Catholic Involvment in the Labor Movement
This section focuses on resources relating to the involvement of the Catholic Church and individuals in the labor movement in the early to mid 20th century. The Church had sought ways to alleviate the physical needs of its parishoners, as well as Americans in general, for decades prior to the 1930s. This support was given particular strength in 1891 when Pope Leo XIII issued Rerum Novarum, which affirmed the rights of the working class. Pope Pius XI increased the Church's support by issuing Quadragesimo Anno in 1931, which not only reaffirmed the rights of the working class, but also sought to eliminate class conflict. Throughout the early 20th century, Church leaders at the local, state, and national level would attempt to find solutions to labor problems through various means and with varying degrees of success.