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1.7. Secular and Ecclesiastical Perception of Subsidiarity
In Fratelli Tutti, subsidiarity is presented as a principle that empowers
individuals and local communities to take responsibility for their own
development while contributing to the global common good. Pope Francis
emphasizes that higher authorities should support, not supplant, local efforts,
critiquing centralized power structures that undermine autonomy. The
encyclical integrates subsidiarity with solidarity, advocating a social order
where local agency and global cooperation mutually reinforce each other to
promote human dignity and universal fraternity.
“228. The path to peace does not mean making society blandly uniform,
but getting people to work together, side-by-side, in pursuing goals that
benefit everyone. A wide variety of practical proposals and diverse
experiences can help achieve shared objectives and serve the common good.
The problems that a society is experiencing need to be clearly identified,
so that the existence of different ways of understanding and resolving them
can be appreciated. The path to social unity always entails acknowledging
the possibility that others have, at least in part, a legitimate point of view,
something worthwhile to contribute, even if they were in error or acted
badly.”'%®
Throughout Fratelli Tutti, subsidiarity is paired with solidarity, suggesting
that local autonomy must work in harmony with global cooperation. While
local communities should take initiative, they must also contribute to the
broader common good, ensuring that their actions align with universal
fraternity.
Overall, the principle of subsidiarity has gradually crystallized in Church
teachings, from medieval philosophy to modern encyclicals. The social changes
of the 19th and 20th centuries necessitated its explicit expression, and it
remains relevant today, as it promotes a balance between local autonomy and
global solidarity. The Precautionary Principle
Although it is not a principle of the Church’s teaching to enforce a precautionary
approach, we consider it necessary to mention it as a principle concerning the
future development of human influences and burdens on the environment.
The 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ assigns a prominent role to the principle,
following the approach generally in international environmental law that
corresponds to the content of the principle.
The Rio Declaration of 1992 states that “where there are threats of serious
or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a
108 Francis, Fratelli Tutti, e. g. § 228.
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