, so as to

adapt them to the real needs of today.

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On Paul VI’s