On the human work 

Encyclical letter of the Pope John Paul II in the 90 anniversary of the Rerum Novarum 

14 September 1981 

Human work 90 years after the "Rerum Novarum" 

Having fulfilled, on 15 May of the current year, ninety years since the publication by Leon XIII, the great pontiff of the "social question" of that encyclical of decisive importance, which begins with the words Rerum Novarum, I want to dedicate this document precisely to human work, and even more I want to dedicate it to man in the vast context of that reality that is work. 

Indeed, if, as I have said in the encyclical Redemptor Hominis, published at the beginning of my service at the Roman headquarters of St. Peter, Man "is the first and fundamental path of the Church", (4) and this is precisely because of the unfathomable mystery of redemption in Christ. Then we must go back to this path incessantly and always continue again in its various aspects in which all the wealth is revealed and at the same time all the fatigue of the human existence on earth. 

 

General Index 

I. Introduction 

1. Human Labor 90 years after the "Rerum Novarum" 

2. In a line of organic action development and social teaching of the Church 

3. The problem of labor, the key to social issues 

 

II. Work and man 

4. In the Book of Genesis 

5. Work in the objective sense: technique 

6. The work in subjective sense: the man, subject of the work 

7. A threat to the right order of values 

8. Solidarity of the men of the work 

9. Person work-dignity 

10. Work and society: family, nation 

 

III. Conflict between work and capital in the present historical phase 

11. Dimension of this conflict 

12. Work priority 

13. Economy and materialism 

14. Work and property 

15. "Personalist" argument; 

 

IV. Rights of men of labor 

16. In the broad context of human rights 

17. Entrepreneur: "Indirect"; and "direct"; 

18. Employment problem 

19. Salary and other social benefits 

20. Importance of trade unions 

21. Dignity of agricultural work 

22. The person disabled and the work

23. The work and the problem of emigration 

 

V. Elements for a spirituality of work 

24. Particular mission of the Church 

25. Work as a participation in the work of Creator 

26. Christ, the man of, labor 

27. Human labor in the light of the Cross and Resurrection of Christ