Happy Labor Day! A Test ...

Test Your Knowledge of Catholic Social Teaching!

Rerum Novarum – Trivia!    (This four week series ran in the St. Francis FORUM in August 2011)

The year 2011marked 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! 

(week one of four)

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

(week two of four)

4.   The Church teaches that the primary goal of economic policies should be:

a.   Creating business monopolies

b.   Maximizing corporate profits

c.   Serving the needs of citizens and workers

5.   Rerum Novarum supports the socialist solution of ending private property.

a.   True

b.   False

6.   The Church teaches that the right to private property is not absolute; that the goods of the world are to be used for the Common Good – not merely to enrich the few.

a.   True

b.   False

7.   According to Rerum Novarum, the most important duty of employers and the rich is to:

a.   Give the worker his/her just wages

b.   Maximize worker productivity

c.   Ensure high returns for shareholders

d.   Visit Europe at least once per year

(week three of four)

8.   In May, a conference was held at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the 120th anniversary of Rerum Novarum.  The keynote speakers at this event were:

a.   John Sweeney (former President of the AFL-CIO) and Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace

b.   Pope Benedict XVI and Bill Gates (business magnate, philanthropist, author, and chairman of Microsoft)

c.   Warren Buffet (investor, industrialist and philanthropist) and Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston

d.   Fr. James MacDougall and Lady Gaga

9.   How many times have papal encyclicals been published on anniversaries of Rerum Novarum, to re-affirm and expand its teachings?

a.   Once

b.   Twice

c.   4 times

d.   16 times

10.   It is interesting to consider the situation of American workers today in relation to the teachings of Rerum Novarum.  For example: besides the U.S. how many countries do NOT mandate paid maternity leave?

a.   45

b.   10

c.   20

d.   5

(week four of four) Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day from the St. Francis Peace and Justice Committee!

We hope you’ve enjoyed the trivia presented in the past three weeks (and maybe learned something about Catholic Social Teaching too!).  As we continue with our day-to-day lives and work, and as our nation engages in discussions about how best to structure the economy, it is helpful to keep in mind the guiding principles of Rerum Novarum:

•   The ability to reason is part of human nature. (#11,12)

•   Workers have the right to the fruits of their work, but should use them to benefit all.

•   All people have the right to private property; yet private property must serve the common good.

•   Men and women should use their possessions to meet the demands of their life.

•   Laws are to be obeyed only in so far as they do not go against right reason and the eternal law of God.

•   Inequalities exist among people, but God has gifted all with equal dignity.

•   Since all have been created and redeemed by God, divine grace and the goods of nature belong equally to all.

•   Common good is the end of any society; therefore, each and every person has a right to participate in his/her society.

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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Rerum Novarum – Trivia!  Answers:

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

4. = c.; 5. = b.; 6. = a.; 7. = a.

8. = a.; 9. = c. (they are:  Quadragesimo Anno, 1931; Mater et Magistra, 1961; Laborem Exercens, 1981; and Centesimus Annus, 1991);
10. = d. (they are:  Liberia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Sierra Leone, and Swaziland);

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