To date, the Dictionary of the Social Doctrine of the Church has consisted of a voluminous book published by "Vita e pensiero" in 2004. In the last fifteen years, both the technology and the Magisterium relating to social doctrine have come a long way, always adhering to the new demands of society. In light of the sudden and unpredictable social changes that are rapidly occurring, a new paper edition of the Dictionary, updated and enriched with new contributions, risked being outdated by the time it would have reached the hands of readers and scholars.
For this reason, the Dictionary has landed on internet through a special portal and has given itself a new guise, more technological, more attractive, in short more adapted to the times and susceptible of constant updates. Think of Covid and all the social, human, economic problems that have emerged in the space of a few months. The spirit of this editorial project is well expressed graphically by the identifying logo of the new Dictionary, represented by a book (the old paper dictionary, the result of the choral work that Università Cattolica carried out from 1999 to 2004 on the two thousand years of the Church's teachings) that constitutes the root of a tree with various leaves. These latter are associated to the themes of the Church's social doctrine that represent the great challenges of our society: environment, future of work, policies and institutions, peace and coexistence, etc., on which the social doctrine of the Church has much to say.
«What remains of that original work is the innovative method whereby each entry was illustrated by a professor who acknowledged the personal dialogue between his or her research and the Magisterium of the Church, thus bringing out the basic principle that research and faith are not enemies, given that knowledge enlightened by faith enters into a cordial dialogue with all disciplines», this is how Professor Simona Beretta, Director of the Centro di Ateneo per la Dottrina Sociale della Chiesa (Research Centre on Catholic Social Teaching), explains the meaning of the Dictionary in this new mode of access. Technically, it is a portal with free access, with the aim of speaking to everyone, without barriers, to pass on the idea that the social doctrine of the Church is not something extraneous to life but is a living reality, which addresses the major contemporary issues and, in this, can also make use of the scientific research of the professors of Università Cattolica. «It is a process in the making, not crystallized, that studies the folds of reality, where we live and use our intellectual resources through scientific and humanistic disciplines to make right choices», Professor Beretta said.
The portal will be in Italian and English, given the global approach that we wish to offer and for which our University is an important player in the network of the World Catholic Universities. Furthermore, it will be possible to make queries by subject area, author, key word and words contained in the texts (moreover, the new portal will also make available the fundamental entries of the 2004 Dictionary). This portal will be associated with a journal (the first issue will include 39 articles organized in 12 major thematic areas) in which the editorial work will make use of an accurate scientific review, through anonymous referees, according to the standards and characteristics of recognizability of an academic journal. «The new project started in a climate of intense dialogue around the major social issues. This has allowed the professors of Università Cattolica to get to know each other and generously express their contribution. This is the result of a work that has led to interesting observations, given that the challenge of the universitas goes beyond personal achievement, but invites us to look at the entire reality within the horizon of interdisciplinary dialogue and to offer analyses, reflections and operational indications on policies and lines of action» – Professor Beretta said.
The Church's social doctrine continues to be a precious resource, especially in times of change: «The great millennial tradition of the Church speaks to the present and offers so much richness in the continuity of the Magisterium of the popes and bishops' conferences. The common thread is being humble and tenacious in research, experiencing how faith illuminates research and manifests the human and the social spheres, the sense of technological innovation and scientific research» –Professor Beretta said.
The activation of this portal, as a reminder of the vocation of Università Cattolica and of the interdisciplinary dialogue implemented with professors from all of the University's campuses, happily coincides with the centennial year of its foundation, «almost as if to say the importance of being there in this changing era, as a place of research and education (there is no one without the other) in this academic community that can still grow in terms of depth, relationships, and interchange. I still see a hundred good years ahead of us»– Professor Beretta said.
