"Laborem Exercens"
(SEPTEMBER 14, 1981)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 4, 1997 (VIS) - John Paul II wrote the Encyclical "Laborem Exercens" in 1981, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of Leo XIII's Encyclical "Rerum Novarum" on the question of labor. It was signed on September 14, feast of the Holy Cross.
In it he develops the concept of man's dignity in work, structuring it in four points: the subordination of work to man; the primacy of the worker over the whole of instruments and conditioning that historically constitute the world of labor; the rights of the human person as the determining factor of all socio-economic, technological and productive processes, that must be recognized; and some elements that can help all men identify with Christ through their own work.
The Encyclical has an introduction and four chapters: "Work and Man," "Conflict Between Labor and Capital in the Present Phase of History," "Rights of Workers," and "Elements for a Spirituality of Work."
I'll be darn there is 'spirituality' involved with work.
A piece of the human condition.
A moral right to live and stay alive through work.
Pope John Paul II was an amazing man. He loved life, the human character and God. His work within his power as Pope was remarkable. Pope John Paul II decided it was important to make certain the human being was valued above profit in a way that would define work as a spiritual commodity necessary for life. Profit is not the only venue of importance for the human capacity for work. While it is necessary to some degree for sustainability of labor, it is not the only consideration in regard to work and the price paid for it.
(SEPTEMBER 14, 1981)
VATICAN CITY, DEC 4, 1997 (VIS) - John Paul II wrote the Encyclical "Laborem Exercens" in 1981, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of Leo XIII's Encyclical "Rerum Novarum" on the question of labor. It was signed on September 14, feast of the Holy Cross.
In it he develops the concept of man's dignity in work, structuring it in four points: the subordination of work to man; the primacy of the worker over the whole of instruments and conditioning that historically constitute the world of labor; the rights of the human person as the determining factor of all socio-economic, technological and productive processes, that must be recognized; and some elements that can help all men identify with Christ through their own work.
The Encyclical has an introduction and four chapters: "Work and Man," "Conflict Between Labor and Capital in the Present Phase of History," "Rights of Workers," and "Elements for a Spirituality of Work."
I'll be darn there is 'spirituality' involved with work.
A piece of the human condition.
A moral right to live and stay alive through work.
Pope John Paul II was an amazing man. He loved life, the human character and God. His work within his power as Pope was remarkable. Pope John Paul II decided it was important to make certain the human being was valued above profit in a way that would define work as a spiritual commodity necessary for life. Profit is not the only venue of importance for the human capacity for work. While it is necessary to some degree for sustainability of labor, it is not the only consideration in regard to work and the price paid for it.
