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A comprehensive set of question-and-answer flashcards covering key definitions, historical contexts, main teachings, and core principles from the lecture on the development of Catholic Social Teaching and its social encyclicals.
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What is an encyclical?
A teaching letter issued by the Pope (or bishops) that explains Christian belief and practice, addressed to all Catholics and people of good will.
What is a social encyclical?
An encyclical that focuses specifically on social issues such as family, economics, politics, technology, culture, and the common good.
Which two centuries’ revolutions set the stage for modern Catholic Social Teaching (CST)?
The 18th and 19th centuries, marked by the Industrial Revolution and rapid scientific, economic, and political change.
Name three negative effects of early industrial workplaces that CST sought to address.
Overwork, low pay, and unsafe or abusive working conditions.
Which Pope wrote Rerum Novarum and in what year?
Pope Leo XIII in 1891.
What major historical shift motivated Rerum Novarum?
The Industrial Revolution’s exploitation of factory workers and rise of both unregulated capitalism and socialism.
Give two key teachings of Rerum Novarum about work.
1) Work is a way of participating in God’s creation, not a punishment. 2) Workers must be treated with dignity, receiving just wages and safe conditions.
How does Rerum Novarum view private property?
As a right that must be used responsibly for the common good; socialism’s abolition of property is rejected.
Who authored Quadragesimo Anno and when?
Pope Pius XI in 1931 (40 years after Rerum Novarum).
Which global crisis framed Quadragesimo Anno?
The onset of the Great Depression and growing concentration of economic power.
What two extremes does Quadragesimo Anno reject?
Unrestricted capitalism and materialistic socialism.
Define the principle of subsidiarity as taught in Quadragesimo Anno.
Problems should be handled by the smallest competent authority—families, local groups—before larger governments intervene.
Who wrote Mater et Magistra and Pacem in Terris?
Pope John XXIII (Mater et Magistra – 1961; Pacem in Terris – 1963).
What global imbalance is a primary concern of Mater et Magistra?
The widening gap between developed (rich) and developing (poor) nations, especially neglect of rural life.
List four foundations of peace according to Pacem in Terris.
Truth, justice, love, and freedom.
During which tense geopolitical period was Pacem in Terris issued?
The Cold War, shortly after the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
State two human rights emphasized in Pacem in Terris.
The rights to life, religious freedom, work, education (any two).
Which council produced Gaudium et Spes and Dignitatis Humanae?
The Second Vatican Council (1965).
What is the central theme of Gaudium et Spes?
The Church’s solidarity with the joys, hopes, griefs, and anxieties of all humanity, especially the poor.
Name two social problems addressed by Gaudium et Spes.
Possible answers: poverty, war/nuclear threat, unjust economic systems, racism, disconnect between faith and modern life (any two).
What core teaching is found in Dignitatis Humanae?
Religious freedom is a fundamental human right that governments must protect.
Who authored Populorum Progressio and what is its main focus?
Pope Paul VI (1967); it explains authentic, holistic human development and urges solidarity with the most vulnerable.
Which Pope wrote Laborem Exercens and what does it emphasize?
Pope John Paul II (1981); it places human work at the center of the social question.
Give the titles of two additional social encyclicals by John Paul II.
Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (1987) and Centesimus Annus (1991).
Who issued Caritas in Veritate and what crisis does it analyze?
Pope Benedict XVI (2009); it studies the cultural and moral crisis of modern society and calls for a new Christian humanism centered on charity.
What is the key concept of Laudato si’ and who wrote it?
Integral ecology—linking care for creation with social justice—written by Pope Francis in 2015.
List three core principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST).
Human dignity, solidarity, and the common good (others include preferential option for the poor, stewardship, rights and responsibilities).
Define the ‘preferential option for the poor.’
A commitment to prioritize the needs of the poor and vulnerable in social, economic, and political decisions.
What does CST teach about stewardship?
Humans are caretakers of creation, responsible for preserving the environment for present and future generations.
How does CST view the relationship between rights and responsibilities?
Human rights come with corresponding responsibilities to respect the rights of others and contribute to the common good.
Which principle calls us to solve problems at the most local competent level?
Subsidiarity.
According to CST, what is solidarity?
A moral commitment to stand with and care for all people, recognizing our interdependence.
Why does CST encourage political participation by Christians?
To shape society toward justice, protect the poor, and promote the common good.
What does CST say about ‘just wage’?
A wage sufficient for workers to support themselves and their families with dignity.
Which document first articulated the right to just wages and safe working conditions?
Rerum Novarum (1891).
How does Gaudium et Spes propose the Church engage modern culture?
By dialogue with science, culture, and social progress while staying rooted in Gospel values.
What international body did Pacem in Terris encourage to be an instrument of peace?
The United Nations.
What is meant by ‘integral development’ in Populorum Progressio?
Development that is holistic—economic, social, cultural, and spiritual—promoting the full flourishing of every person.
Which CST principle underlies Laudato si’s call for environmental justice?
Stewardship, understood as integral ecology connecting human and environmental wellbeing.