An Introduction to Catholic Social Teaching

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An Introduction toCatholic Social Teaching
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• To be human is to have a heart that is moved by
  stories of desperate need and crying injustices.
  Humanitarian responses to people in crisis are
  practically instinctual.
• Thomas Massaro, S.J.
• Author, Living Justice

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Goals of this Overview

• To acquire an understanding of the primary ideas
  and forces that have shaped contemporary Catholic
  social thinking
• To become familiar with the methods that Catholic
  moral theologians have employed to address social
  moral issues
• To heighten awareness of the realities of human
  poverty and social injustice, and to promote
  critical thinking about these realities in light
  of the claims of Catholic theology
• To become aware of how we do or do not endorse
  the principles of CST in our daily lives

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Key Principles of Catholic Social Teaching

• Human Dignity
• Common Good
• Solidarity
• Subsidiary
• Social Order
• Purpose of Government

• Participation
• Purpose of Goods
• Option for the Poor
• Care for Gods Creation

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Human Dignity

• Human beings are created in the image of God and,
  therefore, are endowed with dignity.
• This inherent dignity carries with it certain
  basic rights and responsibilities which are
  exercised within a social framework.

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Life and Dignity of the Human Person

• Human life is sacred the dignity of the human
  person is the foundation of a moral vision for
  our society
• Natural law governs, political and economic
  systems above all we must preserve the dignity
  of the human being from the beginning of life to
  the end
• Examine existing systems How do we serve or
  fail to serve people? Man (Woman) is created in
  the image of God. The measure of every
  institution is whether it threatens or enhances
  the life and dignity of the human person.
• Ensure that we have purpose
• Move beyond the material

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Human Dignity within our Organization

• How do we show commitment to respect and observe
  human dignity?
• How do we advocate in the public arena to help
  people in time of need?
• What associations are we encouraging our members
  to participate in that support human dignity?
• How can we improve our efforts to increase
  awareness and commitment to this principle?

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The Common Good

• While the dignity of the human person is
  affirmed, individuals are called to live in
  community.
• In a society that exalts individualism, Catholic
  tradition teaches that human beings grow and
  achieve fulfillment in community.
• The rights responsibilities of individuals must
  be integrated into the achievement of the common
  good for all. The rights and needs of others must
  always be respected.

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The Common Good within our Organization

• How do we show commitment to the common good?
• How do we advocate in the public arena for the
  common good?
• What associations are we encouraging people to
  participate in that support the common good?
• How can we improve our efforts to increase
  awareness and commitment to this principle?

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Call to Family Community Participation
within our Organization

• Own family as who you cherish and love
• Human family
• Community Work
• Church Recreation
• Friend
• Participation
• Create Enrich
• Assist others in their creating
• Law has as its foremost purpose of ordering the
  common good. Aquinas

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Call to Family Community
Participation within our Organization

• How do we show commitment to the call to family,
  community and participation?
• How do we advocate in the public arena for this
  principle?
• What associations are we encouraging our members
  to participate in that support this principle?
• How can we improve our efforts to increase
  awareness and commitment to this principle?

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The Principal of Solidarity

• Our culture is tempted to turn inward, becoming
  indifferent and sometimes isolationist in the
  face of international responsibilities.
• Catholic social teaching proclaims that we are
  our brothers' and sisters' keepers, wherever they
  live.
• We are one human family, whatever our national,
  racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological
  differences.
• Learning to practice the virtue of solidarity
  means learning that "loving our neighbor" has
  global dimensions in an interdependent world.
• This virtue is described by John Paul II as "a
  firm and persevering determination to commit
  oneself to the common good that is to say to the
  good of all and of each individual, because we
  are all really responsible for all" (Sollicitudo
  Rei Socialis, no. 38).

