Universal Themes in Catholic Social Teaching

The authoritative documents of Catholic social teaching contain universal themes that bridge times and cultural contexts. This section traces ten such themes through the social justice "canon". These are not the only such themes, e.g., global solidarity is an important theme not specifically addressed at this time in this section. Also, while I have aimed for comprehensiveness, I am not warranting that these passages are the only references in the document to the particular theme, although that's what I'm aiming for. It is a "work in progress", as they say. Typically, editions of the justice teaching encyclicals are not always "footnoted" or "cross-referenced" with the others. This page is the first step towards preparing such a cross-reference. The Justicia in Mundo page numbers are to the edition published in Catholic Social Thought: the Documentary Heritage, O'Brien and Shannon editors, Orbis Books.

Doctrine Index........Orthodoxy Index........Home Index

Page Index

Dignity ..... Preferential Option for the Poor ...... Solidarity and Participation

...... Conversion of Person and Society ...... Subsidiarity ...... Oppression of the Poor

....... Property Rights ......Catechesis and Evangelism ...... Distributive Justice

...... Rights and Duties ......

Dignity Theme in Catholic Social Teaching
Document Sections
Rerum Novarum 6, 16, 20
Quadragesimo Anno 42-43, 49, 136
Mater et Magistra 1-5, 18, 33, 37, 68-71, 82-83, 107, 196-199, 219-220, 259
Pacem in Terris 3, 5, 8-37, 40, 44, 50, 54, 157-159
Gaudium et Spes 2, 12-17, 22, 26, 29, 34, 38, 40-41, 46, 48-51, 59, 63, 68
Populorum Progressio 6, 15-17, 21, 34, 36, 42, 65
Octogesima Adveniens 13-14, 37
Justicia in Mundo (pages) 289, 293, 296, 298, CST Documentary Heritage edition
Evangelii Nuntiandi 26, 31, 33, 35, 79
Laborem Exercens Intro, 1, 4, 6, 9-10, 12, 15, 19, 21-22, 24-27
Sollicitudo Rei Sociales 26, 29-33, 38-39, 41, 46-48
Centesimus Annus 3, 6, 11, 13-15, 25, 29, 34, 36, 38, 41, 43-44, 47, 49, 53-55, 62
Economic Justice 1, 8, 13-14, 25-34, 61, 79, 83, 95-96, 102-103, 326, 365
Prepared by: Robert Waldrop




Preferential Option for the Poor Theme in Catholic Social Teaching
Document Sections
Rerum Novarum 19-20, 23-24, 29, 41, 54
Quadragesimo Anno 25, 59-60
Mater et Magistra 1-6, 16, 20, 68
Pacem in Terris 56, 64, 125
Gaudium et Spes 1, 27, 66, 69, 88
Populorum Progressio 1-4, 43-55
Octogesima Adveniens 10-12, 15, 23, 42
Justicia in Mundo pages 288, 293,295, 298-300
Evangelii Nuntiandi 6, 10
Laborem Exercens
Sollicitudo Rei Sociales 31, 39-40, 42-43, 47, 49
Centesimus Annus 10-11, 36, 49, 57-58
Economic Justice 4, 8-10, 16, 27, 1/24, 48-52, 55, 74-75, 77, 82-92, 94, 119, 123, 170-215, 258, 260, 319, 331, 356, 365
Prepared by: Robert Waldrop


Solidarity and Participation Theme in Catholic Social Teaching
Document Sections
Rerum Novarum 1-2, 13, 15, 17-19, 21, 32, 34-35, 41, 43
Quadragesimo Anno 5, 10, 57, 63, 69, 81-88, 114-115, 137, 140, 147
Mater et Magistra 6, 16, 21, 23, 38-40, 59-60, 68, 75, 90-93, 97-103, 114-155, 146
Pacem in Terris 23-24, 26, 31-33, 35, 64, 73-74, 98-100
Gaudium et Spes 1, 3, 24, 31-32, 68, 73-75, 88
Populorum Progressio 3, 5, 12-13, 28, 29-32, 35, 43-55
Octogesima Adveniens 1-5, 10-12,23, 40, 42, 50
Justicia in Mundo pages 289, 291, 294, 297, 300
Evangelii Nuntiandi 6, 20-21, 58
Laborem Exercens 6, 8, 14, 18-19, 22, 26
Sollicitudo Rei Sociales 6, 9, 14, 17, 26, 32, 38-40, 43, 49
Centesimus Annus 10, 22-29, 35, 49, 51, 54, 59
Economic Justice 8-11, 15-16, 1/2, 1/13, 1/27, 55, 64-67, 71, 77, 82, 85, 88, 90-92, 114, 187, 258, 297
Prepared by: Robert Waldrop


Conversion of Person and Society Theme in Catholic Social Teaching
Document Sections
Rerum Novarum 17-19, 22, 27, 29, 32, 33-36, 39-40
Quadragesimo Anno 11, 14, 27, 50, 61, 63, 70-75, 77-78, 90, 97, 110, 127-139, 133, 136, 141, 144
Mater et Magistra 15-16, 38-40, 205-206, 218, 235, 240-241, 247-257, 261
Pacem in Terris 5-7, 31-33, 146-156, 161-165
Gaudium et Spes 9, 10, 12-13, 26, 29, 37-39, 56-60, 64-66, 77-82, 88, 92-93
Populorum Progressio 12-13, 18-21, 29-30, 29-32, 43-67, 69, 81-82
Octogesima Adveniens 4, 10-12, 14-15, 23, 37, 40-41, 43-49
Justicia in Mundo pages 288-289, 291-296, 298-300
Evangelii Nuntiandi 2, 9-10, 18-19, 23, 31-34, 36-37, 51-58, 60, 74-76
Laborem Exercens 2, 7-8, 13, 16-17, 19, 24
Sollicitudo Rei Sociales 4, 9, 12, 14-15,30-31, 33, 35-49
Centesimus Annus 3, 5, 12-13, 18, 22, 25, 35-38, 41-42, 49, 51-52, 55, 57-59
Economic Justice 8-11, 15-16, 1/2, 1/13, 1/27, 55, 64-67, 71, 77, 82, 85, 88, 90-92, 114, 187, 258, 297
Prepared by: Robert Waldrop


