Compendium of the social doctrine of the Church to be published on October 25
Bologna (AsiaNews) After years of work by Vatican experts, the 'Compendium of the social doctrine of the Church' will be released on October 25. The announcement was made by Card Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace who was speaking in Bologna to participants in the annual "Social Week" observance by Italian Catholics. The Cardinal also announced that the "Social Weeks" initiative, which already takes place in 15 countries, will be extended to much of Europe. It will be the "result of experiences and reflexions done by historic national institutions inspired by the social doctrine of the Church".
The Compendium itself is a synthetic catechism of the many themes in the Church's social doctrine. It is divided into three part, one examining the foundations of Catholic Social doctrine, the other its contents, and the third its pastoral perspectives.
The document intends to be "an indispensable instrument for proclaiming and realising the Gospel in the complex field of social relations" and a "useful means for the moral and pastoral discernment of the complex events that characterise our times."
"The vision of the human person that the Church's social teachings convey," Cardinal Martino said, "has the merit of highlighting the limits of individualism which is a root cause of the serious shortcomings of the democratic ideal."
The prelate added that "democracy is defended by protecting of the weak everywhere and by engaging in politics that are respectful not only of individual rights but of collective rights as well. This means respecting peoples' rights, traditions and customs."
Finally, the Cardinal said that "tomorrow's democracy cannot be thought and built around the borders of existing nation-states. It requires new institutions, procedures and rules that are international in scope".
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30/11/2021 15:48
