What was the attitude of the catholic Church towards capitalism and the market economy before Vatican I I?

Question

What was the attitude of the catholic Church towards free market before Vatican II? I used to believe Catholicism was perfectly compatible with a free market economy.However, Pius XI said that :"Just as the unity of human society cannot be founded on an opposition of classes, so also the right ordering of economic life cannot be left to a free competition of forces. For from this source, as from a poisoned spring, have originated and spread all the errors of individualist economic teaching. Destroying through forgetfulness or ignorance the social and moral character of economic life, it held that economic life must be considered and treated as altogether free from and independent of public authority, because in the market, i.e., in the free struggle of competitors, it would have a principle of self direction which governs it much more perfectly than would the intervention of any created intellect. But free competition, while justified and certainly useful provided it is kept within certain limits, clearly cannot direct economic life."
On the other hand, Leo XIII seemed to favour a free market approach, or at least he didn´t speak against it He alos defended private property and means of production , while at the same time he emphasised  the importance of protection of worker´s rights.

Could please clarify this for me?

Illuminator · Accepted Answer

Conflicting teaching seems to be given by the same or successive popes.  But it is wrong to use one set of statements as indicative of the papal policy without referring to the other set.  The popes word their doctrine with extreme precision for a definite historical context, so that the doctrine will not necessarily take on meanings beyond those needed for the question to be treated here and now. 

 Conclusions must not be drawn out of given propositions with the aid of premises, which the individual believes in but which are not admitted by the original author of the propositions.  

To interpret the popes in the light of premises, which they expressly repudiate, is hardly an honest interpretation of their teaching.  At times Catholics themselves fall into the same trap. By projecting the papal message, they produce statements which are not the affirmations of the popes but which seem to the interpreter’s logically inevitable conclusions.

kimbler · Answer

First this assertion: who happens to be the successor to Peter and who each so often could make sparkling problems with grave value and<b> regardless of he says in that potential (ex-cathedra) is upheld in heaven 97aabb188b55dc66927a8de59418743as properly as in the international. this means that he's Gods spokesperson right here in the international, or that God will by some skill settle for what the pope says in heaven, which shows why some human beings ought to have faith that the church teaches that he's sinless. I went to church a splash with my parents (the two cradle catholics and my mom grow to be from Germany) in the 60's and at a similar time as i do no longer remember lots of it, I do remember women human beings had to have their head coated, so whilst we would shuttle and bypass to Mass, we would make a run to Thriftys for scarves for our head! i think of start administration grow to be very strictly forbidden. You used the "rhythm technique" and that i remember that through fact my mom had a chart and that i used to scouse borrow the infant stickers that got here with it. We DID very own a bible. I remember looking with the aid of it many situations in my early existence. i grow to be born in 1961 i'm helpful i'm no longer lots help, yet i'm hoping an older catholic comes alongside to communicate. God bless :)

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What was the attitude of the catholic Church towards capitalism and the market economy before Vatican I I?

2 Answers