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Resource for contextualizing Vatican labor dispute

Posted by (northern CA) on

The news item I pointed out earlier this week (which seemed to need to be taken down) about how staff at the Vatican museums are agitating for better wages and working conditions was misunderstood by some here on the forum who are a bit quick on the draw --
we often lament how it is hard to get the implicit nuances or the sarcasm of a comment in this medium,
but I was still honestly surprised that folks reading the forum might believe that someone would be putting down the Vatican for supporting labor or would think that worker dignity is some kind of communist plot.

Toward encouraging better understanding I would like to recommend Leo XIII's encyclical on the dignity of labor from 1891:

https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum.html

and you might also consider looking up some of the commentary on it as well.

See also Francis's declaration last month on human dignity issues:

https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2024/04/08/240408c.html

A clergyman friend of mine liked to say that

"Capitalism without Christ is cruelty"

Since the Forum often leans anglophilic, you might also enjoy reading relevant essays and speeches by Dorothy Sayers, like so:

https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/why-work/

Do you have similar items you would recommend for reading?

Posted by
2862 posts

@ CD in DC j-- yes it was this story but reported by a different outlet.

The part about the management expecting staff to pay back wages they received during the pandemic is news to me, though.

Posted by
422 posts

I was still honestly surprised that folks reading the forum might believe that someone would be putting down the Vatican for supporting labor or would think that worker dignity is some kind of communist plot.

That was literally what you said. The “nuance” evaded me.

Posted by
8364 posts

Family Guy is an American programme which I have never heard of in the UK. From reading Wikipedia I am unclear what that has to do with a Labour dispute, other than attempting to respond to @Camborne- like me he may not have noticed your original post on this matter.

I am very surprised that 3 years and more on any employer (the Vatican or otherwise) would be trying to recover money paid during Covid. Whether or not there are furlough provisions in Italian law (I thought that the Vatican came under Italian Law) if money was paid then when employees were paid not to work (through no fault of their own), that has been paid- as a Christian organisation that was the right thing to do at that point in time and should be honoured now.

It is unclear if the Vatican is trying to recover that from just these 49 people (from the provided article), or all 700 employees.

And yes, I agree that treating it's employees fairly and equitably should be a core part of the behaviour of any Christian organisation of any denomination.

Posted by
8027 posts

treating it's employees fairly and equitably should be a core part of the behaviour of any Christian organisation of any denomination

… actually, that goes for any employer. Would employees have to pay something back, with interest as well?

BTW, avi, you’re seven Forum entries from getting an orange star - keep it up!

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