USCCB issues Labor Day statement

 

Labor Day Statement 2025

Most Reverend Borys Gudziak 
Archbishop of Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia 
Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

September 1, 2025

Labor Day Statement: Promoting The Dignity of Workers in the Rise of AI

Each Labor Day, Americans reflect on the sacred dignity of work and those who perform it. All are seeing the rise of artificial intelligence in our lives – at home and at work. People wonder what impact AI will have on their jobs or those of loved ones. While technological advances offer great promises, as followers of Christ, we believe that technology should enrich the sacredness and dignity of human labor. 

From the beginning, Scripture tells us that God placed humans in the garden to “cultivate and care for it” (Gn. 2:15). Ever since, work has been a form of continued participation in God’s creation. AI can be a tool to enhance our work, making it more efficient and creative. To offer one example from healthcare, AI could very well aid in the important development of vaccines, medicines, and even the diagnosis of disease. Yet this should never happen at the expense of human dignity.   In patient care, there is a risk that AI could attempt to replace human compassion or supplant human expertise in medical evaluation. In many industries, a number of workers could lose their jobs, impacting families and communities.  Such scenarios will need to be carefully considered in virtually every sector of the economy. 

Pope Leo XIV has underscored this priority. He has encouraged people to approach AI with “responsibility and discernment,” ensuring it serves the common good and benefits all people. History warns us of the consequences when rapid technological advances are used without ethical discernment. In Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII cautioned that the Industrial Revolution led to a troubling gap in wealth and power, deepening inequality and fueling social instability. Today, as we experience an “AI revolution,” we must learn from the past. Indeed, this is one of the very reasons our Holy Father chose the name Leo XIV.

In many industries, current approaches to AI are already reshaping the world of work. The Holy See’s document on AI, Antiqua et Nova, highlights two threats AI poses to the dignity of labor. First, AI can “deskill” workers, reducing them to rigid and repetitive tasks and eroding their ability to carry out creative or complex work independently. Second, AI can displace workers altogether. These risks touch every level of employment—from customer service workers and young people seeking entry-level jobs to knowledge-based professionals in white-collar roles. Given AI’s potential to transform entire sectors of the economy, now is the time for deeper dialogue between workers and decision makers to discern common causes and shared solutions.

My brother bishops and I are particularly mindful those among us who are already vulnerable—immigrant workers, farm laborers, low-wage earners, and young people—who often suffer the greatest effects of economic disruptions. Catholics should insist that the benefits of emerging technology are shared equitably. Workers themselves—especially through labor unions and worker centers—should be included in the business and policy decisions that will shape the world of work going forward.  Wealth and power should not become concentrated in the hands of a privileged few, leaving others excluded or discarded.

We must advocate for the responsible use of technology, robust protection for those vulnerable to exploitation, a social safety net that allows people to avoid the cycle of poverty, and fair treatment of all workers.  The government should address the challenges of AI with a sound legal and regulatory framework.

As we celebrate this Labor Day, let us turn in prayer to Saint Joseph the Worker, the humble carpenter who modeled dignity, diligence, and care through his daily labor and love of family. Through his intercession, may we protect the rights of all workers, advocate courageously for the vulnerable, and ensure that technological progress always honors the sacredness of human work. 

Let us commit ourselves, through prayer and action, to building a future in which every worker finds dignity, security, and purpose. Saint Joseph the Worker, pray for us!

Pope Leo XIV addresses the College of Cardinals

 

Pope Leo XIV meets with cardinals   (@Vatican Media)

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• Pope Leo XIII
• Pope Francis
• cardinals

Pope Leo XIV to Cardinals: Church must respond to digital revolution

In his first address to the College of Cardinals, Pope Leo XIV invokes the legacy of both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIII, saying that he wants the Church to "respond to a new industrial revolution and to the development of artificial intelligence."

