I strongly encourage anyone reading these words to join this “virtual reading group.” Anyone of good will – Catholics, non-Catholic Christians, and others – can benefit from the Church’s guidance in striving to build a stronger, healthier modern society, based on charity and mutual respect. In the past couple of centuries, the world has undergone some radical changes, and the peoples of the world have not always coped well with these changes. While most people now live in much better material conditions than we would have a century or two ago, the very developments that have brought those material benefits have also caused great moral impoverishment. We need to find a way to live better, or else no amount of material comfort will be able to compensate for the social strife and spiritual misery that have too often accompanied the economic and technological benefits of modern life.
Silver coin struck by Vatican to commemorate 75th anniversary of Rerum Novarum. |
There are two different English translations of Rerum Novarum available on the Internet. One (which I think is the more readable of the two) may be found here on the New Advent web site; the second is more widely available and can be found in many places on the internet, including here on the Vatican web site. If you have an ereader, you can also download it in Epub (Nook, etc.) or Mobi (Kindle) format from Papal Encyclicals Online.
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