Agrarian reform within the context of the Church's social doctrine: perspectives of the Social Doctrine of the Church on private property

Abstract

This paper examines two interrelated concepts— the right to property and agrarian reform—within the theoretical framework of the Catholic Church’s social doctrine. Seeking to answer two key questions—what private property means within this line of thought and how agrarian reform is perceived—this study finds in the documents of the Roman Catholic Magisterium a deep sympathy for both agrarian reform and private property. What may initially seem paradoxical is ultimately understood as logical and coherent by the end of this work. The research not only identifies the Roman Magisterium’s support for agrarian reform but also outlines general proposals on how to implement and sustain it. This aligns with the social doctrine’s understanding of property, which perceives it as a relative and conditioned right.