From Sollicitudo Rei Socialis to Caritas in Veritate. Is Solidarity the Key to the Social Question?

Abstract

This paper tries to look at the principle (virtue) of solidarity as a potential tool for overcoming contemporary dangers of social life, especially in their economic aspect. The discussion concentrates on the historical development of the social teaching of the Church in the last two decades, that is from the announcement of John Paul II's encyclical Sollicitudo rei socialis (30December 1987) until the publication of Benedict XVI's social encyclical Caritas in veritate (7 July 2009). The paper presents a comparative analysis of the two documents in question, focusing on their understanding of the concept of solidarity. Also, the paper proposes ways of its practical application as a principle that can regulate economic activities undertaken on the micro- and macro-social scale. The analysis developed in the paper also involves presenting the principles of social life and primary values as teleologically vital for the discourse within social teaching of the Church, along with the reference to the prophetic and critical aspects of that teaching, and to the change of orientation in moral theological studies it entails.