Rerum Novarum

Leo XIII has gone down in history as the first pope ever to have written a social encyclical.
It was 1891 and the title of this document was “ Rerum Novarum “ , Latin words highlighting the novelty of the theme explored.
Professor of Catholic Social Teaching at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas here in Rome , Dominican Father Alejandro Crosthwaite places this encyclical into historical context for us ... Veronica Scarisbrick has the story :

"...The Church begins to see that it needs to address this problem in a new way and so we have Pope Leo XIII concerned about the fate of the workers ...it was something completely new ..."

"...you still see a reflection of the vision of society of the Ancient Church so it does tend to be a little paternalistic... to call upon the State and upon industrialists to take care of the poor, to take care of the workers ... the Church's mission is to teach.....to keep reminding the State to take care of the workers ..."

"..It's not until Vatican II basically, although we already begin to see that in Pius XII in his Christmas radio messages and in John XXIII's writings that the worker himself or herself is a subject and is called to be an actor member .That will not be explicit until John Paul II in Laborem Exercens ..."