Abstract

The social doctrine of Catholicism was formed during the twentieth century - first as an addition to moral theology, and then acquired a certain autonomy, enriched with continuous, organic and systematic reflection on new and complex social problems. The most important point in the development of social doctrine is that it, being a doctrinal corps, with a stable theological basis, is not confined to a closed theological system, but proves its adaptability to the evolution of society, depending on the situation in the world and the human ability to respond to new problems and time calls It stems from the impartial consideration of the social documents of all the Pontiffs - from Leo XII to John Paul II - and becomes even more evident from the Second Vatican Council. So, in order to understand the historical development of social doctrine, it is necessary to understand the socio-cultural context of each document, to consider the economic, social, political and cultural conditions in which they were formed and applied.