From its earliest origins, the Catholic church has tried to influence society and society has, to varying degrees, shaped the church. Recently, with the demise of the Marxist alternative to capitalism, Catholic social teaching has assumed the role of the major international force challenging free enterprise to be more humane. What does the church have to say about the world's current situation and the possibility of a new world order, and how has this message evolved over the past 100 years? The 20 essays in Catholic Social Thought and the New World Order reflect on the development and evolution of Catholic social teaching and analyse its practical applications for the contemporary world.