Just as Pope Paul VI’s controversial encyclical of 1968 – “Humanae Vitae” – foretold the demographic collapse now besetting much of the world, so his landmark “Populorum Progressio: On the Development of Peoples” has proven prophetic since its publication in 1967.
It opens with this lapidary appeal to the consciences of men and women everywhere: “The hungry nations of the world cry out to the peoples blessed with abundance.”
Urging a profound rethinking of the meaning of progress and how best to approach international development, he called on all nations – not just the predominantly Catholic ones – to pool their ideas and resources to tackle the world’s most pressing socio-economic challenges.
Six decades later, this message is resonating not only in the West but, importantly, in the nations of the Global South.
The Pope reminds us that the exaltation of individualism – even if intended to further liberty and prosperity – can create socio-political disequilibria that undermine the wealth of nations and the common good.
He anticipates the negative consequences of unrestrained capital mobility, the “offshoring” of exploitative 19th-century labor practices – from horrific working conditions to low wages to child labor to zero-bargaining power – and the temptation to resort to authoritarian methods to preserve power and “keep the good times rolling.”
The strength of the document is its appeal to all political systems that place a high value on human progress and the alleviation of poverty. Western policymakers, including US foreign aid and development professionals, could well benefit from taking its lessons into account – including an understanding that morality is not ipso facto the handmaiden of prosperity.
If “Populorum Progressio” remains relevant nearly 60 years on, it is because rising income inequality between rich and poor nations remains a lamentable reality.
The document highlights the deplorable conditions in many countries of Africa and Asia (emerging from colonial rule when the document was written) and notes that so many are “trying to escape the ravages of hunger, poverty, and ignorance” even as the West wallows in comparative wealth.
Paul VI predicts that if socio-political and economic structures are not reformed, there will be “public upheavals, civil insurrection and the drift toward totalitarian ideologies.”
Building on Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical “Rerum Novarum,” which drew attention to the horrendous conditions of the working class at the height of the Industrial Revolution, “Populorum Progressio” lays out principles that countries on both sides of the development equation must keep in mind if poorer countries are to transition out of colonial structures and enter the community of free nations on a more equal footing.
If France had internalized the document’s message, she would not now be on a fast track out of the Sahel.
To be sure, the Pope wholeheartedly endorses free enterprise and private property – when they embody a just ordering of material resources, time and money. In his view, any economic activity is good if it is consistent with human dignity and the common good. Productive labor gives rise to creative thinking, deep personal growth, development of talents and virtues, and enables people to support families.
By the same token, “Populorum Progressio” warns humanity – and, one might add, today’s policymakers – against what the Pope calls “unbridled liberalism,” a form of economic “libertinism” which is destructive of human dignity and fraternity, and undermines the common good liberal economics are supposed to fortify.
The Pope describes “unbridled liberalism,” a.k.a “neoliberalism,” as “the unrestrained quest for profits without limit, free competition as the sole guiding principle of economics and private ownership as an absolute right, having no limits or concomitant social obligations.”
“This unbridled liberalism,” the Pope says, “paves the way for a particular type of tyranny [that] results in the ‘international imperialism of money.’ Such improper manipulations of economic forces can never be condemned enough; let it be said once again that economics is supposed to be in the service of man” and not the other way around.
The Pope, it would seem, wanted to warn us that “unbridled liberalism” flirts with redefining inequality as virtuous because impersonal market forces, or so the argument goes, guarantee that individuals receive what they deserve in accordance with their intelligence and capabilities.
This justifies predatory economic relationships, wars and forced migration because in the long run everything will turn out just fine, at least for those in great affluence.
Full-bodied humanism
To better help poorer countries flourish, the Pope calls for a “full-bodied humanism,” a holistic approach to development that takes into account the transcendental nature of man. This could serve as an antidote to a neoliberal economic mindset all too prone to exacerbating relations between the West and the Global South – often to the detriment of both.
“Populorum Progressio” recognizes that a narrowly construed humanism, shut in on itself and not open to the values of the spirit, might achieve some limited success, “but closed off from God and other realities, a narrow materialistic understanding of economics ends up directed against man and becomes inhuman.”
The Pope saw relations between peoples and nations as much more than a collection of buyers and sellers in a free market engaged in a series of cold transactions. He points out that “the injustice of certain situations cries out for God’s attention. Lacking the bare necessities of life, whole nations are under the thumb of others; they cannot act on their own initiative; they cannot exercise personal responsibility; they cannot work toward a higher degree of cultural refinement or a greater participation in social and public life.”
This sad state of affairs, it would seem, is a consequence of the quiet collusion of power brokers in rich and poor countries.
The Pope takes aim at “the principle of free trade [which] works when both parties are about equal economically; but the case is quite different when the nations involved are far from equal. Market prices that are freely agreed upon can turn out to be most unfair. It must be avowed openly that, in this case, the fundamental tenet of liberalism, as the norm for market dealings, is open to serious question.”
Fans of “unbridled liberalism” will doubtless gag on these words, as would its shrinking pool of cheerleaders in the Global South.
The Pope reminds “the rich nations” of their duties: “1) mutual solidarity – the aid that the richer nations must give to developing nations; 2) social justice – the rectification of trade relations between strong and weak nations; 3) universal charity – the efforts to build a more humane world community and where the progress of some is not bought at the expense of others.” The Pope adds that “this matter is urgent for the future of world civilization depends on it.”
What exactly does this mean? “Development programs designed to increase productivity should have but one aim: to serve human nature, free men from the bonds of servitude, thus giving them the capacity, in the sphere of temporal realities, to improve their lot, to further their moral growth and to develop their spiritual endowments.”
The Pope cuts to the chase: “superfluous wealth ought to be placed at the disposal of poorer nations;” “genuine progress does not consist in wealth sought for personal comfort;” “continuing avarice will arouse the wrath of the poor with consequences no one can foresee. If prosperous nations continue to be jealous of their own advantage alone, they will jeopardize their highest values, sacrificing the pursuit of excellence to the acquisition of possessions.”
In other words, foreign aid and the international rules-based order must serve the common good of all nations.
The intervention of Togo’s Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, last year in the United Nation’s General Assembly reflected some of the consternation the encyclical foretells:
“Africa needs a partnership that respects the strict dignity of everyone. We want to be your partners, not your subjects. We want to serve our people, not foreign interests. This new dynamic is not directed against anyone. It is the expression of a new Africa, an African-speaking Africa, one that wants to be free, sovereign, independent, and in control of its destiny.
“We are tired of your paternalism. We are tired of your disregard for our public opinions, your disregard for our populations and leaders. We are tired of your condescension and arrogance. Let’s work together in mutual respect for a bright future for Africa and the world.”
It’s high time for Western policymakers and foreign policy mandarins to reformulate their economic engagement strategies with countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America. In doing so, they could do worse than to devote a few minutes to reading “Populorum Progressio” and reflecting on its richness.
