ľ Community

Catholic Social Teaching ƒæ Anawim -- "the widows, orphans and aliens”

ľ The example of Jesus Рreign of God, healing
A Key to Catholic Identity In biblical faith, the doing of justice
is the primary expectation of Yahweh.
Walter Brueggeman

The Problem
Far too many Catholics are unfamiliar with the basic
content of Catholic social teaching. More
fundamentally, many Catholics do not adequately
understand that the social mission of the Church is an
essential part of Catholic faith.

This poses a serious challenge for all Catholics, since

it weakens our capacity to be a Church that is true to
the demands of the Gospel. We need to do more to
share the social mission and message of our Church.

Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions

U.S. Bishops, 1998

A Key to Catholic Identity

The central message is simple: our faith is profoundly social.
We cannot be called truly “Catholic” unless we hear and heed
the Church's call to serve those in need and work for justice
and peace.
Communities of Salt and Light, U.S. Bishops, 1993
Vatican II
Vatican II’s Ecclesiology This split between the faith which many profess and their daily
lives deserves to be counted among the more serious errors of
ľ The Church is a sign and a safeguard of the dignity of the our age. Long since, the Prophets of the Old Testament fought
human person. vehemently against this scandal and even more so did Jesus
ľ A religious organization whose purpose it is to help bring Christ Himself in the New Testament threaten it with grave
about the reign of God in history. punishments.
ƒæ The social mission is “constitutive” not extra-curricular or
optional.

Justice in the World, 1971 Synod

Modern Catholic Social
Action on behalf of justice and participation in the
Teaching
transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive
dimension of the preaching of the Gospel, or, in other words, of 1891 Rerum Novarum Leo XIII
the Church's mission for the redemption of the human race and 1931 Quadragesimo Anno Pius XI
its liberation from every oppressive situation. 1961 Mater et Magistra John XXIII
1963 Pacem in Terris John XXIII
1965 Gaudium et Spes Vatican II
Constitutive Elements of 1967 Populorum Progessio
1971 Octogessima Adveniens
Paul VI
Paul VI
Church 1971 Justicia in Mundo
1975 Evangeli Nuntiandi
Synod of Bishops
Paul VI
ľ Scripture -- hearing the Good News 1981 Laborem Exercens John Paul II
ľ Sacraments -- worship, prayer life, community 1988 Solicitudo Rei Socialis John Paul II
celebration, etc. 1991 Centissimus Annus John Paul II
ľ Social Mission -- action for social justice 1995 Evangelium Vitae John Paul II

Catholic Social Teaching

ľ Rooted in the Bible
ľContinually developed in Catholic Social Teaching
-- Observe, judge, act

Biblical themes of justice

ľ God is active in human history
ľ Creation
ľ Covenant relationship
 the eyes of the poor and standing with
the poor in solidarity.

5. Participation
All people have a right to a minimum level of participation in the
economic, political, and cultural life of society.

6. Economic Justice
ľ The economy must serve people, not the other way around.
People are more important than things; labor is more important
than capital.
ľ All workers have a right to productive work, to decent
wages, to safe working conditions; and they have a right to
organize and join unions.
Major Themes from ľ People have a right to economic initiative and private
property, but these rights have limits. No one is allowed to a

Catholic Social Teaching mass excessive wealth when others lack the basic necessities
of life.
1. Human dignity
2. Community
3. Rights and duties 7. Stewardship of Creation
4. Option for the poor The goods of the earth are gifts. We hold them in trust, as
5. Participation stewards.
6. Economic Justice
7. Stewardship of Creation “God destined the earth and all it contains for all people and
8. Solidarity nations so that all created things would be shared fairly by all
9. Role of Government humankind under the guidance of justice tempered by charity.”
10. Promotion of Peace
On the Development of Peoples

1. Human dignity
The human person is sacred, made in the image of God and,
therefore is endowed with dignity. This inherent dignity carries
with it certain basic rights responsibilities which are exercised
within a social framework.
8. The Virtue of Solidarity
“It is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to
the common good; that is to say, to the good of all ...because
we are all really responsible for all.”

