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OCR
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. 43
