(Social justice; 04-02; p.5)

That work is seen as a value in itself, is based on the roman-catholic definition of human beings: work is seen as "a sharing in the activity of the Creator" - that is the title of the 25th section; by working, human beings prove that they are created to God's image and within the limits of his own human capabilities help develop creation to perfection.

 

Christian concepts today?

At the beginning of the 21st century Christian concepts admittedly do not have much effect: European societies - and the northern American as well - are almost completely secularised.

However, characteristics of the "inner mission" may be found at most within the Anglo-Saxon states. "Welfare" this way is the secular variant of the thinking that a capitalistic society bears opportunities for every individual which it has to use in the first place. If an individual cannot do so, it is not the state that is obliged to provide for remedies but private organisations so called "friendly societies" or "charities" such as "Oxfam".
A legally binding obligation of the "Haves" - in Germany even stipulated as constitutional article - is incompatible with such concepts.

More in accordance to roman-catholic ideas is - as mentioned - the concept of social market economy. Even so, one can - as always, when processes of political decision-finding are analysed - argue, whether the results stem from a certain disposition of ideas with the people involved or they just give an image of the respective power positions.
This way, one could argue that the market economy has merely been "socially tamed" in Germany, because Christian and non-Christian workers were historically in a strong power position.
Such reasoning however does not answer the question which preferences or ideas lead to such a position and whether or not those may be justified in general ...

(End of article)