Labor Day is a national holiday with a clear and direct connection to Catholic Social Teaching. From the landmark encyclical “Rerum Novarum” in 1891, through Pope John Paul II’s “On Human Work” in 1981, and now in each Labor Day Statement issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Church has given unwavering support for the principles of the dignity of work and the rights of workers. With the economic struggles many now experience, often connected to the loss of work, we are reminded that the economy exists to serve people and that our policies must reflect a recognition of the dignity and inherent worth of each person.
This year’s message from the American bishops has been written by Bishop William Murphy. Here are some key excerpts from his letter :
Pope Benedict reminds us this Labor Day that we as a nation and people do not live in isolation, we influence and are influenced by our brothers and sisters in all the nations, economies, and cultures that make up this globalized world. More than ever, the dignity of the worker is a foundation upon which we should measure much of what is good, and not so good, in the financial, industrial, and service sectors of our economy and our world.
People, not things, must be the center – and the ultimate measure – of new initiatives for our nations’ economy, as well as the economies in which we are in competitive and cooperative relationships around the world.
This Labor Day we must seek to protect the life and dignity of each worker in a renewed and robust economy. Workers need to have a real voice and effective protections in economic life. The market, the state, and civil society, unions and employers all have roles to play and they must be exercised in creative and fruitful interrelationships. Private action and public policies that strengthen families and reduce poverty are needed. New jobs with just wages and benefits must be created so that all workers can express their dignity through the dignity of work and are able to fulfill God’s call to us all to be co-creators. A new social contract, which begins by honoring work and workers, must be forged that ultimately focuses on the common good of the entire human family.
To read Bishop Murphy’s entire letter, go to http://www.usccb.org.