By Francesca Merlo

In his first formal address to the College of Cardinals following his election, Pope Leo XIV has revealed the inspiration behind the name he chose - one which, in his own words, echoes the Church’s enduring commitment to human dignity and social justice.

“Pope Leo XIII, with the historic Encyclical Rerum novarum, addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution,” Pope Leo recalled. “Today, the Church offers to all her treasure of social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and the developments of artificial intelligence.” A name, then, not only rooted in tradition, but one that looks firmly ahead to the challenges of a rapidly changing world and the perennial call to protect those most vulnerable within it.

Addressing the Cardinals, whom he called the “closest collaborators of the Pope," on Saturday, Pope Leo XIV delivered his first official address as the Successor of Peter, expressing heartfelt gratitude and an awareness of the immense responsibility now entrusted to him. “This yoke,” he said, “is clearly far beyond my strength - as it would be for anyone.” 

Pope Leo noted that the days that preceded his election had been marked by mourning, as the Church bid farewell to Pope Francis. Recognising the emotional weight of that farewell, the Pope described the death of the beloved Pope Francis and the subsequent Conclave as “a paschal event,” one enveloped in the light of the Resurrection.

The new Bishop of Rome paid tribute to his predecessor, remembering Pope Francis’ simplicity, his radical dedication to service, and his peaceful return to the Father’s House. “Let us treasure this precious legacy and resume our journey,” he said, “animated by the same hope that comes from faith.”

The Holy Father reminded those gathered of the quiet yet powerful presence of the Risen Christ - “not in the roar of thunder and earthquake,” but in “the whisper of a gentle breeze.” It is in this stillness, he said, that we encounter God most intimately, and it is this encounter that must guide the Church in her mission today.

Pope Leo then went on to speak of the Church as both “womb” and “flock,” as “field” and “temple,” and he praised the unity shown by the faithful in the days of mourning, describing it as having “revealed the true greatness of the Church.”

Looking ahead to the future, Pope Leo XIV reiterated the path set in motion by the Second Vatican Council, a path renewed and reinterpreted under Pope Francis. He highlighted key themes from Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium: the primacy of Christ, synodality, the sensus fidei (the supernatural "sense" of the faithful), popular piety, care for the poor, and courageous engagement with the world.

“These are Gospel principles through which the merciful face of the Father has been revealed and continues to be revealed in the Son made man,” said Pope Leo.

Bringing his discourse to a close, Pope Leo XIV called his brother Cardinals and the wider Church to continue along this path with “prayer and commitment.” Finally, he quoted Saint Paul VI, at the dawn of his own pontificate, praying that “a great flame of faith and love” may once again spread across the world, lighting the way for all people of good will.

Pope Leo XIV recalls Pope Leo XIII and the important social justice encyclical Rerum Novarum

 

Rerum Novarum Summary

 

by CAPP-USA

Rerum Novarum ushered Catholic social teaching into the modern age.

On Capital and Labor

Rerum Novarum serves as the cornerstone of modern Catholic social teaching.

Issued by Pope Leo XIII on May 15, 1891, it was groundbreaking in addressing the struggles of the working class and societal challenges during the Industrial Revolution.

The document explores the tensions between labor and capital, criticizing both socialism and unregulated capitalism while advocating for a just society founded on Christian principles.

Historical Context

The encyclical arose during a period of profound upheaval. Radical changes were taking place in politics, economics and society.

The Industrial Revolution was at its height. Major dislocations of pastoral people to squalid industrial centers disrupted the way of life millions had known for generations. Mass migrations from Europe were splitting families. Workers endured grueling hours, meager wages, and hazardous conditions, while a small elite accumulated vast wealth.

At the same time, socialist movements were gaining momentum, advocating for drastic measures such as the abolition of private property. The writings of Karl Marx had taken root in widespread communist movements. “A traditional society was passing away and another beginning to be formed – one which brought the hope of new freedoms but also the threat of new forms of injustice and servitude.” (Pope St. John Paul II, 4)

At the height of this clash Pope Leo XIII interceded. In his landmark encyclical of 1891, Rerum Novarum, the Pope, and the Church with him, confronted a society torn by dispute and addressed it in pointed terms.

