COMECE/ECWM SEMINAR ON THE 125 TH ANNIVERSARY OF RERUM NOVARUM

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1 EN EVENT REPORT COMECE/ECWM SEMINAR ON THE 125 TH ANNIVERSARY OF RERUM NOVARUM From Rerum Novarum (1891) to Laudato si (2015): Catholic social Teaching as a reference to social and ecological welfare? In times of Panama papers, climate change and a seemingly never-ending economic crisis in Europe, visions are needed that provide the impetus for reforms towards a more equitable and sustainable future. To what extent Catholic social teaching can help politicians to bring about change and be a reference for social and ecological welfare was subject of discussions of a one-day seminar that COMECE and the European Christian Workers Movement (ECWM) organised on the occasion of the 125 th anniversary of Rerum Novarum on 03 May Together with distinguished guest speakers from academia, European politics, and social entrepreneurship, they looked back to its development, impact and relevance for today s decision-makers. The event was divided into two parts: a seminar and an evening reception. I. Seminar: Catholic social thought as an impetus for change In their welcome statements, both Bishop Gianni Ambrosio, President of the COMECE Social Affairs Commission, and Otto Meier, the President of ECWM, referred to the first social encyclical Rerum Novarum. They stated that Pope Leo XIII s call for a fair balance between work and capital has not lost its topicality. Bishop Ambrosio stressed that, like the industrialisation in the late 19 th century, the on-going globalisation and digitisation while increasing opportunities, have undermined the principles of wage justice and fair working conditions. Moreover, Otto Meier highlighted that Catholic social teaching is not just a theoretical discipline but, as Reinhard Cardinal Marx points out in his book Das Kapital, a triad of Church s teaching, the academic discourse, and the work of the Catholic social movement. As consumers, we have the moral duty that human rights are respected throughout the entire value chain to ensure that globalisation is a positive experience for all. Bishop Gianni Ambrosio 1

2 Session 1 looking back: Three interrelated conflicts that need to be solved Prof. em Friedhelm Hengsbach SJ provided the basis for the discussion. In his review of the development of Catholic social teaching, the former director of the Nell- Breuning Institute for Business and Social Ethics identified three conflicts that the social doctrine aims to address. First, he indicated how the successors of Pope Leo XIII have further developed the ideas of living wages, the social function of property, and the role of the state in overcoming the class divide between workers and employers. Second, he named the In the future, the most important resource and the decisive factor of production will be neither land nor the means of production, but the people, their knowledge and skills, their organisational power and solidarity. Prof. em. Friedhelm Hengsbach North-South conflict, which Pope Paul VI addressed first in the 1960s by putting the social question in a global context. Third, Prof. em. Hengsbach outlined how first Pope John Paul II, but most prominently Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato si called attention to the eco-social conflict and criticise the current way of living that is led by consumerism. Session 2 looking at practice: EWS Schönau a cooperative that aims to reconcile social and ecological welfare After the lunch, Tanja Gaudian presented a practical example of how even citizens can promote the papal calls for ecological welfare and social justice. Representing the managing director Sebastian Sladek, she described how their company EWS Schönau emerged in Southern Germany from a citizens initiative in the 1980s to guarantee a nuclear-waste free energy supply in the region. She explained how the company nowadays puts into practice Pope Francis calls for an ecological conversion in supplying renewable energy to 35,000 households in Germany. Moreover, she promoted the business model of a cooperative, which best reconciles the interests between employees, shareholders, and consumers according to her. The work of cooperatives is based on a fair balance of interests that looks beyond the shareholder-value principle. It is therefore with no surprise, that it is the most stable business form in the EU. Tanja Gaudian 2

3 Session 3 looking ahead: Catholic social teaching calls for a change of life-style and models of development Dr. Elena Lasida from the Institute Catholique de Paris (ICP) praised the EWS Schönau in her subsequent speech as a good example of Christian social entrepreneurship. In her analysis of the meaning of Laudato si, she emphasised that Pope Francis reminded us that climate change is a serious systemic crisis, which questions our current way of living. Referring to Evangelii Gaudium and Laudato si, she explained how the Holy Father suggests us to rethink our life-style and our models of development towards the emerging ideas of circular, service or solidarity economy. Laudato si is a real opening to the world by its simple and accessible language. Hence, do not miss this opportunity it offers us to become architects of a new world. Dr. Elena Lasida Session 4 panel debate: Catholic Social Teaching as a reference for social and ecological welfare? How this paradigm shift can be initiated was also addressed in the following panel debate, which brought together all guest speakers as well as Dr. Ellen van Stichel. The post-doctoral researcher at the Catholic University (KU) of Leuven proposed to take the concept of vulnerability, not only of conflict to look at Catholic social teaching. She underlined that vulnerability is a common characteristic of being If we can recognise that we are vulnerable, and other are too, because of our humanity, maybe it would result in more compassion to the most vulnerable and their situation and hence a willingness to act. Dr. Ellen van Stichel human given that nobody can protect him- or herself from the risk of poverty and social exclusion. Those that are privileged to put up structures have according to Dr. Ellen van Stichel consequently the responsibility to look after the most vulnerable of our society. Tanja Gaudian emphasised that consumers should be aware of their power, as far as their preferences for bio or fair-trade products can influence economic and political decisions. Referring to the example of the German energy transition, which started out as a bottom-up initiative 30 years ago, she concluded that consumers behaviour and citizens initiative could be vital drivers for reforms and push politicians to implement policies that will support this change of mentality. Prof. em Hengsbach, on the contrary, questioned the power of a consumer to change structural disadvantages as long as he does not join together with other likeminded people. He noticed with regret that nowadays the link between Catholic movements and political parties is too weak to effectively promote the ideas of Catholic social teaching. Moreover, he urged the participants to rethink the model of 3

