Bezrobocie wyzwaniem duszpasterskim dla Kościoła w Polsce

Abstract

The phenomenon of unemployment has become one of the main problems at the break of the Century almost all over the world. After 1989 in Poland it has assumed the dimensions ot social disaster. Nobody may be indifferent towards this phenomenon, its dimensions and consequences in the life of individuate, families and the society. Struggle against unemployment and counteracting its consequences belong to the basic duties of the state: the parliament, the government and the institutions that have been established for this goal. The mission of the Church does not consist in reforming the economy or creating new jobs. However, the Church may not remain indifferent towards the suffering of so many millions of people, of so many families affected by unemployment. It has to approach the contemporary world with the light of teaching based on Revelation, about man’s dignity, about the value of man’s work, about the need of social justice and solidarity of people. At the same time it has to give as much of its attention as possible to the drama of unemployment, giving actual aid to people affected by it. It has to work out a definite conception of pastorate for the unemployed and forms of the pastorate that will correspond to it. The Church’s social teaching, especially John Paul II’s documents and pronouncements of the Polish Episcopate of the recent years devoted to the problem of unemployment contain a moral evaluation of this painful phenomenon and they show the need of various forms of care of people and families affected by it. Pastorate of the unemployed is becoming one of the Church’s basic tasks in contemporary Poland. It activates both lay people and the clergy. It expresses the Church’s preferential option for the poor and fulfills its fundamental function, that is caritas.