Pope Leo XIII provided a balanced, moral vision that rejected extreme ideologies and emphasized the protection of human dignity.

Key Themes and Messages

THE DIGNITY OF WORK AND WORKERS

Pope Leo XIII upholds work as both honorable and essential to human life. He asserts that earning a living through labor carries no shame, citing Jesus Christ: “Is He not the carpenter, the son of Mary?” (Rerum Novarum, 23)

The encyclical stresses that all workers, regardless of social status, deserve respect and fair treatment. It calls for an end to exploitation and the unjust hardships placed upon the working class, denouncing “the misery and wretchedness pressing so unjustly on the majority of the working classes”. (Rerum Novarum, 3)

In his landmark encyclical of 1891, Rerum Novarum, the Pope, and the Church with him, confronted a society torn by dispute and addressed it in pointed terms.

THE ROLE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY

Pope Leo XIII firmly upholds private property as a natural right, grounded in both human nature and divine law.

He asserts that individuals have the right to own property as a means of securing their livelihood and providing for their families. As he declares, “The first and most fundamental principle, therefore, if one would undertake to alleviate the condition of the masses, must be the inviolability of private property”. (Rerum Novarum, 15)

The encyclical rejects socialism, which seeks to abolish private property and transfer ownership to the state, calling it “emphatically unjust.” Such a system, he argues, undermines personal freedom, distorts the proper role of the state, and leads to societal disorder. “Socialists, therefore, by endeavoring to transfer the possessions of individuals to the community at large, strike at the interests of every wage-earner… the remedy they propose is manifestly against justice”. (Rerum Novarum, 5, 6)

RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF CAPITAL AND LABOR

Employers and workers share mutual responsibilities, each owing to the other fairness and respect.

Employers must pay a just wage—“Wages ought not to be insufficient to support a frugal and well-behaved wage-earner” (Rerum Novarum, 45)—and ensure safe working conditions. Exploitation is condemned as a grave sin: “To defraud any one of wages that are his due is a great crime which cries to the avenging anger of Heaven”. (Rerum Novarum, 20)

Workers, in turn, are called to fulfill their duties with diligence and respect their employers’ property: “Those who labor… should employ their skill and strength faithfully”. (Rerum Novarum, 20)

The encyclical rejects unrestricted capitalism, warning that the pursuit of profit alone leads to worker exploitation. Instead, it advocates for a balanced approach where labor and capital work together for the common good.

THE RIGHT TO FORM UNIONS

Pope Leo XIII affirms workers’ right to form associations or unions to safeguard their interests. These organizations are seen as both a natural expression of human freedom and a practical means of securing fair wages and working conditions.

“Private societies… cannot be prohibited by the State… To enter into a society of this kind is the natural right of man”. (Rerum Novarum, 51)

He contrasts these voluntary associations with state-controlled systems, emphasizing that unions should remain independent and responsive to local needs. As he states, “Such associations should be adapted to the requirements of this our age—an age of wider education, of different habits, and of far more numerous requirements in daily life”. (Rerum Novarum, 49)

THE ROLE OF THE STATE

The state has a fundamental duty to uphold justice and protect the rights of all citizens, especially the poor and vulnerable. “Whenever the general interest or any particular class suffers, or is threatened with harm, which can in no way be met or prevented, the public authority must step in and deal with it.” (Rerum Novarum, 36)

However, its role has limits. The state must not overreach by stripping individuals and communities of their rightful responsibilities or freedoms, such as private property. “The State must not absorb the individual or the family; both should be allowed free and untrammeled action so far as is consistent with the common good”. (Rerum Novarum, 35)

Government intervention is justified when necessary—to ensure fair wages, regulate working hours, and safeguard public welfare—but it must follow the principle of subsidiarity, allowing smaller groups to handle matters they are capable of managing.

