CSDC 336

The Church's social doctrine considers the freedom of the person in economic matters a fundamental value and an inalienable right to be promoted and defended. “Everyone has the right to economic initiative; everyone should make legitimate use of his talents to contribute to the abundance that will benefit all, and to harvest the just fruits of his labour”.⁷⁰² Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2429; cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 63: AAS 58AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 58 (1966) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (1966), 1084-1085; John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 48: AAS 83AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 83 (1991) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (1991), 852-854; John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 15: AAS 80AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 80 (1988) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (1988), 528-530; John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Laborem Exercens, 17: AAS 73AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 73 (1981) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (1981), 620-622; John XXIII, Encyclical Letter Mater et Magistra: AAS 53AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 53 (1961) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (1961), 413-415. This teaching warns against the negative consequences that would arise from weakening or denying the right of economic initiative: “Experience shows us that the denial of this right, or its limitation in the name of an alleged ‘equality' of everyone in society, diminishes, or in practice absolutely destroys the spirit of initiative, that is to say the creative subjectivity of the citizen”.⁷⁰³ John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 15: AAS 80AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 80 (1988) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (1988), 529; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2429. From this perspective, free and responsible initiative in the economic sphere can also be defined as an act that reveals the humanity of men and women as creative and relational subjects. Such initiative, then, should be given ample leeway. The State has the moral obligation to enforce strict limitations only in cases of incompatibility between the pursuit of common good and the type of economic activity proposed or the way it is undertaken.⁷⁰⁴ Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 16: AAS 83AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 83 (1991) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (1991), 813-814.