You Won t Believe the Surprising Role of Popes in Social Reform, From Unmasking the Vatican

In the years afterwards, Popes have used papal encyclicals to speak out on a variety of issues ranging from poverty and war to contraception and abortion. papal encyclicals are an important component of the Catholic Church's social teaching, shaping our perspective of the world around us. The encyclical prompted a debate within the Church over the papacy's role in social and political matters. Leo contended that the new economic system was unfair and unjust, and he advocated for broad reforms to defend workers' rights.