"The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof the world and all that dwell therein." This text, which is the opening verse of Psalm 23, expresses the absolute ownership by God of all created things. As Creator, He has full and complete ownership, control and rights over all creation. However, in His wisdom, God has deigned to give man a participation, in a limited sense of course, in this dominion which He exercises over His creation. This is clear from Psalm 8: "Thou hast subjected all things beneath His feet."
The subjection which man exercises over created things we recognize as ownership. Ownership is a natural function of man because, in him, by reason of his intellect, there exists a capacity, or a power, to exercise that certain control, which is ownership, of material goods. This enables him to provide for the physical needs of his life. The earth itself does not freely furnish the goods and products necessary for man's physical well-being. He must, by unremitting labour, prepare and cultivate the soil in order that it will produce fruitfully. As a consequence, he must be able to exercise a degree of control over the fruits of his labour so as to have an exclusive use of them. This right to an exclusive use of the fruits of his labours is essential to his living a normal human life.
If ownership, or exclusive control, of material goods is necessary to individual life, how much more is it essential to family life! It is impossible for the family properly to exist as an independent organism unless it can freely manage its own internal affairs and unless the parents are permitted to provide for the maintenance and education of their children without any form of outside interference. To fulfill these obligations the exclusive use of dwellinghouse, clothes, food, etc., is a fundamental necessity. When the family is deprived of all property it becomes wholly dependent upon the will of others for sustenance. As a result it is no longer able to manage freely its own affairs. Furthermore the duty of the parents to rear and educate their children provides them with a constant incentive to work, and the childrens' realization of their dependence upon their parents forms an important factor in their training and education.
The ownership of property, then, is essential to man and the family. So, also, it is essential to society. Man in the possession of private property is encouraged to work and be orderly. Since the family is the basic unit in society, it follows that society will be greatly benefited by the industry, order and thrift of the families and individuals of which it is composed.
Furthermore, with a wide diffusion of private property, the dire poverty and insecurity with which so many are affected will be appreciably reduced.
Fiat (Dublin, Ireland), No. 49
With the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), Press and leading politicians promoting the Kremlin neutralist-nuclear disarmament line, with Ottawa promoting trade with Castro, and with Canada now giving a refuge and rebirth to the notorious IPR (Institute of Pacific Relations), is it any wonder that our Southern neighbors (U.S.A.) are beginning to wonder just where we stand in these decisive days of the world conflict!
The Canadian Intelligence Service, January, 1961
First International Conference on Douglas Social Credit and Catholic Social Teaching
On May 21st and 22nd, 2026.
Scholars, students, clergy and the public who are interested in the renewal of economic thought are invited to the 1st International Conference on Douglas Social Credit and Catholic Social Teaching
Rougemont Quebec Monthly Meetings
Every 4th Sunday of every month, a monthly meeting is held in Rougemont.
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