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VATICAN CITY, APR 16 (ZENIT.org).- Archbishop François Xavier Nguyên Van
Thuân, president of the Vatican Council for Justice and Peace, confirmed
that the Holy See is preparing to publish a "Social Catechism" toward
the end of the Jubilee.
The document, which will cover the social doctrine of the Church, was
first announced by the Vietnamese Archbishop during the Synod of Bishops
for Europe, which took place in Rome last October. The Catechism's
preparation was entrusted by John Paul II to the Archbishop and the
Council he presides. The consultation of Bishops, scholars and experts
from around the world has taken much time and turned out to be
especially complex.
In exclusive statements to the Spanish newspaper "La Razón," Archbishop
Nguyên Van Thuân commented today that "this Catechism comprises a very
special aspect of this Jubilee celebration, as it can help the world to
discover a new perspective of Christian wisdom." Indispensable Aid for Catholic LeadersThe Archbishop explained, "Our starting point is the very many Catholics in the world who hold positions of responsibility and represent the leading classes of their countries: Catholics who are heads of government, ministers, influential politicians, judges, bankers, university professors, businessmen, government officials, engineers, etc. We have discovered that, in spite of being good Catholics, many do not have a clear idea of the social doctrine of the Church, what the Catholic Church upholds and proposes in fields like economics, justice and ethics. We have heard of situations in which certain Catholics work in the opposite direction of what the social doctrine of the Church indicates. And this happens, precisely, because they do not know it sufficiently or because they do not keep it in mind as a profound truth of our faith."This concern has led the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace to hold congresses throughout the world to inform, coordinate and assist in greater understanding and diffusion of social doctrine. Thus, an appeal has been made to recover the spirit of the national "social weeks," which for many decades made possible the study and understanding of the social doctrine and which have been abandoned in many countries, or have entered into frank decline in terms of content, participation and interest. "This is the first time that the Church has written a succinct and official compendium on the social doctrine in keeping with what has been said in the Catechism, though many studies and thick volumes have been written. We will especially keep in mind the contributions of Karol Wojtyla's writings from when he was a professor in Poland and the volumes of Cardinal Hoffner. Our objective is to make a compendium that will contain the universal principles on which the social doctrine is based and from which one must start to analyze the different individual situations. We must synthesize and extract the conceptual and universal form of the principles," Archbishop Nguyên Van Thuân said. Social EthicThe Social Catechism promises to be a book of great breadth in terms of topics and contents. It seems that many Bishops are impressed by the quantity of topics covered and, therefore, the detail that Catholics must bring to bear on judgments and criteria of action in situations of social and political life, so affected by the maelstrom of progress and constant innovations.Archbishop Nguyên Van Thuân said that "technological development has improved the situation of the world, but on the other hand it has broadened man's powers to the point that he can think he is independent of God. Here is where the problem of the unity of science and conscience arises. Science and conscience must walk together, they must not be separated. The separation of science and conscience makes humanity, and the contemplation of God and his work, suffer." Therefore, the Social Catechism will have as one of its key themes "to reestablish the unity between the spirit of men and social development: Jesus Christ has loosed the chains of the soul and body of men." The Social Catechism thus shows with clarity how for a Catholic social action cannot be separated from the announcement of redemption, because "it is the Lord who has reestablished the unity between the soul and social development, and this is the road that we must follow as saving mission," the Archbishop emphasized. Unity of Work and LifeAnother point highlighted by the Vietnamese Archbishop responsible for writing this Vatican document is "the concept of work as love toward the created: work as continuation of God's plan, the love of work as a way of conserving, cultivating, contemplating and admiring the beauty of this world."Finally, Archbishop Nguyên Van Thuân revealed that the Social Catechism will insist on "how the human person is ennobled and fulfilled when he collaborates to improve the created, since in this way he assumes a central and just condition in the vertical relation with God." ZE00041606 
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April 18, 2000 volume 11, no. 77 NEWS & VIEWS
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