Centesimus Annus by John Paul II

First published: 1991 (English translation, 1991)

Edition used:Human Dignity and the Common Good: The Great Papal Encyclicals from Leo XIII to John Paul II. Edited by Richard W. Rousseau, S.J. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2002

Genre(s): Nonfiction

Subgenre(s): Encyclical; theology

Core issue(s): Capitalism; freedom and free will; justice; morality; social action

Overview

Cenetisimus Annus (on the hundredth anniversary), the ninth encyclical of John Paul II’s pontificate and his third social encyclical, was written on the one hundredth anniversary of Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum (1891). It examines the role of the state and the economy from the perspective of Catholic moral theology.

In the brief introduction, John Paul II indicates he will look back to Rerum Novarum and forward to prospects for the future. In the first chapter of six, John Paul affirms Leo XIII’s teachings that there should be rights for people who work, including the right to private property and the right to a family-supporting wage, and that individuals and families should be served by the economy rather than the reverse.

The second chapter examines the “new things of today,” by which John Paul means emerging economic arrangements. He strongly rejects that idea that socialism is the proper response to current economic conditions. He then argues that the state should assist workers as they participate in economic life. The state should adopt measures to help those who become unemployed and encourage proper wage levels. However, the state’s role should not be so extensive as to discourage individual initiative in the economy. The state can play a positive role by encouraging authentic development of human beings.

The third chapter, entitled “1989,” considers the remarkable events of that year, when many totalitarian governments toppled in a wave across eastern and central Europe. John Paul argues that communism failed not only because it was an inefficient economic system and could not produce sufficient consumer goods but also because it neglected to regard the spiritual nature of humans. The pope states that prospering nations have a duty to assist the former communist countries as they attempt the authentic development of persons. He is hopeful about the various parts of the world that have adopted democracy but is concerned that it may lead some nations to accept moral relativism.

In the fourth chapter, John Paul considers essential themes in Catholic social teachings. He strongly reaffirms the right of private property, saying that “this right, which is fundamental for the autonomy and development of the person, has always been defended by the church up to our own day.” He then goes on to defend entrepreneurial action within the economy and says that “the modern business economy has positive aspects.” He further says that “the church acknowledges the legitimate role of profit as an indication that a business is functioning well.”

John Paul acknowledges that there have been some who have greatly prospered in modern economies. These individuals and nations have a great duty toward those nations and individuals who are less fortunate, especially many in the Third World. Moreover, individuals are asked to reject materialism and consumerism because “what is wrong is a style of life which it is better when it is directed toward ’having’ rather than ’being’ and which wants to have more not in order to be more.”

As for economic systems, John Paul says that the “Marxist solution has failed” and that the church would accept an “economic system which recognizes the fundamental and positive role of business, the market, private property, and the resulting responsibility for the means of production.” However, the pope adds that he would not accept an economic system without a moral framework and a “strong juridical framework which places it at the service of human freedom.”

In the fifth chapter, “State and Culture,” John Paul examines the role of the state in the modern world. He emphatically rejects a minimal state that does not engage the economy, but he also rejects a totalitarian state. He asserts that the state should have a role in protecting workers and providing a framework for economic life. However, the state should not become a complete social welfare state that is so extensive that it prevents private individuals from serving others in need. Families and private organizations have a role in serving others.

John Paul defends the fundamental dignity of humanity in the final chapter, “Man Is the Way of the Church.” He says that “the church has constantly repeated that the person and society need not only material goods, but spiritual and religious values as well.” The church can teach the world what humans are so that people might better participate in economic life. Human beings, John Paul asserts, must love others because all are made in God’s image.

Christian Themes

The most significant theme of this encyclical is capitalism. John Paul clearly asserts that Marxism is not an appropriate economic system and affirms that under appropriate conditions, capitalism is legitimate. A foundational element of capitalism is private property, and the pope strongly affirms the right of private property. That, however, does not mean that he endorses an economic system divorced from moral concerns and where individuals engage only in rapacious economic activity. Economic life should provide a place for individuals to engage in economic initiatives and participate in business life. Under capitalism, individuals have a positive duty toward those less fortunate, and employers a duty toward their employees. The state must promote just economic conditions within its jurisdiction, and developed nations must aid poorer nations.

John Paul examines capitalism within the context of justice, not just economic efficiency and productivity. He argues that private property and the allowance of individual activity is just and that individuals and families must be treated in a just manner. He also argues that individual freedom bounded by traditional morality is the appropriate form of human freedom. True freedom recognizes the inherent dignity of human beings.

Finally, John Paul addresses proper social action when he defends the actions of those who toppled communist regimes and others working for systems that encourage the authentic development of the human person.

Sources for Further Study

Cochran, Clarke, and David Carroll Cochran. Catholics, Politics, and Policy: Beyond Right and Left. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 2003. Includes a chapter that examines a just economic life and therein discusses Centesimus Annus and relates it to other encyclicals.

Mott, W. King, Jr. The Third Way: Economic Justice According to John Paul II. Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1999. Argues that John Paul’s views of economics are best understood in light of his philosophic anthropology.

Novak, Michael. The Universal Hunger for Liberty: Why the Clash of Civilizations Is Not Inevitable. New York: Basic Books, 2004. Contains chapters that consider the relationship between Catholicism and capitalism as well as a lengthy chapter on how the Catholic Church came to embrace democracy.

Pham, John-Peter, ed. Centesimus Annus: Assessment and Perspectives for the Future of Catholic Doctrine. Vatican: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1998. This work includes twenty essays dedicated to Centesimus Annus and includes discussions of themes and how the work was received around the world.

Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Washington, D.C.: USCCB, 2005. This work attempts to systematize and synthesize the many documents, including Centesimus Annus, that are part of Catholic social teachings.

Weigel, George, and Robert Royal. Building the Free Society: Democracy, Capitalism, and Catholic Social Teaching. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1993. This work includes eleven essays, each examining a different document. One examines the place of Centesimus Annus in the tradition of Catholic social teachings.