Abstract
Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum is considered one of the first major works to introduce Catholic social thought on a global level. A key message undergirding Rerum is the concept of supporting the needs of others, leading to empowerment and self-sufficiency. The purpose of this study was to create a list of reflection prompts informed by Rerum for post-secondary students to consider and apply towards their academic service-learning experiences. Through qualitative analysis, three main themes related to Rerum’s key message were identified: (a) opportunity to obtain resources; (b) intrinsic right to continual resources; and, (c) communal support of families and dependents. These themes were then used to develop eight distinct reflection prompts for each stage of the service-learning experience; here, the goal is to provide post-secondary students with a foundation for processing their thoughts and developing their leadership styles in an ethically-informed manner, grounded in Catholic social thought.
Highlights
Rerum Novarum: Pope Leo XIII’s Opus on Labor RelationsBefore Rerum union activity in the United States consisted of a few prominent organizations, such as the Knights of Labor (KOL), which represented worker interests at the bargaining table
The purpose of this paper is to present a list of reflection prompts developed for post-secondary students to consider and apply towards their academic service-learning (ASL) experiences; this list was inspired by Rerum Novarum’s message of supporting the needs of others, leading to empowerment and selfsufficiency
Though admittedly supportive of the working class, Pope Leo XIII and other Vatican leaders remained cautious of endorsing the KOL, due to the perceived chance that anti-religious sentiments were operating within the institution (Phelan, 2000)
Summary
Rerum Novarum: Pope Leo XIII’s Opus on Labor RelationsBefore Rerum union activity in the United States consisted of a few prominent organizations, such as the Knights of Labor (KOL), which represented worker interests at the bargaining table. Terrence Powderly, the Irish Catholic leader of the KOL, understood that the union’s ability to continue fighting for worker rights and wage equality would require official recognition from the Vatican to further fortify its Catholic constituency (Phelan, 2000). This highly sought-after validation from the Roman Catholic Church was viewed as a method to leverage the KOL against corporate structures known for acquiring political power via influencing elections (Hild, 2012). The Cardinals’ collective correspondences on the character of the KOL, accompanied by the organization’s bylaws produced by Powderly, led to a formal acknowledgment by Pope Leo in 1888 (Burton, 1962; Ellis, 1974; T’Serclaes, 1903)
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