Catholic san Francisco
Catholic social doctrine is topic of new book published by Vatican
Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
By Cindy Wooden
Vatican official: societies must find common ethical norms ROME (CNS) — In the absence of a shared JudeoChristian value system, societies must find some common ethical norms to save democracy and the weak from the whims of the powerful, said Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. The power human beings now have to create, manipulate and destroy human life in the laboratory “is becoming a greater threat than weapons of mass destruction,” said the cardinal, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Cardinal Ratzinger made his comments at an Oct.
25 conference in Rome. “Our moral capacity has not grown at the same rate as our potential power,” he said. As Europe and other societies lose the shared vision of the limits of individual power and freedom, which their Judeo-Christian roots fostered, and as the potential of human power grows, the world’s great religions and cultures must seek “a common wisdom,” he said. “It has been said that the European Constitution,” which was to be signed Oct. 29 in Rome, “could not ETHICAL NORMS, page 18
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The God-given dignity of humans and the obligation to promote the common good of all the world’s people require the Catholic Church to speak on social issues, notes the new “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.” The church’s social doctrine offers criteria for judging various aspects of public and social life and provides guidelines for “conforming them to the demands of Christian morality,” says the book, released this week at the Vatican. Prepared at the request of Pope John Paul II by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the compendium explains church teachings related to politics, war, the economy, the environment, work and legislation impacting family life, among other topics. “Insofar as it is part of the church’s moral teaching,” the volume states, “the church’s social doctrine has the same dignity and authority as her moral teaching.” At an Oct. 25 press conference, officials from the justice and peace council said the book was reviewed and approved by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith because it pertains to the church’s moral teaching. The compendium notes, “By means of her social doctrine, the church shows her concern for human life in society.” While the text cautions against trying to claim any one political party could represent fully Catholic social and moral teaching, it calls on lay Catholics “to identify steps that can be taken in concrete political situations” to put into practice respect for every human life, the promotion of justice and peace and true solidarity with the poor. “A well-formed Christian conscience,” it says, “does not permit one to vote for a political program or individual law which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals.” On the topic of war, the compendium states that when a nation is attacked it has a right and duty to defend itself, which includes “using the force of arms.” However, echoing Vatican criticism of the U.S.-led coalition’s decision to invade Iraq in 2003, it notes, “engaging in a preventative war without clear proof that an attack is imminent cannot fail to raise serious moral and juridical questions.” “International legitimacy for the use of armed force, on the basis of rigorous assessment and with well-founded motivations, can only be given by the decision of a competent body that identifies specific situations as threats to peace and authorizes an intrusion into the sphere of autonomy usually reserved to a state,” notes the more than 300-page book. The compendium, designed to give Catholics a systematic understanding of church positions on social issues, explains that the principles flow from the Ten Commandments, from natural law and human reason and from biblical truths about people, the world and the reality of sin. SOCIAL DOCTRINE, page 18
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Saint Pius Center . . . . . . . . 3 Annual doctors’ Mass . . . . . 5
Grieving and Healing
Immaculate Conception Shrine
One-issue voting. . . . . . . . . 6
~ Pages 7-9 ~
~ Pages 10-11 ~
Genetically modified food . 15
Editorial and letters . . . . . 12 Scripture and reflection . . . 14
‘Shall We Dance’ ~ Page 17 ~ October 29, 2004
FIFTY CENTS
Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
www.catholic-sf.org VOLUME 6
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No. 35