The Church and The Reconstruction of The Social Order

Abstract

The Catholic Church’s key principle of subsidiarity received its classic formulation in the encyclical, Quadragesimo Anno, which was issued by Pope Pius XI on May 15, 1931. The principle indicates how the state should assist other actors in a society to achieve their legitimate objectives. However, the crucial challenge is on the limited but positive role of the state. Reconstruction implies that the state should not step in when smaller bodies could accomplish the task. In this context, it is the issue of social justice. In the reconstruction of the social order, the principle of social justice is to a greater extent identified with the common good. Social justice demands that reconstruction be made in such a manner that all can gain from the share of the good. The implied relationships
between persons have an institutional or structural dimension. It follows that human rights have a social as well as an individual foundation that is rooted in solidarity. In the perspective of Quadragesimo Anno, the principle of solidarity opposes individualism
and collectivism. It proposed the third way which is rooted in personalism and the social dimension of human beings. All individuals are involved as members of the common social destiny. This common involvement is based on common responsibility
for the reconstruction of the social order. This article considers the rationale for the reconstruction of the social order in the
light of Quadragesimo Anno. The need for social transformation is analyzed by referring to the historical background. Quadragesimo Anno retrieved the teaching of Rerum Novarum by updating and adapting to the new social situation. It points out the role of the
Church in the reconstruction of the social orders.