THE CHURCH’S ROLE

Pope Leo XIII’s letter began the modern systematization of the Church’s reflection on social issues, which had been ongoing for millennia.

In a sense Pope Leo XIII’s letter claimed the Church’s “citizenship status”. The Church recognized her right and duty to address the changing realities of public life and to suggest genuine solutions. “In the face of a conflict which set man against man” Pope Leo XIII, for the first time, both established and firmly defended the Church’s moral authority to promote justice in public life and, by so doing, “created a lasting paradigm for the Church”. (Pope St. John Paul II, 5)

“Leo’s Encyclical has proved itself the Magna Charta upon which all Christian activity in the social field ought to be based, as on a foundation.” (Pope Pius XI, 39)

The Church plays a crucial role in addressing social issues by teaching moral truths, fostering charity, and supporting organizations that aid the needy. 

Pope Leo XIII emphasizes the Church’s long history of caring for the poor and criticizes efforts to replace its charitable works with state-run welfare systems. He argues that true charity is rooted in faith and love and “no human expedients will ever make up for the devotedness and self sacrifice of Christian charity”. (Rerum Novarum, 30)

He warns that human attempts to resolve class conflicts will ultimately fail without the guidance of Christian principles.

REJECTION OF SOCIALISM

Socialism presents a false solution that ultimately harms those it claims to help. By abolishing private property and concentrating power in the state, it violates natural rights and disrupts social order.

It distorts society: “The Socialists… in attempting to seize all property and bring it under State control, distort the functions of the State, and bring utter confusion to the community”. (Rerum Novarum, 4)

Indeed, “neither justice nor the common good allows any individual to seize upon that which belongs to another, or, under the futile and shallow pretext of equality, to lay violent hands on other people’s possessions”. (Rerum Novarum, 38)

Socialism breeds discord: “The door would be thrown open to envy, to mutual invective, and to discord…the sources of wealth themselves would run dry”. (Rerum Novarum, 15)

Rather than embracing socialism, Pope Leo XIII advocates for reforms that uphold private property, individual freedom, and human dignity as the foundations of a just society.

“The law, therefore, should favor ownership, and its policy should be to induce as many as possible of the people to become owners.” (Rerum Novarum, 46)

A CALL FOR COLLABORATION

Pope Leo XIII calls on all sectors of society—workers, employers, the state, and the Church—to unite in fostering justice and reducing class conflict. He envisions a society built on mutual respect, fair policies, and a shared commitment to the common good.

He emphasizes the interdependence of labor and capital: “Capital cannot do without labor, nor labor without capital… their mutual harmony is the result aimed at”. Rejecting the idea of inevitable class struggle, he asserts: “The great mistake… is to take up with the notion that class is naturally hostile to class… the exact contrary is the truth”. (Rerum Novarum, 19)

Through cooperation and justice, true social harmony can be achieved.

Pope Leo XIII provided a balanced, moral vision that rejected extreme ideologies and emphasized the protection of human dignity.

Key Solutions Proposed

Just Wages – Wages should be sufficient to support a worker and their family, not just bare survival. A wage sufficient “to support a frugal and well-behaved wage-earner” are called for. (Rerum Novarum, 45)

Worker Associations – Unions and trade groups should be encouraged to give workers a collective voice. “The most important of all are workingmen’s unions… such associations should be multiplied and suited to the times”. (Rerum Novarum, 49)

Limited Work Hours – Excessive working hours damage workers’ health and family life, so limits should be set. “It is neither just nor human so to grind men down with excessive labor as to stupefy their minds and wear out their bodies”. (Rerum Novarum, 42)

Protection for the Vulnerable – Special consideration should be given to women and children in the workplace. “Women… are not suited for certain occupations… children should not be permitted to labor before their strength is equal to the burden”. (Rerum Novarum, 42)

Charity and Solidarity – The wealthy, along with the Church, should actively support the poor. “The rich should… share their superfluous wealth with the poor… as a duty not of justice (save in extreme cases), but of Christian charity”. (Rerum Novarum, 22)

Why It Matters Today

Rerum Novarum remains highly relevant, addressing enduring issues of economic inequality, workers’ rights, and the balance between individual freedom and collective responsibility.

