Prof. Franz Josef Stegmann Bethlehem Social ... - Ordo Socialis

Stegmann
• The larger and higher association, the community, must not "withdraw" and arrogate to
itself "functions which can be performed (efficiently) and provided for by (individuals or)
smaller and lower bodies"; it has only "subsidiarity" to intervene in order to enhance the
abilities of the individual, but "never to destroy or absorb them”.
• The community, however, must intervene and be "a help", if the individual is overtaxed;
but the community must also take back again that "help for self-help", whenever it has
been successful - a rule which one might call "subsidiary reduction". 29
• The community has to create the conditions in order to enable individuals to practise their
abilities and to carry out their tasks as well as possible.
The principle of subsidiarity has often been misunderstood. The English expression
“subsidiary" connotes "to be subordinated to someone" or "to be a second class matter, a
second class subject". The noun "subsidiarity" is not even to be found in the Duden Oxford
Dictionary (1990). With regard to the principle, these connotations are definitely wrong. The
expression subsidium afferre, as the Latin text reads, demands "to be helpful", to "prove a
help to members of the social body", and not "to subordinate someone to somebody"; and the
expression numquam ea destruere et absorbere, as the Latin text continues, forbids larger
associations "to destroy or absorb" their members. Human beings are not second class beings.
Because of that, John XXIII rightly stated in the 1961 Pastoral Letter Mater et Magistra: "The
cardinal point" of Christian Social Teaching and the basis of the subsidiarity principle is that
individual human beings "are necessarily foundation, cause, and end of all social
institutions". 30 Subsidiarity proclaims the help of the community for each of its members, but
not their oppression. The principle refers to the human person as an individual, determines the
areas of responsibility between the individuals and lower associations (such as families,
municipalities and provinces) on the one hand, and the larger, higher community on the other.
Its main function is to enable and safeguard freedom and liberty. Whoever puts special
emphasis on the right of involvement and co-determination in state and society, is supported
by the principle of subsidiarity. A central authority should perform only tasks that cannot be
performed effectively at a local level.
Therefore, decentralisation, the transfer of decisions to grass-roots level, federalism in a
broader sense, and democratic forms of decision- making are not only in accordance with the
principle, but are the realisation of subsidiarity.
To refer to a few current problems: those who, according to the Amsterdam Treaty of
Europe's unification process, support the decentralisation of decisions and strive for a Europe
of Regions, try to put into effect the principle of subsidiarity. Those who in the process of
building the new South Africa make every effort to situate as many areas of responsibility and
decisions as possible at the local and provincial level, also try to realise the principle of
subsidiarity.
5. DEVELOPMENT AND TASK OF CHRISTIAN SOCIAL TEACHING
5.1 Christian Social Teaching is as old as the Church itself
The Church - the community of those who believe in the God of Jesus Christ - received the
commandment from its founder to continue his work of salvation. This implies the Church's
duty to look after social, political and economic issues that are significant for human
salvation, and to proclaim its social teaching. Christian Social Teaching is therefore as old as
29 Lothar Schneider, Subsidiäre Gesellschaft – Erfolgreiche Gesellschaft, Paderborn 3 1990, 31‐37, 35
30 John XXIII, Mater et Magistra (1961), No. 219.
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