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The Season of Creation 2025 – War and the Destruction of Creation

Pope Francis regularly talked about the conflicts that scar the world. And, of course, Pope Leo has continued to address the tragedy of war in his Angelus addresses and on other occasions. Both popes regularly addressed the environmental crises too – not least, of course, in Pope Francis’s encyclical letter, Laudato si, and in his apostolic exhortation, Laudate deum. It is rare in Catholic social teaching, however, for the two issues to be linked.

A guide to Rerum Novarum part one: the political context and the right to property

Historical context

Upon his election, Pope Leo XIV said that he was inspired to take the name “Leo” by Pope Leo XIII’s work on Catholic social teaching. The newly-elected pope especially mentioned Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical, Rerum novarum. Pope Leo XIV related this to the current need to think about things afresh given the development of artificial intelligence (AI). This series of three blogs explores Rerum novarum. It is a radical and holistic call to orientate our whole lives towards God – including in the political, economic and social sectors. To try to distil it for its proposals, as many do, in the political, economic and social domains alone and to take it outside its religious context leaves it stripped of its essence.

God and Government

The idea that government should be based on Christian principles is continually under attack – not least on several occasions in the assisted suicide debate. Not only is that proposed law itself incompatible with Christian principles, but many of those proposing it have suggested that Christians should not be involved in the debate or that Christian principles should not determine our views on the issue.

A Jubilee for Entrepreneurs!

I welcome the addition to the calendar of a ‘Jubilee for Entrepreneurs’ by the late Pope Francis. As the Holy Father noted in his encyclical letter on fraternity and social friendship, Fratelli Tutti, “In God’s plan, each individual is called to promote his or her own development, and this includes finding the best economic and technological means of multiplying goods and increasing wealth.”

A jubilee for workers!

As we continue to pray for Pope Francis through the Novemdiales – the period of mourning after the death of a pope – we also celebrate his legacy. Pope Francis was committed to upholding the dignity of workers and, with modifications, the ‘Jubilee for Workers’ and the ‘Jubilee for Entrepreneurs’ are both going ahead at the start of May.

Pope Francis and fraternity

In the coverage of the passing of Pope Francis to eternal life, surprisingly little has been said about an important aspect of Pope Francis’s social teaching – fraternity. This was the theme of his second social encyclical, Fratelli tutti. It is an important theme because it links the pastoral, spiritual, theological and social teaching of the late pope. The title of Fratelli tutti in English is “Brothers All”, and it is subtitled “On Fraternity and Social Friendship”.

Antiqua et Nova: Note on the relationship between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence – A Summary

This document was published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and Dicastery for Culture and Education on 14^th January 2025. Below is a summary which follows the headings and structure of the original document.

Why does the tax system discriminate against caring in the home?

We have a new government which is just as fiscally constrained as the previous government. One reason it is fiscally constrained is because of the low birthrate. Perhaps we would do better in that respect if we had a tax system which did not discriminate against a parent staying at home (or working limited hours outside the home) whilst caring for the famiy’s children and elderly.

Globalisation and the common good – video explainer

The Catholic social thought site has a range of video explainers. At the current time, when the news is full of tariffs and restrictions on migration, I thought it would be appropriate to post this video on Catholic social thought and globalisation. With thanks to the narrator Jasmine de Kretser.

Legalising assisted suicide is always a one-way ticket

Kim Leadbeater’s bill, designed to introduce assisted suicide, has passed its second reading. But the debate is not finished. Many MPs voted to support it because they believed that the bill could be improved. There is a danger that, as MPs debate specific amendments, they will forget the principle that crossing the threshold to allow assisted suicide sets us going on a process which is no longer entirely in the control of parliament. The experience of many countries shows this. But, in the spirit of taking on arguments at their strongest points, it is worth looking at how even the most tightly drafted bill will not stand the test of time. No amendment can make this bill safe.

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