Belgica, Raymond Joseph E.

3HR1 Pope Leo XIII: Reaction Paper 4/24/18

A Reaction to the Rerum Novarum Lecture Series

Labor has remained and will remain the same. Its concepts will remain unchanged in the
same manner that the leverage of capital over labor will continue to exist, especially in the
vernacular setting. This, among others, is the main reason why Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum
remains relevant until today. The seemingly infinite improvement of technology will continue to
lengthen the list of reasons why the philosophies, teachings, and principles enlisted in the
distinguished encyclical must be cohered upon by both labor and capital.

The annual teaching series of the Rerum Novarum has always been an eye-opener as to
how the conditions of labor remains unchanged despite the large stint of time that elapsed over
the years. This year’s session was a refresher of how the encyclical came about, and it gave a
silhouette of the courage that Leo XIII had to write the catholic piece despite the intensity of
secularism back then. The improvements of technology in the past, such as coal and steam
engines, is not far from what the technological improvements are today, like artificial intelligence
(AI) and automation. With these innovations taking over the business industry, it is more likely to
happen that employers are to use these technological advancements to their advantage and see
it as an opportunity to need less of actual, human labor. Yet, being as an inherent right, the right
to labor and just wage cannot be taken away from laborers that easily. Hence, the issue of
communism and liberalism arises therefrom.

Nevertheless, this year’s talk was clear: we cannot have an inherent a right unless we act
on it. The right to labor, just as how the other universal human rights are, is a right that needs
action. Unless both capital and labor recognize this right and act upon it, there will definitely be
chaos that will arise, and today’s local issues of contractualization is no exception. Leo XIII’s
encyclical, if only made known to all of labor and capital, will be a binding factor that will put an
end to the chaos between two parties and will uphold peace and harmony not only between them,
but also in the mechanisms of the economy and consequently contribute to the health of a nation.

All things considered, the principles and teachings enclosed in the Rerum Novarum are
things that I should learn about prior to entering the industry. Being as a Human Resource (HR)
practitioner in the future who is considered to be the alter ego of the employer, it is incumbent
upon me to base my critical decisions from these encyclical concepts and share it to my superiors.
As someone who vouches for the concept of being an employee champion, the recognition of
these principles should start from myself.