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Solidarity

• One human family we are our brothers and
  sisters keepers
• Fates of people on earth are linked. Loving our
  neighbors has global dimensions in an
  interdependent world.
• Richer nations must help empower poorer ones
• Respect for diversity and different cultures
• The human family is like a spider web if you
  touch one part of it, the whole thing trembles

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Solidarity

• Calls nations to live in relationship with one
  another in a way that creates peace
• Economic justice is an essential element in
  developing peace
• States should support policies that engender just
  social and economic structures
• Human rights/Common good foundation of
  authentic peace
• Meld commitment to non-violence and the just-war
  teaching

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Solidarity within our Organization

• How do we show commitment to solidarity?
• How do we advocate in the public arena for
  solidarity?
• What associations are we encouraging our members
  to participate in that support solidarity?
• How can we improve our efforts to increase
  awareness and commitment to this principle?

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The Principal of Subsidiarity

• This principle recognizes that society is based
  on collectives or communities of people ranging
  from small groups or families to larger national
  and international institutions.
• As a rule of social organization, this principle
  affirms that a higher level organization should
  not interfere in the life of a community at a
  lower level of social organization.
• Larger institutions have essential
  responsibilities when smaller local institutions
  cannot adequately protect human dignity, meet
  human needs, and advance the common good.

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Subsidiarity within our Organization

• How do we show commitment to subsidiarity?
• How do we advocate in the public arena for
  subsidiarity?
• What associations are we encouraging our members
  to participate in that support subsidiarity?
• How can we improve our efforts to increase
  awareness and commitment to this principle?

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The Purpose of the Social Order

• The social order must uphold the dignity of the
  human person and promote the common good.

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Purpose of the Social Orderwithin our
Organization

• How do we show commitment to the purpose of the
  social order?
• How do we advocate in the public arena for this
  principle?
• What associations are we encouraging our members
  to participate in that support this principle?
• How can we improve our efforts to increase
  awareness and commitment to this principle?

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The Purpose of Government

• The purpose of government is the promotion of the
  common good.
• Governments are required to maintain the public
  order, uphold the fundamental rights of persons
  and ensure social justice to achieve the common
  good.

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Purpose of Government within our
Organization

• How do we show commitment to the purpose of
  government?
• How do we advocate in the public arena for this
  principle?
• What associations are we encouraging our members
  to participate in that support this principle?
• How can we improve our efforts to increase
  awareness and commitment to this principle?

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The Principal of Participation

• Individuals and groups have a right and a duty to
  participate in society, seeking together the
  common good and well-being of all, especially the
  poor and vulnerable.

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ParticipationRights of Workers

• The root problem is dependency and uselessness.
  Unemployment means having nothing to do, which
  means nothing to do with society. To be without
  work, to be without use to ones fellow citizens,
  is in truth to be invisible.
• Formation of the human person is the central
  dimension of work
• Personality
• Character
• Potential
• Work is a contribution to the common good, as a
  vocation, a way of continuing participation in
  Gods creation
• Dignified employment at decent pay the kind of
  employment that lets a man/woman say to his/her
  community, family, country and most importantly
  to themselves, I helped build this country. I
  am a participant in this great public ventures, I
  am a true citizen".

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Principal of Participation within our
Organization

• How do we show commitment to the principal of
  participation?
• How do we advocate in the public arena for this
  principle?
• What associations are we encouraging our members
  to participate in that support this principal?
• How can we improve our efforts to increase
  awareness and commitment to this principle?

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Universal Purpose of Goods

• The worlds goods are meant for all.
• God destined the earth and all it contains for
  all humanity, so that all created things would be
  shared fairly by all humankind under the guidance
  of justice tempered by charity.
• Although the Church upholds the right to private
  property this is subordinate to the right to
  common use and the overall common good.
• Gaudium et Spes

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Universal Purpose of Goods within our
Institution

• How do we show commitment to the universal
  purpose of goods?
• How do we advocate in the public arena for this
  principle?
• What associations are we encouraging our members
  to participate in that support this principle?
• How can we improve our efforts to increase
  awareness and commitment to this principle?

