Rerum Novarum: On the Condition of the Working Classes

Pope Leo XIII was pope from 1878 to his death in 1903. He experienced the dramatic changes that occurred worldwide during the Industrial Revolution and saw the increasingly desperate plights of the working class as well as the growing economic inequality of the Gilded Age. He also saw the rise of Socialism and Socialist parties which he considered a threat to the church.

This encyclical was published in 1891 and was subtitled On the Condition of the Working Classes. He provides his thinking on the social aspects of Capital and Labor. This Kindle edition of the encyclical has recently been rereleased as a result of the ascension of Pope Leo XIV increasing curiosity about the previous Leo. The Kindle edition has added footnotes that show more provide additional historical context, a short biography of Pope Leo XIII, and one-line summaries of each of the paragraphs of the encyclical.

The encyclical begins with a declaration that it has become necessary for the church to address the issues of capital and labor noting that it is urgently necessary to find remedies to the current miseries of members of the working class. He then proceeds to explain the evils of Socialism saying that it is a bad solution for society and for the working class as well. He is primarily upset with Socialism wanting to eliminate private property so several sections are spent defending the importance of private property.

The encyclical then continues with a condemnation of strikes and with a list of the duties of workers and the duties of employers. The duties he prescribes for workers are numerous and very specific in contrast to the duties of employers which can generously be described as appealing to the better natures of employers so they will treat their employees well. He wants everyone in society to follow Christian principles in order to bring the relationship between workers and employers into balance. He does, however, discuss the role of the State for regulating work but generally wants the State to remain neutral.

Pope Leo regretted the elimination of the trade guilds because of the ways that they looked out for worker welfare. As a substitute he favors workers forming mutual aid societies that can help members who become injured or sick.

The work is interesting to read as first efforts to address social welfare issues during the Industrial Revolution and Gilded Age. His analysis and recommendations appear almost timid to modern ears although the encyclical was considered very progressive when it was first released. show less

Leo XIII's Rundskrivelse om Arbejderspørgsmaalet
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