Subsidiarity Theme in Catholic Social Teaching
Document Sections
Rerum Novarum 13, 19, 27-28, 37-39, 41, 43
Quadragesimo Anno 25, 78-80
Mater et Magistra 43, 59-67, 88
Pacem in Terris 23-24, 35, 44-45, 60-61, 64-66, 69, 140
Gaudium et Spes 25-26, 75-76
Populorum Progressio 39-40, 54
Octogesima Adveniens 23-29, 51
Justicia in Mundo page 291
Evangelii Nuntiandi
Laborem Exercens 17-18
Sollicitudo Rei Sociales 39
Centesimus Annus 10-11, 13, 15, 40, 44, 48
Economic Justice 18, 99-100, 124, 297, 308, 314, 317
Prepared by: Robert Waldrop


Oppression of the Poor Theme in Catholic Social Teaching
Document Sections
Rerum Novarum 2, 6, 10, 17, 29, 39
Quadragesimo Anno 4, 54, 57, 59-60, 105-110, 131-132, 135, 138
Mater et Magistra 11-13, 36, 68-69, 94, 263
Pacem in Terris 63, 94-97, 103-110
Gaudium et Spes 9, 30, 37, 63, 66, 83
Populorum Progressio 7-10, 19, 21, 33
Octogesima Adveniens 2-3, 15-18, 44-45
Justicia in Mundo pages 288, 290-293, 295, 299
Evangelii Nuntiandi 30
Laborem Exercens 1, 8, 11, 17,23
Sollicitudo Rei Sociales 6, 10, 13-14, 16-23, 31, 36-37, 39, 49
Centesimus Annus 4-8, 12, 33, 39, 41-43, 47, 61
Economic Justice 1/2-4, 1/7, 1/15-21, 49, 77, 85, 105, 107, 295
Prepared by: Robert Waldrop


Property Rights Theme in Catholic Social Teaching
Document Sections
Rerum Novarum 4-8
Quadragesimo Anno 45-47
Mater et Magistra 19, 30, 41-45, 109, 114, 119
Pacem in Terris 21-22
Gaudium et Spes 69, 71
Populorum Progressio 18-19, 22-25
Octogesima Adveniens 35, 43
Justicia in Mundo
Evangelii Nuntiandi
Laborem Exercens 12, 14
Sollicitudo Rei Sociales 28-29, 31, 42
Centesimus Annus 30-33, 43, 61
Economic Justice 114-115
Prepared by: Robert Waldrop


Catechesis and Evangelism Theme in Catholic Social Teaching
Document Sections
Rerum Novarum 22
Quadragesimo Anno 141-143
Mater et Magistra 1-7, 218, 221-234
Pacem in Terris 147-156
Gaudium et Spes 2, 4, 33, 43, 52, 60
Populorum Progressio 12, 74
Octogesima Adveniens 1, 4, 10-12, 23, 37, 42, 48
Justicia in Mundo pages 295-297
Evangelii Nuntiandi 3, 7, 22, 29, 38, 41-44, 51-58, 73, 80
Laborem Exercens 18, 20, 24
Sollicitudo Rei Sociales 30, 39, 41
Centesimus Annus 5, 50, 54-55
Economic Justice 1, 23-29, 1/27
Prepared by: Robert Waldrop


Distributive Justice theme in Catholic Social Teaching
Document Sections
Rerum Novarum 18-19, 27, 34
Quadragesimo Anno 3,45-48, 50-57, 63-68, 70-75
Mater et Magistra 20
Pacem in Terris 11
Gaudium et Spes 26, 29-30, 69-70
Populorum Progressio 66, 74
Octogesima Adveniens 43
Justicia in Mundo pages 293, 298-299
Evangelii Nuntiandi
Laborem Exercens 19
Sollicitudo Rei Sociales 10, 28, 38-40, 42
Centesimus Annus 9, 15, 34-37, 40, 42, 47-49, 57-58
Economic Justice 21, 70, 74, 80
Prepared by: Robert Waldrop


Rights and Duties in Catholic Social Teaching
Document Sections
Rerum Novarum 4, 8-9, 17, 26-38
Quadragesimo Anno 44-49, 61-68, 70-75
Mater et Magistra 20-22, 37, 41-45
Pacem in Terris 8-37, 62-64, 139
Gaudium et Spes 29-30
Populorum Progressio 6
Octogesima Adveniens 23
Justicia in Mundo pages 289, 291-292, 294-295
Evangelii Nuntiandi
Laborem Exercens 15-20
Sollicitudo Rei Sociales 15, 26, 33, 46
Centesimus Annus 6-9, 23, 31, 35, 43, 47-48
Economic Justice 17-18, 62, 69-93, 102-104, 106, 110-118, 122, 136-137, 258
Prepared by: Robert Waldrop