4 growth in the industrialised countries given that the vital objectives of economic growth in developing countries and ecological protections are difficult to reconcile with high growth rates in developed countries. Dr. Elena Lasida sees that the encyclical Laudato si, however, is an example that still the social doctrine of the Church can provide the impetus for change. According to the researcher, Pope Francis encyclical was published at the best moment, as it was widely mentioned in the media, civil society and the governments that negotiated the climate targets at COP21 in Paris. Laudato si has shown that the Catholic Church has a strong interest to contribute to a solution of our common social questions. Likewise, it revealed that, at the grassroots level, its social movements play already an active role in promoting climate and social justice. Dr. Elena Lasida In his conclusion, the moderator, Prof. Johan Verstraeten from the Catholic University (KU) Leuven, urged the need to invent new ways of living. He proposed to move away from a doctrinal view of the Gospel and Catholic social teaching to a process of discerning. The theologian thus encouraged Christians to participate in global movements in order to speak not just about Catholic social thought, but to transform its principles into Catholic social practice. II. Evening reception: social doctrine as a method of policy-making The event closed with an evening reception with Prof. Ingeborg Gabriel, the Vice President of Justice and Peace Europe and Head of the department of social ethics at the University of Vienna, as keynote speaker and two Members of the European Parliament (MEP) Patrizia Toia (S&D) and Elmar Brok (EPP) who responded by outlining the influence of the Catholic social thoughts in their political career. In her review on the development and the impact of Catholic social teaching, Prof. Ingeborg Gabriel showed that the doctrine could provide non-technical guidance to take political decisions in a world that is growing more complex. By looking at the social realities from a birds perspective and assessing them in the light A joker once called Catholic social teaching the best kept secret of the Catholic Church. The present pontificate shows that this does not need to be so and that the Church can use its influence in many ways to drive forward solutions to central social questions Prof. Ingeborg Gabriel of ethics and of the gospel, the encyclical gives impulse to address the central and interrelated questions in Europe, that are the economic and financial crisis, the deterioration of the ecology, and mass migration. The present pontificate has shown according to her that the Church is still able to use its influence in many ways to drive forward solutions and that it is now the task for Churches to follow-up the issues addressed by Pope Francis. 4

5 In response to Prof. Gabriel s speech, MEPs Patrizia Toia and Elmar Brok explained how Catholic social teaching has shaped their life and contributed to their political vision. Patrizia Toia affirmed that she appreciates Catholic social teaching, in particular, for three reasons: first, she perceives it as a guideline for responsible policy-making as it outlines inviolable principles on the protection of human dignity and the preservation of the common good. She cited as an example her participation in a group of MEPs that regularly comes together to reflect on the Pope s speech to European Parliament in Strasbourg. Furthermore, it scrutinises the signs of the time and third, it conveys a method that seeks to re-interpret the Gospel in the present context. Elmar Brok likewise confirmed the importance of Catholic social thoughts. Having explained how he learnt about the social doctrine at school, he stressed that it is not just a set of principles, but also a way of policy-making to which he adhered. Based on Pope Leo XIII s approach to reconcile the interest of both workers and employers and to find a third way between economic liberalism and socialism, Catholic social teaching has developed a method that carefully balances between group and individual interest in order to achieve the common good. The Chair of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee outlined that it consequently acknowledges that competition and the freedom of the market are important, but only as long as it is embedded in a regulatory framework that leads to responsible freedom. At the European and global level, he consequently Catholic social teaching reminds us to carefully read the signs of time and not to close our eyes to the pressing challenges of unemployment and mass migration in Europe. Patrizia Toia Competitiveness should not be our sole aim if it does not improve the living conditions of a large number of people in our society. Elmar Brok urged the need for such a framework, stating that the unregulated financial sector is a blunder against the idea of social market economy and the very concept of Catholic social teaching. The COMECE/ECWM seminar hence showed that Catholic social teaching is still considered as an important guideline and stimulus to drive forward solution in the complex and inter-connected world of today. The very positive reception of Pope Francis encyclical Laudato si, in particular, has shown that Catholic social thought can provide the impetus to solve the central questions of our time and to remind us that not money, but people are the source, the centre, and the purpose of all economic and social life 1. 1 Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 63. 5