Welcome at ORDO SOCIALIS, Academic Association for the Promotion of Christian Social Teaching

This association was founded in 1985 as a result of the international congress in Rome: “Church and Economy in the Responsibility for the Future of a Global World”. It is a subsidiary of BKU (Association of Catholic Entrepreneurs) and based in Cologne, Germany. Authors from theory and practice as well as members and supporters have come together in Ordo socialis, in order to promote broad public awareness of Christian social teaching by providing a clearinghouse for pivotal articles in this area. Here you will find the most important publications of our authors, free of charge.

“ORDO SOCIALIS” (Latin for: social order) is a leading concept for Christian social teaching.

Under this title a number of important publications have been published. The fundamental rules of human social life on a personal, national and international level are always the focus. Ordo socialis has clear positioned relative to other social teachings, Marxism in particular. Much of the work published here derives from Natural Law and from experience and thinking chiefly in the Occidential-christian area. Important works can be downloaded under: www.ordosocialis.de/publications

More about the term ORDO SOCIALIS:

ORDO SOCIALIS

ORDO SOCIALIS and worldwide problems
Ordo socialis: an Association for the International Scientific Communication of Christian Social Ethics A short reflection on the missions and perspectives of Ordo socialis by Prof. Markus Vogt, chairman of the Scientific Council of Ordo socialis, published in the monthly journal of the Foundation Konrad Adenauer “Die Politische Meinung” (the political opinion)

Flyer of Ordo socialis pdf, the line-up of our Scientific Council has changed: actual Scientific Council

Prof. Dr. Ralph Bergold, President

born 1958, is director of the Catholic Social Institute of the archdiocese Cologne at Bad Honnef,

private university lecturer for religious pedagogy at the University of Bamberg,

visiting professor at the University of Bonn,

member of the board of the catholic federal labour community for adult education,

member of the board of the Cardinal Höffner Foundation.

Cornelius G. Fetsch

born on 12th October 1935 in Mannheim

Married to Barbara Fetsch, née Salzmann

Roma Catholic, four children

Merchant of textiles in wholesale and retail trade

From 1959 onwards purchaser with the firm C & A in Germany

1964/65 Director of C & A Fashion Central purchase at Mannheim

1967-1972 Founder and President of Mondial Italiana S.p.A. in Milan

1972-1989 Executive Director with clothing producer CANDA International in Essen

1989-1995 General Plenipotentiary at C & A in Düsseldorf, with competence

for location in the new federal states

1996-2001 Advisor to C & A Düsseldorf, with focus on Eastern Europe

Member of the Executive Committee and Honorary President of the Association of Catholic Entrepreneurs

(Bund Katholischer Unternehmer BKU)

Author of many addresses and publications on socio-ethical subjects

Councellor to the Foundation for the promotion of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences

Member of the Executive Committee and Honorary President of the ‘Marienhospital Düsseldorf’ Foundation

Member of the Executive Committee of the Deutschorden-Wohnstift Konrad Adenauer registred association (old people’s home), Cologne

Member of the Executive Committee of ‘Friends of the Habour School in Rio registred association’, Cologne

President of the Georges-Anawati, Körtlinghausen, district of Arnsberg

Member of the Central Committee of the German Catholics (ZdK), Bad Godesberg

Member of the ‘Christians and Moslems’ Dialog Group of ZdK

Dr. Thomas Köster, Vice-President

28-10-1946 born at Menden/North-Rhine-Westphalia as son of the master of furs and skins and his wife Marianne Köster Born Schewe

Roman Catholic

1966 Baccalaureat of the humanistic branch of the Walram grammar-school at Menden

1966-1972 Studies of political economy at the university of Cologne with the diploma as political economist

05-11-1968 to 31-10-1969 First chairman of Asta (general committee of students) at the university of Cologne and member of the senat of the university of Cologne

Since 1972 married with Beate Köster born Schlombs, three children

1984 Degree of Dr. rer. pol. with the faculty of business and social sciences of the university of Cologne

Since 01-07-1972 activities for the artisan branch in different functions:

1980 Election secretary general and

1983 Election deputy chief secretary general of the Chamber of Artisans Düsseldorf

1984-2011 Chief secretary general of the Chamber of Artisans Düsseldorf

Since 2008 Director of the Competence Centre of Social Market Economy of the Chamber of Artisans Düsseldorf and of the North-Rhine-Westphalian Conference of Artisans (NWHT)

Many publications in newspapers and journals, honorary functions:

Chairman of the Application and Principles’ Committee of the Middle-Class and Business Association of CDU of North-Rhine-Westphalia and member of the reginal Executive Committee of the Association of the Middle-Class Entrepreneurs of North-Rhine-Westphalia

