Catholic Social Teaching and the Development of Nations: The Case of the Democratic Republic of Congo

This book addresses Catholic Social Teaching’s questions. First, what the Church teaches about the economic development of nations; second, how these teachings can be applied to the case of the DRC; third, how this application works. The Church teaches about economic development through moral principles of the universal destination of goods and solidarity. With regard to the universal destination of goods, the Church teaches that all the goods of the earth, especially the new goods, which are technological and scientific knowledge, have to be shared fairly with all nations (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 179). With solidarity, the Church suggests international cooperation among nations for development (Compendium, 446). These teachings can be applied to the case of the DRC, which is a poor country in need of technological knowledge to develop its natural resources to encourage economic and integral development. Education could make this project happen. Some professors from Catholic University of America and the University of Notre Dame can volunteer to teach technological knowledge at the Catholic University of Congo; they can also offer scholarships to students.