This encyclical speaks to modern challenges such as wage gaps, job security, and the ethical concerns surrounding capitalism. It offers a balanced alternative to both laissez-faire economics and socialism, prioritizing human dignity over profit or ideological extremes.

Its principles have inspired global social justice movements and continue to inform discussions on ethical economics. It laid the groundwork for Catholic social teaching, influencing later encyclicals like Quadragesimo Anno (1931) and Centesimus Annus (1991).

Whether you’re a worker, employer, or policymaker, Rerum Novarum serves as a moral compass for creating a fairer, more just society.

For the full text, visit Rerum Novarum to explore Pope Leo XIII’s words directly.

In time for Labor Day: Key Church Documents that deal with social justice and the rights of workers

 

Six Key Church Documents Addressing Labor

Catholic principles of social justice are as old as the Gospel and the Church itself. Catholic social teaching on the rights of workers, and specifically on their right to organize in labor unions, has been clear, consistent, and explicit for more than a century. These six documents are required reading for anyone who wishes to understand Catholic social teaching on labor.

1. Rerum Novarum, 1891

This encyclical letter by Pope Leo XIII is often considered the founding document of modern Catholic social teaching. Alarmed that industrialization and laissez-faire economics were becoming the occasion of great injustice and misery for the working classes, the Holy Father called on the faithful to “save unfortunate working people from the cruelty of men of greed, who use human beings as mere instruments for money-making. It is neither just nor human so to grind men down with excessive labor as to stupefy their minds and wear out their bodies (42).” Leo argued that the worker’s right to a living wage took precedence over the free market. “Wages, as we are told, are regulated by free consent… nevertheless, there underlies a dictate of natural justice more imperious and ancient than any bargain between man and man, namely, that wages ought not to be insufficient to support a frugal and well-behaved wage-earner. If through necessity or fear of a worse evil the workman accept harder conditions because an employer or contractor will afford him no better, he is made the victim of force and injustice (43,45).” He argued against the laissez-faire ideology, stating that “if employers laid burdens upon their workmen which were unjust, or degraded them with conditions repugnant to their dignity as human beings; finally, if health were endangered by excessive labor, or by work unsuited to sex or age – in such cases, there can be no question but that, within certain limits, it would be right to invoke the aid and authority of the law (36).” He also endorsed the formation of “workingmen’s unions,” arguing that “it were greatly to be desired that they should become more numerous and more efficient (49).”

2. Quadragesimo Anno, 1931

On the fortieth anniversary (quadragesimo anno) of Rerum Novarum, Pope Pius XI reaffirmed and elaborated its teaching. Pius expressed continuing concern about the unjust distribution of wealth, asserting that that “the distribution of created goods, which, as every discerning person knows, is laboring today under the gravest evils due to the huge disparity between the few exceedingly rich and the unnumbered propertyless, must be effectively called back to and brought into conformity with the norms of the common good, that is, social justice (58).” Against those who continued to advocate the laissez-faire state, he insisted that social regulation of the market was essential to justice and the common good. “Just as the unity of human society cannot be founded on an opposition of classes, so also the right ordering of economic life cannot be left to a free competition of forces. For from this source, as from a poisoned spring, have originated and spread all the errors of individualist economic teaching (88).” Finally, the Holy Father explained in some detail the idea of subsidiarity and its application in society. “The supreme authority of the State ought, therefore, to let subordinate groups handle matters and concerns of lesser importance, which would otherwise dissipate its efforts greatly. Thereby the State will more freely, powerfully, and effectively do all those things that belong to it alone because it alone can do them: directing, watching, urging, restraining, as occasion requires and necessity demands. Therefore, those in power should be sure that the more perfectly a graduated order is kept among the various associations, in observance of the principle of “subsidiary function,” the stronger social authority and effectiveness will be the happier and more prosperous the condition of the State (80).”

