CSDC 340

The social doctrine of the Church recognizes the proper role of profit as the first indicator that a business is functioning well: “when a firm makes a profit, this means that productive factors have been properly employed”.⁷⁰⁹ John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 35 AAS 83AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 83 (1991) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (1991), 837. But this does not cloud her awareness of the fact that a business may show a profit while not properly serving society.⁷¹⁰ Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2424. For example, “it is possible for the financial accounts to be in order, and yet for the people — who make up the firm's most valuable asset — to be humiliated and their dignity offended”.⁷¹¹ John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 35: AAS 83AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 83 (1991) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (1991), 837. This is what happens when businesses are part of social and cultural systems marked by the exploitation of people, tending to avoid the obligations of social justice and to violate the rights of workers. It is essential that within a business the legitimate pursuit of profit should be in harmony with the irrenounceable protection of the dignity of the people who work at different levels in the same company. These two goals are not in the least contrary to one another, since, on the one hand, it would not be realistic to try to guarantee the firm's future without the production of useful goods and services and without making a profit, which is the fruit of the economic activity undertaken. On the other hand, allowing workers to develop themselves fosters increased productivity and efficiency in the very work undertaken. A business enterprise must be a community of solidarity,⁷¹² Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 43: AAS 83AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 83 (1991) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (1991), 846-848. that is not closed within its own company interests. It must move in the direction of a “social ecology” ⁷¹³ John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 38: AAS 83AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 83 (1991) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (1991), 841. of work and contribute to the common good also by protecting the natural environment.