In Rerum Novarum Pope Leo XIII exam­ines the sit­u­a­tion of the poor peo­ple and work­ers in indus­tri­al­ized coun­tries. He states sev­er­al impor­tant prin­ci­ples that should guide the response to these peo­ple. He then artic­u­lates the role of the Church, work­ers and employ­ers, and the law and pub­lic author­i­ties in work­ing togeth­er to build a just soci­ety. Employ­ers are giv­en the major role as agents for change.