Pulse
19 May 2025

The election of Robert Cardinal Francis Prevost as the 267^th occupant of the Throne of Peter has prompted me to re-read Rerum Novarum, the encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated in 1891. This is because the new pope has chosen ‘Leo XIV’ as his papal name, thereby bringing him into close association with Pope Leo XIII who is particularly remembered for the encyclical.

Baptised Vincenzo Gioacchino Pecci, Pope Leo XIII was the 256^th occupant of the Throne of Peter and led the Church from 1878 until his death in 1903. Known as ‘The Pope of Workers’, Leo XIII had issued a truly groundbreaking encyclical because it outlined the fundamental contours of modern Catholic social doctrine.

To be sure, the world which Rerum Novarum sought to address at the end of the 19^th century was radically different from ours. That century saw the Industrial Revolution and the upheavals and social and economic transformations that resulted. Industrialisation did not only introduce mechanised production and urbanisation, but also brought about a new economic order based on wage labour, mass production and market competition.

This new reality gave rise to a new urban working class, commonly known as the proletariat. The exploitation of workers was widespread, with many toiling for long hours in factories, mines and mills – often in hazardous conditions, for meagre wages and with little or no legal protection. Children and women were likewise subjected to harsh exploitation.

The very title of Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical, Rerum Novarum (‘Of New Things’) points to the ‘new things’ that the industrial revolution and industrial capitalism had brought about. The encyclical offers a theological and moral framework for addressing these pressing concerns and issues.

Although the context is different, many of the themes and concerns of Rerum Novarum remain relevant as the new Pope Leo leads the Catholic Church in the 21^st century. The theological and moral principles on which the 19^th century papal encyclical was based continues to be pertinent in a world marked by moral chaos and confusion.

Rerum Novarum is firmly established on a number of theological principles that are foundational not just to Roman Catholicism but Christianity generally.

For example, it is firmly grounded in the doctrine of creation and the accompanying concept of stewardship. It teaches that while all creation ultimately belongs to God, the Creator has given human beings the special vocation to cultivate and govern it (RM 8).

Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical is also established on a robust theological anthropology which draws inspiration from the writings of Thomas Aquinas. Because all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God, all social and economic structures must be evaluated on whether they promote or hinder human development.

It is also on the basis of this understanding of the human being that Rerum Novarum develops its understanding of human labour. Work cannot be reduced to a commodity to be bought or sold but must be regarded as an expression of human creativity and cooperation with God in an exercise of stewardship.

The encyclical also places much importance on the concept of the common good but in a way that does not cancel out the needs and aspirations of the individual.

Civil society exists for the common good, and hence is concerned with the interests of all in general, albeit with individual interests also in their due place and degree (RN 51).

This understanding of the common good not only challenges the rabid individualism of liberal capitalism but also the collectivism of socialism.

Rerum Novarum is equally critical of capitalism and socialism – two rival economic ideologies and social imaginaries that were on the rise at the time.

Its critique of the exploitative nature of the former is honest and harsh in light of its context.

If we turn not to things external and material, the first thing of all to secure is to save the unfortunate working people from the cruelty of men of greed, who use human beings as mere instruments for money-making. It is neither just nor human so to grind men down to excessive labour as to stupefy their minds and wear out their bodies (RN 42).

While Rerum Novarum appears to echo some of Marx’s critique of capitalism, it strenuously rejects the solution offered by socialism.

But their contentions are so clearly powerless to end the controversy that were they carried into effect the working man himself would be among the first to suffer. They are, moreover, emphatically unjust, for they would rob the lawful possessor, distort the functions of the State, and create utter confusion in the community (RN 4).

That Pope Leo XIII rejects the ‘socialist model’ is also clearly evident in his repeated emphasis that individuals have the right to private property (RN 4, 15, 22, 47).

Finally, Rerum Novarum has much to say about the role of the Church, the Body of Christ. The Church must never stand idly in the face of poverty and ignore the plight of the vulnerable and marginalised. Instead, the Church must:

… intervene directly on behalf of the poor by setting on foot and maintaining associations which she knows to be efficient for the relief of poverty (RN 29).

This call for the Church to stand in solidarity with the vulnerable and to provide necessary assistance will be one of the central principles of Catholic social teaching. The Church must not do this work alone but must be willing to collaborate with every agency that is concerned to address the plight of the vulnerable, including the State.

It cannot … be doubted that to attain the purpose we are treating of, not only the Church, but all human agencies must concur. All who are concerned in the matter should be of one mind and according to their ability act together. It is with this, as with providence that governs the world; the results of causes do not usually take place save where all the causes cooperate (RN 31).

As I mentioned earlier, the challenges that Pope Leo XIV faces in the 21^st century are somewhat different from those his predecessor faced in the nineteenth. These challenges are global labour inequalities, corporate exploitation in the digital economy and the erosion of human dignity in AI-driven workplaces. However, the principles, insights and intuitions that can be gleaned from Rerum Novarum remain relevant because they are rooted in the Gospel.

It is impossible to predict exactly what direction Leo XIV’s pontificate will take and the challenges that it will face in the years to come – for these are early days. That Robert Prevost chose ‘Leo’ as his papal name, offers hope that the new Pope will be inspired by the theological principles embedded in the great encyclical of his predecessor.

Dr Roland Chia is Chew Hock Hin Professor at Trinity Theological College (Singapore) and Theological and Research Advisor of the Ethos Institute for Public Christianity.