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Option for the Poor

• Seeing the world through the eyes of the poor and
  standing with the poor in solidarity.
• As followers of Christ, we are challenged to
  make a preferential option for the poor, namely,
  to create conditions for marginalized voices to
  be heard, to defend the defenseless, and to
  assess lifestyles, policies and social
  institutions in terms of their impact on the
  poor. The option for the poor does not mean
  pitting one group against another, but rather, it
  calls us to strengthen the whole community by
  assisting those who are most vulnerable. ( An
  Introduction to the Principles of Catholic Social
  Thought. University of Notre Dame.
  http//centerforsocialconcerns.nd.edu/mission/cst/
  cst4.shtml)

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Option for the Poor

• How do the least of our brothers fare in our
  world?
• The poor -
• The most at risk to have their dignity
  marginalized
• Have first claim to personal and social resources
• Alms are a matter of justice not charity Ambrose
• "Not from your own do you bestow upon the poor
  man, but you make return to what is his.
  Ambrose
• "This is what we will ultimately be judged on."
  Matthew 25

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Option for the Poor within our
Organization

• How do we show commitment to the poor?
• How do we advocate in the public arena for the
  poor?
• What associations are we encouraging our members
  to participate in that support this principle?
• How can we improve our efforts to increase
  awareness and commitment to this principle?

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Care for Gods Creation

• We must be good steward of all of Gods creation
  the earth and all Gods creatures that inhabit
  it.
• Because we are part of creation itself, whatever
  we do to the earth we do to ourselves.
• We must live in harmony with Gods creation and
  preserve it for future generations.
• The LORD God then took the man and settled him in
  the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.
  Genesis 215

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Care for Creation within our Organization

• How do we act as good stewards of creation to
  show respect for our Creator?
• How do we live in harmony with all of the earth's
  creatures (including other humans), by preserving
  all of creation for us and future generations?
• How do we make responsible choices in our
  consumption and the equitable sharing of the
  earth's resources?
• How do we advocate in the public arena to support
  Care for Creation?

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Summary of Prominent Encyclicals and Documents
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Rerum Novarum On the Condition of Labor
- Leo XIII, 1891

• Lays out the rights and responsibilities of
  capital and labor
• Describes the role of Government in a just
  society
• Condemns atheistic communism
• Upholds the right to private property.

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Quadragesimo Anno On Reconstructing
the Social Order Pius XI, 1931

• Condemns the effects of greed and concentrated
  political and economic power
• Proposes that social organization be based on the
  principle of subsidiarity.

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Mater et Magistra Mother and Teacher John
XXIII, 1961

• Identifies the widening gap between the rich and
  poor nations as a global concern of justice
• Raises concerns about the arms race
• Calls upon Christians to work for a more just
  world.

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Gaudium et Spes The Church in the Modern
World Second Vatican Council 1965

• Recognition that the Church is immersed in the
  modern world
• Condemns poverty
• Warns about the threat of nuclear war
• Christians must work to build structures that
  uphold justice and peace

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Populorum Progressio On the Development of
Peoples Paul VI, 1967 )

• Focus on human development development is the
  new name for peace
• Condemns the situation that gives rise to global
  poverty and inequality
• Calls for new international organizations and
  agreements that promote justice and peace

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Octogesima Adveniens An Apostolic LetterA Call
to Action - Paul VI, 1971

• Calls for political action for economic justice
• Develops the role of individual local churches in
  responding to unjust situations and acting for
  justice

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Laborum Exercems On Human Work John Paul II,
1981

• Affirms the dignity of work and the dignity of
  the worker
• Affirms the rights of labor
• Calls for workplace justice

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Sollicitudo Rei Socialis The Social
Concerns of the Church John Paul II, 1987

• Includes the option for the poor as a central
  tenet of Church teaching
• Notions of solidarity, the structures of sin
  and the social mortgage on property
• Resources used for the arms race be dedicated to
  the alleviation of human misery
• Nature must be considered in development