Pope John Paul II, On Social Concern, 1987

2. Community / Common
Good 1. Role of Government
ľ The state has a positive moral function. It is an instrument
The social nature of the to promote human dignity, protect human rights, ensure social
justice and equity and build the common good.
human person ľ Principle of Subsidiarity
ľ As small as possible
The fact that human beings are social by nature indicates that ľ As big as necessary
the betterment of the person and the improvement of society
depend on each other.…humanity by its very nature stands
completely in need of life in society.
Vatican II, The Church in the Modern World
10. Promotion of Peace
3. Rights and duties č Peace is not just the absence of war
ƒç “If you want peace, work for justice.”
ľ Civil/political
ľ Economic/social Pope Paul VI, 1972, World Day of Peace Message

Every person has a right to the basic material

necessities that are required to live a decent life. Major Themes from
4. Option for the Poor Catholic Social Teaching
1. Human dignity
ƒæ Remember the “widows, orphans, and
2. Community
aliens.”
3. Rights and duties
ľ A necessary element of the common good
4. Option for the poor
This refers to seeing the world through
5. Participation
6. Economic Justice Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, U.S.
7. Stewardship of Creation Bishops, 1998
8. Solidarity
9. Role of Government
10. Promotion of Peace
Content counts
Implications for Catholic Study the documents.
There is a universal need to be more explicit

Educators in teaching the principles of Catholic social

Catholic schools, religious education and faith formation
programs are vitally important for sharing the substance and
values of the Catholic social justice heritage.
Just as the social teaching of the Church is integral to Catholic
faith, the social justice dimensions of teaching are integral to
Catholic education and catechesis. They are an essential part
of Catholic identity and formation.
Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions
U.S. Bishops, 1998
thought and helping people apply and act on
those principles.
Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions
U.S. Bishops, 1998
Competency really counts
We strongly urge Catholics to create additional
resources and programs that will address the
lack of familiarity with Catholic social teaching
among many….

“Seven Commandments” for Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions
U.S. Bishops, 1998

Integrating
Catholic Social Teaching Charity (social service) is
into Our Faith not enough.
There is a need for Catholic educational and
ľ Rooted in prayer and worship. catechetical programs not only to continue
ƒæ Integrate, don’t isolate. offering direct service experiences, but also to
ľ Content counts Рstudy the documents. offer opportunities to work for change in the
ľ Competency really counts. policies and structures that cause injustice.
ľ Charity (social service) is not enough.
ľ Thou shalt observe, judge, act. Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions
ľ Thou shalt have fun! U.S. Bishops, 1998

Make sure the teaching is Thou shalt observe, judge,

rooted in act
č Observe the facts; know the reality
prayer and worship. č Use social analysis and moral values to make
Cultivate a spirituality that is not just private, but also public and judgments about the facts
social. č Plan a realistic and effective strategy for action

Catholicism does not call us to abandon the world, but

to help shape it. This does not mean leaving worldly Thou shalt have fun
tasks and responsibilities, but transforming them. No one likes a grim do-gooder!
Everyday Christianity: To Hunger and Thirst for Justice

U.S. Bishops, November, 1998 Conclusion

Salt and Light for the World
Integrate, don’t isolate “You’re supposed to be the leaven in
The commitment to human life and dignity, to
the loaf, not part of the lump.”
human rights and solidarity is a calling every
Catholic must share. It is not a vocation for a
few, but a challenge for every Catholic.

The values of the Church's social teaching

must not be treated as tangential or optional.
They must be a core part of teaching and
formation.

