Friday, March 19, 2021

Pope Pius XI and the Divini Redemptoris on This Day in History

 

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This Day in History: Pope Pius XI issued the Divini Redemptoris, an anti-communist encyclical on this day in 1937. The encyclical describes communism as "a system full of errors and sophisms" that "subverts the social order, because it means the destruction of its foundations."

Pius XI goes on to contrast Communism with the civitas humana (ideal human civilization), which is marked by love, respect for human dignity, economic justice, and the rights of workers. He faults industrialists and employers who do not adequately support their workers for creating a climate of discontent in which people are tempted to embrace Communism. This reminds me of Willi Schlamm's refrain: “The problem with capitalism is capitalists. The problem with socialism is socialism.”

Pius XI once remarked, "No one can be at the same time a good Catholic and a true socialist."

His work expressed concern with Communism developing in the Soviet Union, Spain, and Mexico, and it condemned the Western press for its apparent "conspiracy of silence" in failing to cover such events in those countries. People forget that Mexico was one of the first Communist countries. 

Times change and now the present pope is often labelled a Socialist.


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