Der Einfluss der Soziallehre der Kirche auf die europäische Kultur und Gesellschaft
The influence of the social teaching of the Church on the European culture and society

Summary/Abstract: The article presents the development of the social teaching of the Church from Rerum novarum onwards from the view of responsiveness or non- responsiveness to the social changes and regarding the development of the teaching from ideological confrontation with modern ideologies to the last encyclicals which put emphasis on the civilization of love and charity as a specific social paradigm without the ambition that the Church would be in power. In any case, in all periods, the social teaching with its basic principles has influenced the development of the European culture and its legal order. The shift of focus from the alternative to the existent social systems to the ethical role of the social teaching of the Church has strengthened the endeavours to establish religious freedom as a basic human right. And at the same time, the clear differentiation between the mission of religious and political institutions and the central role of a citizen and believer in a democratic and pluralist society.

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