Member of the Administrative Council of the Rhenian-Westphalian Institute of Business Research (RWI), Essen

Member of the Council of the Institute of Financial-Scientific Research at the university of Cologne

Since 2011 Member of the Executive Committee of Ordo socialis

Distinctions, a.o.:

2008 Order of Merit of the Federal State North-Rhine-Westphalia

2011 Ring of Honour of the Chamber of Artisans Düsseldorf

2012 Great Cross of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

Helmut Linnenbrink, Vice-President

Born 28th March 1944 at Münstermaifeld, district of Mayen- Coblence

Roman Catholic

Married, four children

Professional education:

1962-1964 Insurance clerk

1964-1968 Studies of business economics at the Cologne University of Applied Schiences; certified business economist

1968-1971 Trainee with C & A Fashion

1971-2004 Member of management C & A Fashion

Activity as district manager in Kiel, Karlsruhe, Berlin and Munich; retired since 2004

Honary functions:

1982-1984 Executive Committee of the Berlin Association of the Textile Trade

1982- 1989 President of the Association of Catholic Entrepreneurs (BKU) Berlin

1994-2006 Member of the Diocesan Council Munich and 2005-2006 Member of the Regional Committee of Catholics in Bavaria

1995-2006 Presidency of the trade association BAG (Federal Working Committee of Large and Medium-Sized Retail Business)

of Bavaria and of the Federal Republic

1999-2006 Vice-President and President of BAG Bavaria

Since 2006 Honorary President of BAG Bavaria

1991-2006 President of the Association of Catholic Entrepreneurs (BKU) in Munich and Freising

Since 2006 Honorary President of BKU in Munich and Freising

1995-2007 Member of Presidency of the Economic Council of CSU,

Chairman of the Church and Economics Working Group

Member of various supervisory committees

2003 Federal Corss of Merits with ribbon, 2009 Bavarian Order of Merits

Since 2007 residing in the Rhineland region

Activities with BKU Düsseldorf, founder of the Politics-Church-Economics Working Group, North-Rhine-Westphalia

Since 2008 Vice-President of Ordo socialis

Dr. h.c. Josef Thesing

1937 born in Alstätte, district of Borken, Catholic, married, 3 children

1961-1964 Studies of political sciences at the College of Politics in Munich

1965 Staff member of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), St. Augustin/Bonn

1966-1973 Representative of KAS in Guatemala and Colombia

1978 Founder and Director of the Office for International Cooperation of KAS

1984-2000 Director of the International Institute of KAS

2000-2002 Deputy Sectretary General of KAS

1990-2005 Visiting Lecuturer at the University of Cologne

Since 1991 Member of the German-Polish Society Cologne-Bonn, amongst others 1998-2000 Mamaging Member of the Executive Committee, 2005-2007 President, since 2007 President of the Supervising Committee

1996 Co-Founder of the Association for the Promotion of the Museum of Jewish History, since 2005 President

Since 2005 Vice-President of Ordo socialis

As author and/or editor Josef Thesing has published more than 70 books that have appeared in 21 languages

He has received numerous high foreign distinctions, for instance Dr. h. c. and the professorship of honour of the Catholic University Rafael Landivar, Guatemala, Dr. h. c. of the Business University in Prague and of the Catholic University in Cordoba, Argentina. In 2008 Federal President Köhler awarded him the Great Cross of Merits of the Order of Merits of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Peter van den Brock, treasurer

born 1942, has worked from 1957 until his retirement in 2007 in different positions for the catholic Pax-Bank with seat in Cologne – last time s director and leader of Asset Management.

During his 50 years’ activity with the Pax-Bank he was member of different investment committees and has advised numerous institutional as well as private clients with their capital investment. Moreover, Peter van den Brock has in his function of foundation commissioner and member of the board of the Pax-Bank-Foundation founded and taken care of foundations and this with great passion.

Since his retirement in 2007 he is member of the board of a micro-finance consultancy company seated in Belgium. It is the objective to further develop the thinking of micro-finances and to open it with products for the clerical clients. Moreover, the learned banking merchant is acting since then as expert adviser in the areas of ethical investment and foundations.

Beate KaltefleiterSecretary General

1965 born in Mönchengladbach

Roman Catholic, two children

1985 Baccalaureat

1985-1986 Superior Business School

1986-1988 Professional education as gradated clerk with C & A , Düsseldorf

1988-1993 Official expert in the area of old-age pension schemes with Cora-Vermögensverwaltungsgesellschaft (real-estate administration company), Düsseldorf

1993-2009 Raising children

Since 2009 Secretary of Ordo socialis

Various honorary activities with municipalities and schools