LEISURE ‐ Leisure in the economic thought of John Paul II

In the thought of John Paul II, an accurate understanding of the human person includes the relationship of economic life to full human life. Just as human work is essential to human life lived in imitation of God, so is rest and leisure. Lacking a clear sense of leisure, human beings try to reach their fulfillment by increasing their possessions. As a result they give complete priority to the economic order, making it an end in itself rather than a means to the common good. They get caught up in consumerism, thinking that material possessions will bring them happiness, and thereby become willing to accept the destruction of God’s gift of creation, if only they can have more material things. This essay explores the connections between work, leisure, consumerism, and the environment primarily in Centesimus Annus (1991), Laborem Exercens (1981) and Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (1987).