Pope Leo XIII is often credited as being the father of the so-called “social justice” movement within the Church as a result of his encyclical, Rerum Novarum (New Things). I sometimes wonder if anyone making such a claim has ever actually read the encyclical? Below is one brief quotation, see what you think?
But in the present letter, the responsibility of the apostolic office urges Us to treat the question of set purpose and in detail, in order that no misapprehension may exist as to the principles which truth and justice dictate for its settlement. The discussion is not easy, nor is it void of danger. It is no easy matter to define the relative rights and mutual duties of the rich and of the poor, of capital and of labor. And the danger lies in this, that crafty agitators are intent on making use of these differences of opinion to pervert men’s judgments and to stir up the people to revolt.
I think Holy Father Leo was being unusually prescient when he wrote this; there seems to be an over-abundance of crafty agitators running around today.
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