Cardinal Maurice Roy was a key figure in the Catholic Church's engagement with human rights, particularly through his role as the president of the Pontifical Commission Iustitia et Pax (Justice and Peace) in the 1970s. Under his leadership, the Church began to emphasize the importance of human rights as a central part of its social doctrine, as seen in documents like Octogesima Adveniens, which he is linked to. His work connected the Church's long-standing tradition of natural law with modern concepts of human rights, asserting that the Church should be a witness and advocate for the defense of human dignity.