Catholic Social Action in Mallorca during the second half of the 20th century. Analysis of a social commitment

Abstract

The article aims to outline the main lines of the social action of the Catholic Church of Mallorca throughout the 20th century. We analyze the presence and actions of the Church towards the most vulnerable groups in society. In fact, we went from a beneficent-charitable social action with a paternalistic tone at the beginning of the 20th century, to a more structural presence with a vocation for social justice from the second half of the 20th century.
From the diocesan Caritas and the Specialized Catholic Action, especially that of the working class, a whole series of social initiatives arose during the 1960s. These continued during the democratic transition as the current state of welfare was consolidated. So, the Church of Mallorca is trying to adapt to this new situation by articulating a network of confessional and non-confessional entities, either already existing or newly created, with the aim of responding to structural needs and conjunctures of economic development.