Major themes from Catholic
Social Teaching
1. Dignity of the Human Person
Belief in the inherent dignity of the human person is the
foundation of all Catholic social teaching. Human life is sacred,
and the dignity of the human person is the starting point for a
moral vision for society. This principle is grounded in the idea
that the person is made in the image of God. The person is the
clearest reflection of God among us. See selected quotations.
2. Common Good and Community
The human person is both sacred and social. We realize our
dignity and rights in relationship with others, in community.
Human beings grow and achieve fulfillment in community.
Human dignity can only be realized and protected in the
context of relationships with the wider society.
How we organize our society -- in economics and politics, in
law and policy -- directly affects human dignity and the
capacity of individuals to grow in community. The obligation
to "love our neighbor" has an individual dimension, but it also
requires a broader social commitment. Everyone has a
responsibility to contribute to the good of the whole society,
to the common good. See selected quotations.
3. Option for the Poor
The moral test of a society is how it treats its most
vulnerable members. The poor have the most urgent moral
claim on the conscience of the nation. We are called to look at
public policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor.
The "option for the poor," is not an adversarial slogan that
pits one group or class against another. Rather it states that
the deprivation and powerlessness of the poor wounds the
whole community.
The option for the poor is an essential part of society's
effort to achieve the common good. A healthy community can
be achieved only if its members give special attention to those
with special needs, to those who are poor and on the margins
of society. See selected quotations.
4. Rights and Responsibilities
Human dignity can be protected and a healthy community
can be achieved only if human rights are protected and
responsibilities are met. Every person has a fundamental right
to life and a right to those things required for human decency
– starting with food, shelter and clothing, employment, health
care, and education. Corresponding to these rights are duties
and responsibilities -- to one another, to our families, and to
the larger society.
See selected quotations.
5. Role of Government and Subsidiarity
The state has a positive moral function. It is an instrument
to promote human dignity, protect human rights, and build
the common good. All people have a right and a responsibility
to participate in political institutions so that government can
achieve its proper goals.
The principle of subsidiarity holds that the functions of
government should be performed at the lowest level possible,
as long as they can be performed adequately. When the needs
in question cannot adequately be met at the lower level, then
it is not only necessary, but imperative that higher levels of
government intervene. See selected quotations on the role of
government and subsidiarity.
6. Economic Justice
The economy must serve people, not the other way around.
All workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair
wages, and to safe working conditions. They also have a
fundamental right to organize and join unions. People have a
right to economic initiative and private property, but these
rights have limits. No one is allowed to amass excessive
wealth when others lack the basic necessities of life.
Catholic teaching opposes collectivist and statist economic
approaches. But it also rejects the notion that a free market
automatically produces justice. Distributive justice, for
example, cannot be achieved by relying entirely on free
market forces. Competition and free markets are useful
elements of economic systems. However, markets must be
kept within limits, because there are many needs and goods
that cannot be satisfied by the market system. It is the task of
the state and of all society to intervene and ensure that these
needs are met. See selected quotations on markets, workers
rights, and labor vs. capital.
7. Stewardship of God's Creation
The goods of the earth are gifts from God, and they are
intended by God for the benefit of everyone. There is a "social
mortgage" that guides our use of the world's goods, and we
have a responsibility to care for these goods as stewards and
trustees, not as mere consumers and users. How we treat the
environment is a measure of our stewardship, a sign of our
respect for the Creator. See selected quotations.

8. Promotion of Peace and Disarmament

Catholic teaching promotes peace as a positive, action-

oriented concept. In the words of Pope John Paul II, "Peace is
not just the absence of war. It involves mutual respect and
confidence between peoples and nations. It involves
collaboration and binding agreements.” There is a close
relationship in Catholic teaching between peace and justice.
Peace is the fruit of justice and is dependent upon right order
among human beings.

9. Participation

All people have a right to participate in the economic,

political, and cultural life of society. It is a fundamental
demand of justice and a requirement for human dignity that
all people be assured a minimum level of participation in the
community. It is wrong for a person or a group to be excluded
unfairly or to be unable to participate in society. See selected
quotations.

10. Global Solidarity and Development

We are one human family. Our responsibilities to each

other cross national, racial, economic and ideological
differences. We are called to work globally for justice.
Authentic development must be full human development. It
must respect and promote personal, social, economic, and
political rights, including the rights of nations and of peoples It
must avoid the extremists of underdevelopment on the one
hand, and "superdevelopment" on the other. Accumulating
material goods, and technical resources will be unsatisfactory
and debasing if there is no respect for the moral, cultural, and
spiritual dimensions of the person. See selected quotations.