# Rerum novarum (1891)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/1891-rerum-novarum
Location: Rome
Themes: Papacy

Leo XIII's encyclical on labour founds modern Catholic social teaching. At this point in the timeline (15 May 1891), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Leo XIII (20 February 1878 – 20 July 1903).

## Why it matters
Rerum novarum mattered because it shaped the authority, policy or public role of the papacy and the Catholic Church.

Pope at the time: [Pope Leo XIII](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-leo-xiii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Rerum novarum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rerum_novarum)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Rerum novarum](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Rerum+novarum)
- [Wikipedia — Modern Era (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_20th_century)