Joseph Cardinal Höffner CHRISTIAN SOCIAL TEACHING
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Joseph Cardinal Höffner CHRISTIAN SOCIAL TEACHING With an Introduction and Complementary Notes by Lothar Roos Original (published in German): Joseph Kardinal Höffner CHRISTLICHE GESELLSCHAFTSLEHRE Edited, revised and supplemented by Lothar Roos Editor: Butzon & Bercker Publishing Company: Butzon & Bercker • D-47623 Kevelaer, 1997 ISBN 3-7666-0324-8 Translation and digitalization sponsored and organized by: ORDO SOCIALIS Academic Association for the Promotion of Christian Social Teaching Wissenschaftliche Vereinigung zur Förderung der Christlichen Gesellschaftslehre e.V. The members of the board are published in the impressum of www.ordosocialis.de Head Office: Georgstr. 18 • 50676 Köln (Cologne) • Germany Tel: 0049 (0)221-27237-0 • Fax: 0049 (0)221-27237-27 • E-mail: [email protected] English edition: Translation: Stephan Wentworth-Arndt, PhD; Gerald Finan (Introduction Roos and Notes) © ORDO SOCIALIS, Cologne, Germany, Second Edition 1997 Consultant: Prof. Dr. Karl H. Peschke Editorial Supervision: Dr. Johannes Stemmler Layout and Typesetting: Thomas Heider, Bergisch Gladbach Edited by ORDO SOCIALIS, published by LÚC, Bratislava ISBN 80-7114-196-8 Digitalized by Jochen Michels 2006, Layout by Dr. Clara E. Laeis The rights of publication and translation are reserved and can be granted upon request. Please contact ORDO SOCIALIS. 2 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION TO THE ENGLISH EDITION ................................................ 12 FOREWORD......................................................................................................... 14 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 15 § 1 The Concerns and the Concept of Christian Social Teaching .......................... 15 § 2 Methods of Christian Social Teaching.............................................................. 16 PART ONE: FOUNDATIONS .......................................................................... 20 SECTION ONE: INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY ............................................ 20 Chapter one: The Social Nature of Man............................................................. 20 § 1 Personality as the Foundation and the Presupposition of the Social Nature of Man ................................................................................................... 20 § 2 Proof of the Social Nature of man..................................................................... 22 § 3 The Community-Building Powers of Man........................................................ 23 Chapter two: Community, Society, Loss of Individuality................................. 25 § 1 Community and Society.................................................................................... 25 § 2 Mass Society and the Loss of Indi33333viduality............................................ 26 SECTION TWO: THE PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL ORDER ......................... 28 Chapter one: The Solidarity Principle ................................................................ 28 § 1 The meaning of the Principle of Solidarity....................................................... 28 § 2 The Foundations of the Principle of Solidarity................................................. 29 Chapter two: The Common-Good Principle ...................................................... 29 § 1 Priority of the Common Good over the Individual Interest.............................. 29 § 2 Preservation of Personal Dignity ...................................................................... 31 § 3 Authority ........................................................................................................... 32 Chapter three: The Subsidiarity Principle ......................................................... 33 § 1 The Meaning of the Principle of Subsidiarity................................................... 33 § 2 The Foundation of the Principle of Subsidiarity............................................... 34 3 SECTION THREE: RIGHT AND JUSTICE ................................................... 35 Chapter one: Law as the norm of social life ....................................................... 35 § 1 Natural Law as the Law of Man’s Essence....................................................... 35 § 2 The Battle over Natural Law............................................................................. 36 § 3 Natural Law and Positive Law.......................................................................... 40 § 4 The Properties of Natural Law.......................................................................... 41 Chapter two: The Virtue of Justice ..................................................................... 42 § 1 The Essence of Justice....................................................................................... 42 § 2 The Fundamental Forms of Justice ................................................................... 42 § 3 Social Justice and Social Love.......................................................................... 45 PART TWO: THE STRUCTURE OF SOCIAL ORDER ............................... 47 SECTION ONE: MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY....................................... 47 Chapter one Marriage .......................................................................................... 47 § 1 Sexuality............................................................................................................ 47 § 2 The Dialogical Relatedness of the Sexes .......................................................... 49 § 3 The Sexual Power.............................................................................................. 50 § 4 The Protective Power ........................................................................................ 51 § 5 Eros as a covetous Love.................................................................................... 51 § 6 Selflessly Giving Love...................................................................................... 53 § 7 The Awakening of New Life............................................................................. 53 § 8 Marriage as a Contract ...................................................................................... 55 § 9 Marriage as Institution ...................................................................................... 57 § 10 Marriage as Sacrament.................................................................................... 58 Chapter two: The Family ..................................................................................... 59 § 1 The Family as a Community of Life of the Parents with their Children .......... 60 1. The Family's Care for Physical Needs ......................................................................................61 a) The common home................................................................................................................61 b) The common table ................................................................................................................61 c) The common housekeeping...................................................................................................62 4 2. The Family in the Service of Spiritual, Moral, and Religious Values ......................................63 a) The task of the parents..........................................................................................................63 b ) The task of the siblings........................................................................................................64 c) The task of the grandparents................................................................................................65 § 2 The Family as the Cell of Human Society ........................................................ 65 1. The Family as a Cell of Human Society in a Biological an Moral Respect..............................65 2. The Law of Dispatch.................................................................................................................66 § 3 The Family's Loss and Change of Function in the Industrial Society .............. 66 1. The Loss of Function.................................................................................................................66 2. The Change of function.............................................................................................................67 3. Employment of Married Women Outside the Home ................................................................68 § 4 Requirements of a Family Policy in Modem Society ....................................... 69 1. The Economic Instability of the Family....................................................................................69 2. The Decrease in the Birth Rate .................................................................................................69 3. Two consequences: ...................................................................................................................70 § 5 Marriage and Virginity...................................................................................... 71 SECTION TWO: WORK AND PROFESSION ............................................... 72 Chapter one: The Christian meaning of work and profession ......................... 72 § 1 Concept and Definition ..................................................................................... 72 § 2 The Meaning of Work and Profession .............................................................. 73 1. Work as Necessity.....................................................................................................................73