Rerum Novarum – Trivia! FORUM 2011-08-14

Test Your Knowledge of Catholic Social Teaching!

Rerum Novarum – Trivia! (week one of four)  (= 2011-08-14)

This year marks the 120th anniversary of the papal encyclical, Rerum Novarum (The Condition of Labor), which was written by Pope Leo XIII and published in 1891.  The terrible exploitation and poverty of European and North American workers at the end of 19th century moved Pope Leo XIII to publish this encyclical on capital, labor, and the condition of the working class.  This was incredibly significant encyclical, because the Church had never before spoken on social matters in such an official and comprehensive fashion. 

Rerum Novarum was the Church’s blueprint for engaging with the moral challenges posed by the modern world.  In particular the encyclical marked the Church’s embrace of its mission for justice and morality in the economy, in political life, and in society.

As we approach Labor Day, here’s a chance to test your knowledge of this area of Catholic Social Teaching with some trivia! 

Answers can be found on pg. xx.

1.   Rerum Novarum teaches that workers have basic human rights that adhere to Natural Law, which says all humans are equal.  These rights include:

a.   The right to work

b.   The right to own private property

c.   The right to receive a just wage and to organize into workers' associations

d.   All of the above

2.   Rerum Novarum is considered the founding document of Catholic Social Teaching.  It states that the role of the Church is to teach social principles (educating people to act justly) and bring social classes together.

a.   True

b.   False

3.   Rerum Novarum says that the role of the state is to:

a.   Wage wars and imprison those who break laws

b.   Provide shipping channels, railroads, and other infrastructure to allow for the movement of people and goods

c.   Ensure a just society that preserves citizens’ rights and promotes the Common Good, protects families, and gives special care to the weak and the poor

d.   Fill the potholes in roads

These correct answers should be printed on a different page.

Rerum Novarum – Trivia!  Answers:

1. = d.; 2. = a.; 3. = c.

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This definition goes in a box on the page near the article.

The definition of Rerum Novarum (literally, “of new things”), 80th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII, encyclical of May 15, 1891.

Rerum Novarum (On the Condition of Labor)

This work addresses the deplorable plight of the industrial workers in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. It calls for the protection of the weak and the poor through the perfection of justice by charity, while excluding socialism and class struggle as legitimate principles of change. It affirms: * the dignity of work, * the right to private property,  * the right to form and join professional associations.

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