Octogesima adveniens

Octogesima adveniens is one of Pope Paul VI. posted to Apostolic Letter.

Pope Paul VI. published on May 14, 1971 this letter with the opening words Octogesima adveniens, in which he refers to the political and social challenges of the present position. Was addressed the letter to the Canadian Cardinal Maurice Roy. Cardinal Roy was President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, whose mission is to promote Catholic social teaching. This social teaching, updates the older beliefs of the Christian society image, was instituted by Pope Leo XIII. justified by the encyclical Rerum Novarum in 1891. Pope Paul therefore took the 80th anniversary ( Octogesima ) this encyclical as an opportunity for his comments on the requirements of a just social order.

The focus of the considerations that Paul VI. points out in his letter, is the critical assessment of the technical, scientific and economic progress. In contrast to the rather fortschrittsoptimistischen attitude of his predecessor John XXIII. expresses Paul VI. repeatedly worried and skeptical about the developments of the present, for instance in view of the rapid growth of metropolitan areas ( see Note 8), and the growing social conflicts due to unbridled industrialization ( Zf 9).

Next, the Pope deepen some topics that previously rather occurred in the papal social teaching on the edge. In particular, the Pope emphasizes a relative pluralism of political beliefs in the church and confesses the layman to a large degree of autonomy of political action in the state; However, it remains the Magisterium reserved to make any boundaries for reasons of faith or morals ( as in abortion, in the genocide, terrorism, mafia ).

First, by religious social ethics Octogesima adveniens discussed the problem of accelerated environmental destruction in the wake of industrialization ( Zf 21). His critique of the modern practices of exploitation of nature justified the Pope with the Church's teaching record of the determination of the earth's riches for all people ( Zf 43). Paul VI. thus follows the principle of Rerum Novarum set forth in the Church 's doctrine of property, according to which every private property under the first principle of the usus communis, the common usage is, by which no person may be excluded. Unlike Leo XIII. turned Paul VI. This postulate, however, also on the natural environment and emphasizes the responsibility before moving up the generations ( Zf 47). This Octogesima takes adveniens individual motifs of the sustainability principle anticipated.

Bibliography

• Helga Grebing (ed.), history of social ideas in Germany: Socialism - Catholic social teaching - Protestant social ethics. A handbook. Wiesbaden 2005, ISBN. 978-3531147529.
• Hans J. Munk, " Sustainable development and social doctrine ", in: Stimmen der Zeit 04/1998, pp. 231-245.
• Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (ed.), Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Freiburg 2006 ISBN. 978-3451290787.
• Octogesima adveniens. Apostolic Letter of Pope Paul VI. to His Eminence Cardinal Maurice Roy (14 May 1971), in: Texts for Catholic Social Teaching: The social circulars of the popes and other church documents. Published by the Federal Association of Catholic Workers Movement ( KAB ) in Germany. Kevelaer 1976, ISBN 978-3766608970, pp. 457-493.
• Thorsten Philipp, green areas of a learning community: environmental protection action, efficacy and Erfahrungsort the church. Munich 2009 ISBN. 978-3865811776.