novarum

Novarum is the genitive plural feminine form of the Latin adjective novus, meaning "new." It appears in the title Rerum novarum, which translates roughly as "Of new things," and is part of the encyclical’s name.

Rerum novarum is a papal encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on May 15, 1891. It is widely regarded as the first modern Catholic social teaching document, addressing the conditions of workers during the Industrial Revolution and offering a synthesis of Catholic views on property, labor, and social justice.

The encyclical argues for the right to private property but emphasizes that property should serve the common good, upholding the rights of workers to fair wages, safe working conditions, and the freedom to form unions while condemning both unregulated capitalism and socialism. It introduces the principle of subsidiarity, the idea that social issues should be addressed at the most immediate level capable of solving them.

It also stresses the family as the central unit of society, and calls for cooperation among classes, balanced by charitable acts and the role of the state in promoting social welfare, without undermining individual responsibility and private initiative.

Novarum's influence extends through Catholic social doctrine, informing later encyclicals and social policy debates. In Latin usage today, novarum is chiefly encountered in the title and in scholarly discussion of Rerum novarum as a landmark document.