3. Gaudium Et Spes, 1965

After holy Scripture itself, the statements of an ecumenical council are the most authoritative of all Church documents. The Council declared that the right to form labor unions without fear of retaliation a basic human right. “Among the basic rights of the human person is to be numbered the right of freely founding unions for working people. These should be able truly to represent them and to contribute to the organizing of economic life in the right way. Included is the right of freely taking part in the activity of these unions without risk of reprisal (68).”

4. Laborem Exercens, 1981

On the 90th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, Pope John Paul II revisited the themes laid out by his predecessors, devoting a substantial section of his Encyclical to “The Importance of Unions (20).” The Holy Father observed that “the experience of history teaches that organizations of this type are an indispensable element of social life” and that they serve as “a mouthpiece for the struggle for social justice.” He clarified further the right to strike: “workers should be assured the right to strike, without being subjected to personal penal sanctions for taking part in a strike.”

5. Economic Justice For All, 1986

America’s Catholic Bishops issued this “Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy” to help our nation’s faithful think through the implications of Catholic Social Teaching for our social and economic life. While the world measures economic success in the number of goods produced, the Bishops remind us that Catholic teaching would hold instead “the most urgent priority for domestic economic policy is the creation of new jobs with adequate pay and decent working conditions (136).” They noted that although “Catholic social teaching does not require absolute equality in the distribution of income and wealth” it entailed “a strong presumption against extreme inequality of income and wealth as long as there are poor, hungry, and homeless people in our midst (185).” The Bishops defended the right to organize in the strongest terms, and called for labor law reform to better protect that right. “The Church fully supports the right of workers to form unions or other associations to secure their rights to fair wages and working conditions…. No one may deny the right to organize without attacking human dignity itself. Therefore, we firmly oppose organized efforts, such as those regrettably now seen in this country, to break existing unions and prevent workers from organizing. Migrant agricultural workers today are particularly in need of protection, including the right to organize and bargain collectively. U.S. labor law reform is needed to meet these problems as well as to provide more timely and effective remedies for unfair labor practices (105).” Nor did the bishops exempt the Church from these obligations of social justice. “On the parish and diocesan level, through its agencies and institutions, the Church employs many people; it has investments; it has extensive properties for worship and mission. All the moral principles that govern the just operation of any economic endeavor apply to the Church and its agencies and institutions; indeed the Church should be exemplary… We bishops commit ourselves to the principle that those who serve the Church—laity, clergy, and religious—should receive a sufficient livelihood and the social benefits provided by responsible employers in our nation…. All church institutions must also fully recognize the rights of employees to organize and bargain collectively with the institution through whatever association or organization they freely choose. (347, 351, 353)”

6. Caritas in Veritate, 2009

Catholic thinkers in the United States (seldom elsewhere in Christendom) who oppose labor unions can frequently be heard asserting that Church teaching on unions applied only to the conditions at the start of the industrial revolution. In his Encyclical letter Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI addressed this error directly. “Through the combination of social and economic change, trade union organizations experience greater difficulty in carrying out their task of representing the interests of workers, partly because Governments, for reasons of economic utility, often limit the freedom or the negotiating capacity of labour unions. Hence traditional networks of solidarity have more and more obstacles to overcome. The repeated calls issued within the Church’s social doctrine, beginning with Rerum Novarum, for the promotion of workers’ associations that can defend their rights must therefore be honoured today even more than in the past (25).”

— Clayton Sinyai, Catholic Labor Network