Evangelium Vitae 
English title: The Gospel of Life
Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paul II, 1995
Love for others, and especially for the poor, is made concrete by
promoting justice. (#58)
As far as the church is concerned, the social message of the Gospel
must not be considered a theory, but above all a basis and a
motivation for action. Today more than ever, the church is aware
that her social message will gain credibility more immediately from
the witness of actions than as a result of its internal logic and
consistency. (#57)
There are needs and common goods that cannot be satisfied by the
market system. it is the task of the state and of all society to defend
them. An idolatry of the market alone cannot do all that should be done.
(#40)
A change of mentality is needed, no longer seeing the poor as a burden,
or as intruders trying to profit from others, but as people seeking to
share the goods of the world so that we can create a just and
prosperous world for all. (#28)
The obligation to earn one's bread presumes the right to do so. A society
that denies this right cannot be justified, nor can it attain social peace. (#43)
The church has always defended the right to private property, teaching
at the same time that this right is not absolute. Pope Leo XIII wrote:
"How must one's possessions be used? The human being should not
consider material possessions as his or her own, but as common to all."
The Second Vatican Council stated: "Of its nature private property also
has a social function, based on the law of the common purpose of goods."
(#30)
Human persons are willed by God; they are imprinted with God's image.
Their dignity does not come from the work they do, but from the persons
they are. (#11)
To overcome today's individualistic mentality, a concrete commitment to
solidarity and charity is needed, beginning in the family. (#49)
The free market appears to be the most efficient tool for utilizing
resources and responding to needs. But this is true only if you are
able to buy and sell. Justice and truth demand that basic human needs
should be met and that none should be left to perish. (#34)
The human being is the primary route that the church must travel to
fulfill its mission. (#53)
Profit, though it plays a legitimate role, is not the only indicator of a
firm's condition. The people in it might be humiliated and offended.
The aim of a business is not simply profit, but to form a particular
group at the service of the whole of society. (#35)
Can it perhaps be said that, after the failure of Communism,
capitalism is the victorious social system, and that capitalism should
be the goal of the countries now making efforts to rebuild their
economy and society? ...
The answer is obviously complex. If by "capitalism" is meant an
economic system which recognizes the fundamental and positive role
of business, the market, private property and the resulting responsibility
for the means of production, as well as free human creativity in the
economic sector, then the answer is certainly in the affirmative, ...
But if by "capitalism" is meant a system in which freedom in the
economic sector is not circumscribed within a strong juridical
framework which places it at the service of human freedom in its
totality and sees it as a particular aspect of that freedom, the core of
which is ethical and religious, then the reply is certainly negative.(#42)
The social message of the Gospel is and always has been a basis
for action: (#39)
Pope Leo XIII criticizes "socialism" and "liberalism." Against "socialism"
he affirms the right to private property. As for liberalism he states that
the state may not favor the rich while neglecting the poor. It is the poor
who have a claim to special consideration. The richer class can help
itself; the poor have no resources of their own to do so. They chiefly
depend on the help of the state. This remains valid today, considering
the poverty in the world. (#10)
The first and fundamental structure for a "human ecology" is the family,
founded on marriage, in which the mutual gift of self as husband and
wife creates an environment in which children can be born and grow up.(#39)
After the fall of "real socialism" capitalism is not the only economic
alternative left. Individuals and nations need the basic things to enable
them to share in development. The stronger ones must assist the weaker
ones, and the weaker ones must use the opportunities offered. (#35)
The principle that debts should be paid remains, but this should not be
asked for at the cost of the hunger and despair of entire peoples. There
is the need to lighten, defer, or even cancel the debts, and indeed, this
does sometimes happen, to let people subsist and progress. (#35)
The Catholic tradition calls for] a society of free work, of enterprise,
and of participation. Such a society is not directed against the market,
but demands that the market be appropriately controlled by the forces
of society and by the State, so as to guarantee that the basic needs of
the whole of society are satisfied. (#35)
The struggle between good and evil will continue as long as time lasts.
The kingdom of God, being "in" the world, without being "of" the world,
throws a critical light on society, calling everyone, especially the laity,
to infuse human reality with the spirit of the Gospel. (#25)
Society and state need to afford protection against the nightmare of
unemployment through economic policies that ensure balanced growth
and full employment or through unemployment insurance and retraining
programs. (#15)
A business is not only a "society of capital goods," it is also a "society
of persons." A broad associated workers' movement is still needed to
achieve these goals. (#43)
It is right to struggle against an unjust economic system that does not
uphold the priority of the human being over capital and land. (#35)
Consumerism also raises the ecological issue. Humanity is consuming
the resources of the earth and life in an excessive and disordered way,
forgetting the earth's own needs and God-given purpose, provoking a
rebellion on the part of nature, and overlooking our duties and obligations
toward future generations. (#37)
Yet alienation is still a reality in Western societies, because of
consumerism, that does not help one appreciate one's authentic
personhood and because of work, which shows interest only in profit,
and none in the workers, considering them to be mere means. (#41)
The economy cannot be run in an institutional, juridical, or political
vacuum: the state has its role to play, guaranteeing personal freedom,
a stable currency, and efficient public services. (#48)