Abstract
The authors are making a comparative analysis of two pon tifical documents : the encyclical « Rerum Novarum » (1891) of Pope Leo XIII, and the « Letter to Cardinal Roy » (1971) of Pope Paul VI. The two Roman texts are analyzed on the basis of hypotheses formulated by J. Matthes concerning the institutionalized doctrinal production. The authors are working principally on two lexical theories : ideology and socialism on one hand, and the Church, Christians, on the other.
The authors can verify the hypothesis that, beyond the stylistic variations, which analysis of the two documents bring to light, the effort of the Church to maintain and extend its hold on its members in retaking into account the practices and now problems of its members, by linking the problems con sidered and the actions envisaged to the official recognition.