As the popes developed the concept of the Civilization of Love, they used criteria from Catholic social doctrine. Pope Leo brings these together as the dignity of the person, the common good, the universal destination of goods, subsidiarity, solidarity, and justice.
The first, the dignity of every human person, is the basic value mentioned by all the popes since Vatican II. They proclaim that no one is expendable. No one should be judged by utility. All are beloved, whether they are Christian or not.
The popes usually begin with the dignity of persons and end with a call to work for the common good. They seem to be deliberately countering trickle-down theories that argue operating by self-interest ultimately serves the common good. Instead, they argue that love enables us to work with others, even those with different perspectives, to provide what all people need right now.
The universal destination of all goods might be the most radical standard because it challenges how capitalism is practiced today. It argues that all is a gift from God, who intends it to be used to satisfy everyone’s needs. When an individual or group accumulates great wealth, they are stealing from others. This standard prioritizes cooperation rather than competition.
Solidarity is the keystone of a civilization of love. It promotes an empathy that unites all people. Some popes talk about it as opposing a culture of power that divides people so the strong can control, manipulate, and use the weak. In contrast, the Church looks at things from the perspective of the needy.
Perhaps the hardest criterion to understand is subsidiarity. It calls for working from the bottom up rather than the top down, causing some to think it denies the traditional role of the papacy. The idea prioritizes the local level, much as environmentalists do when they say to think globally but work locally. All the popes regard the family as the model for other social institutions. More recent ones claim love can take different forms in different situations, times, and places. A civilization of love appreciates this diversity.
The final standard is justice, which picks up the pieces and puts them together. Justice here is more than fairness. It makes sure everyone receives what is due them.
The popes believe these are the forms love takes in an institutional setting. When the Church acknowledges them, she finds that one of her primary functions is to speak for the vulnerable among us.
