St. Joseph Church
Bristol, Connecticut

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti, D. Min.
Pastoral Minister

1891

In the papal encyclical On the Conditions of Labor, Pope Leo XIII strongly affirms the belief that the human person has basic rights, especially the rights to food, clothing, shelter, and a living wage. He also declares the rights of the poor must be "specially cared for and protected by the government."

1931

In The Reconstruction of the Social Order and in Divine Redemption, Pius XI focuses on the right to life and to the economic means of existence, the right to follow one's path marked out by God, the right of free association, and the right to possess and use property.

1942

Pope Pius XII, in his Christmas message, emphasizes the right to maintain and develop one's life in all ways, the right to work and freely choose one's state in life, the right to marry and have a family, and the right to material goods.

1948

The United Nations, founded after World War II, adopts the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, a vision statement with moral force that includes the rights to work; to health; to education; to such basic needs as food and shelter; to freedom of thought and expression; to freedom from slavery, torture, and illegal arrest; and to equality before the law.

1963

In Peace on Earth, Pope John XXIII emphasizes that all human beings are "the children and friends of God," and so every human being, regardless of his of her culture or nationality, is entitled to civil, political, social, and economic rights. These "universal and inviolable" rights include the right to life and bodily integrity; the right to food, clothing, shelter, rest, medical care, education, and social services; the right to respect; the right to freedom in searching for the truth, expressing opinion, and worshiping; the right to choose one's state in life, to marry and have a family; the right to work for a just wage in a safe environment. Also important are the rights to hold private property, to work freely for the common good, to move within one's own country, and to emigrate to other countries.

1966

The United Nations adopts the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Known as "first generation rights," these include the right to life, to political participation, to free access to information, and to a fair trial, as well as to freedom of expression, assembly, and association. Also included is freedom from slavery, from torture, and from cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Countries that sign this convention agree to implement it by 1976.

1967

In The Development of Peoples, Pope Paul VI focuses on the economic rights and economic well-being of all persons, noting we are all responsible for each other and that the economic development of the poor and the moral development of those with means are interlinked.

1975

The Vatican's Pontifical Commission on Justice and Peace publishes The Church and Human Rights, supporting the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, reaffirming basic economic and civil rights, and calling attention to the rights of women and of ethnic, linguistic, and religious minorities.

1979

The United Nations adopts the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women to eliminate persistent social, cultural, and economic discrimination against women. It affirms women's rights to political participation, nationality, and health; and also emphasizes marriage rights and the special needs of rural women.

1986

The U.S. Catholic Bishops, in Economic Justice For All, reaffirm that the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and internally accepted human rights standards "are strongly supported by Catholic teaching." Human rights are "moral issues" because they are "all essential to human dignity and to the integral development of both individuals and society."

1987

Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical On Social Concerns, emphasizes that economic development must respect all the economic, social, political, and civil rights of every human being in every part of the global community.

1989

The United Nations adopts the Convention on the Rights of the Child, emphasizing the right of children to be protected from the illicit use of narcotic drugs, from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, from recruitment into the armed forces, from economic exploitation, and from hazardous working conditions.

1989

Pope John Paul II, in his Message for the 1990 World Day of Peace, highlights the right to a safe environment.

1991

Pope John Paul II, in On the 100th Anniversary of On the Condition of Labor, declares that the right to ownership must be balanced with the common good of all, and affirms the right to share in work that makes wise use of the earth's resources. He also reaffirms the rights to life, to family, and to religious freedom.

1993

Responding to human rights violations throughout the world, the United Nations' World Conference on Human Rights adopts the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. It reaffirms a commitment to previously recognized human rights, with special recognition of the right to development and to economic, social, and cultural rights. It calls for an end to discrimination, poverty, and violence in all its forms.

1994

The United Nations drafts the Declaration of Human Rights and the Environment, which focuses on the rights to a healthy environment and to safe and healthy food and water, and on the right to benefit from nature.

1998

Pope John Paul Ii declares in his World Day of Peace message that the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, " one of the UN's principal titles to glory," must be "observed integrally, both in its spirit and letter," and that social, economic and cultural rights must be fully observed.

* From CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING AND HUMAN RIGHTS: AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE PACKET. Center for Concern, Washington, DC.

Compiled by Deacon Robert M. Pallotti, D. Min.
Created 4/29/1998