Catholic ethicists, whether defenders of just-war doctrine or pacifists, agree that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is not morally justified, according to the report.
Considered a foundational text of modern Catholic social teaching,
Rerum Novarum recognized the rights of workers to be paid a living wage and to organize almost 50 years before the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the National Labor Relations Act in the United States. The encyclical s anniversary is May 15.
Speakers at the May 12 event, hosted by the Catholic Labor Network hosted, highlighted the continued relevance of
Rerum Novarum by recounting their experiences in labor organizing and critiquing efforts to quell it.
Union busting is endemic to neoliberal global capitalism, said Villanova University professor Gerald Beyer, author of This is a massive failure of the mission of Catholic higher education. It s hypocrisy that flies in the face of Catholic social teaching, and I can tell you from my own personal experience that our students notice it and our students see it, Beyer said.