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 50th Anniversary of the Encyclical 'Populorum Progressio' Scott 1660 (2017) On September 7, 2017, Vatican City issued the stamp shown above to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the announcement of the papal encyclical Populorum Progressio. It was issued as a mini-sheet of four stamps (Scott 1660M). On Easter Sunday, 1967, Pope Paul released 'Populorum Progressio', which came out two years after the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council. The document addresses 'the development of peoples', with a goal that 'the economy of the world should serve mankind and not just the few'. In the introduction to the encyclical, Pope Paul states: The progressive development of peoples is an object of deep interest and concern to the Church. This is particularly true in the case of those peoples who are trying to escape the ravages of hunger, poverty, endemic disease and ignorance; of those who are seeking a larger share in the benefits of civilization and a more active improvement of their human qualities; of those who are consciously striving for fuller growth. Then, in stating that this is 'a problem for all men', he implores the faithful to listen to the pleas of: the hungry nations of the world (who) cry out to the peoples blessed with abundance. And the Church, cut to the quick by this cry, asks each and every man to hear his brother's plea and answer it lovingly. The encyclical professes a number of principles of Catholic social teaching, including: The right to a just wage The right to security of employment The right to fair and reasonable working conditions The right to join a union, and, The universal destination of resources and goods, meaning that the goods of creation are destined for humankind as a whole, while recognizing the individual right to private property. In 1987, Pope John Paul II issued the encyclical Sollicitudo rei socialis (in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 'Populorum progressio'), and in 2009, Pope Benedict XVI published the encyclical Caritas in veritate, which again addressed many of the themes discussed in 'Populorum progressio'. References: Wikipedia.com, Populorum Progressio UFN, September 7, 2017, 50th Anniversary of the Encyclical 'Populorum Progressio' Vatican.va, Populorum Progressio |
