The Moral Economy: What Catholic Social Teaching Says About Inequality in the Global Market
The Moral Economy: What Catholic Social Teaching Says About Inequality in the Global Market Economic inequality has become one of the defining questions of the modern global economy. While technological progress and international trade have generated unprecedented wealth in many societies, large segments of the population continue to struggle with poverty, precarious employment, and unequal access to resources. The Catholic Church has reflected on these realities for more than a century through its rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching. Rather than offering technical economic models, the Church proposes moral principles that help societies evaluate whether economic systems truly serve the dignity of the human person and the common good. This reflection explores the idea of a “moral economy” through the lens of key Church documents such as Rerum Novarum (1891) by Pope Leo XIII, Quadragesimo Anno (1931) by Pope Pius XI, Caritas in Veritate (2009) by Pope Benedict XVI, and...
