Catholic Social Teaching …an effort by the pastoral teachers of the church to articulate what the broader social tradition means in the era of modern economics, politics and culture.
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
Outline
What is Social Justice? What does the Bible teach about social justice? Why is social justice important? What are the major contemporary issues of social justice?
What exactly is social justice?
iv bu t tri
e tiv bu tri
Di s
n Co
e
Society
Individual
Individual Commutative (Contractual)
What does the Bible say about social justice?
Biblical themes of justice
Creation – man is given dominion
Covenant relationship – God establishes freedom and justice for His people
Community – we are social
Biblical themes of justice
Anawim -- "the widows, orphans and aliens”
"Is not this the fast that I choose: … 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him… - Isa 58:6-7
The example of Jesus – the reign of God, the healing of the people 1 Now
the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." - Luke 15:1-3
Cycle of Baal
Community, State of Blessing
Restoration Cry out for Deliverance
Become Owners Forget the Poor Forget Yahweh
Kill the Prophets
Create Other Gods
Prophets: The Poor Self Destruction
Why is the idea of social justice important to me?
Both and … not Either or
This split between the faith which many profess and their daily lives deserves to be counted among the more serious errors of our age. - Vatican II
Long since, the Prophets of the Old Testament fought vehemently against this scandal and even more so did Jesus Christ Himself in the New Testament threaten it with grave punishments. - Vatican II
To be Christian one must both have personal piety (love of God) and work for the good of his neighbor (love of neighbor)
Contemporary Issues of Social Justice
Modern Modern Catholic Catholic Social Social Teaching Teaching 1891 1931 1961 1963 1965 1967 1971 1971 1979 1981 1988 1991 1995 2009
Rerum Novarum Quadragesimo Anno Mother and Teacher Peace on Earth Church in the Modern World The Development of Peoples A Call to Action Justice in the World Redeemer of Humanity On Human Work On Social Concern The One Hundredth Year The Gospel of Life Charity in Truth
Leo XIII Pius XI John XXIII John XXIII Vatican II Paul VI Paul VI Synod of Bishops John Paul II John Paul II John Paul II John Paul II John Paul II Benedict XI
Major Themes from Catholic Social Teaching 1.
Human dignity
2. 3.
Rights and Duties Option for the poor
4.
Stewardship vs. Environmentalism
Role of Government
6.
Does this mean welfare?
Stewardship of Creation
5.
Abortion Euthanasia
Subsidiarity and Solidarity Individualist and Collectivist errors Capitalism
Promotion of Peace
Just War Theory
Human Dignity The human person is the fundamental and foundational concern of the social teaching of the Church.
Human Dignity ď Ž
The person is sacred, made in the image of God.
ď Ž
A corollary to the claim that human beings are creatures made in the image of a Trinitarian God is that people are created for love. We exist for the purpose of entering into the experience of loving communion.
Abortion
The first right is the right to life
50 million babies killed since Roe v Wade became the law
This is the most pressing social injustice of our day
Euthanasia
The right to life is not only for those who are useful to society
No person has a right to take his own life
Human suffering has become redemptive because of the cross
Rights and Duties Rights are bestowed on human beings by God and grounded in the nature and dignity of the person. They are not created by society, but rather, are inherent in the very nature of every person.
Rights
Civil / political Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly These rights are a form of immunity from unjust interference
Economic / social Basic material necessities that are required to live a decent life Life, food, clothing, shelter
Duties ď Ž
People have a right to adequate employment, but they also have a duty to work and a responsibility to provide adequate income for their families.
ď Ž
The Catholic tradition insists that both personal and social responsibilities are necessary
Option for the Poor Remember the “widows, orphans, and aliens.”
Option for the Poor
The "preference" or "option" for the poor, then, gives Catholics a certain angle of vision, a way of looking at society that has a bias in favor of the weak and powerless. It is a perspective that examines personal decisions, policies of private and public bodies, and power relationships in terms of their effects on the poor.
This “preference” is a necessary element of the common good.
Does this mean welfare? Yes and No.
Help those who are truly powerless.
For you always have the poor with you… - Matt 26:11
…If any one will not work, let him not eat. - 2 Thess 3:10
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and eats for a lifetime.
Stewardship of Creation The goods of the earth are gifts. We hold them in trust, as stewards.
Stewardship vs. Environmentalism ď Ž
The Dominion of man over nature maintains the proper order of nature and more closely resembles stewardship and conservation than environmentalism
ď Ž
Environmentalism is a disordered tendency that seeks to elevate the earth and all of nature above man (i.e. worship of creation instead of the Creator)
The Role of Government The state has a positive moral function. It is an instrument to promote human dignity, protect human rights, and build the common good.
What Political Systems does the Church endorse? ď Ž
The Catholic Church does not put forward any form of government as the only one to be used
ď Ž
We might see human rights as providing the framework within which societies must operate. This framework does not determine the specifics of social organization and practice but it does set the limits within which a good society functions.
Subsidiarity and Solidarity The guiding principles for a just government
Subsidiarity
One should seek assistance at the closest level to the agent or agency in need.
“No bigger than necessary, no smaller than appropriate."
Solidarity
As a virtue, solidarity, in the words of John Paul II, is not a feeling of vague compassion but a “firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good” - Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, #38
It is solidarity that enables people to devote themselves “to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all”. - Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, #38
Individualist Errors ď Ž
Libertarianism champions laissez-faire free market capitalism, minimal state activity in public life and personal liberty in cultural matters.
ď Ž
This theory is individualistic in the extreme and promotes the liberty of the individual to the detriment of the common good.
Collectivist Errors
Socialists opposed laissez-faire capitalism and encourage state intervention, even control, of the economy.
Personal liberties are to be overridden in the name of the good of society.
Socialism is antithetical to religion due to its materialism.
Family and other social groups are overwhelmed since it is collectivist in the way it relates the individual to the state.
The Truth is in the Middle The Catholic social teaching has been generally understood as more attentive to issues of community than libertarianism allows while not ignoring the values of personal freedom as it charges socialism does. So one might see Catholic social teaching as a tradition that tries to strike a balance between two faulty extremes.
The Role of Government & Economies Is capitalism a legitimate economic model?
Proper Capitalism "If by capitalism is meant an economic system which recognizes the fundamental and positive role of business, the market, private property and the resulting responsibility for the means of production, as well as free human creativity in the economic sector, then the answer is certainly in the affirmative..." - John Paul II Centesimus Annus, #42
False Capitalism ď Ž
"But if by capitalism is meant a system in which freedom in the economic sector is not circumscribed within a strong juridical framework which places it at the service of human freedom in its totality, and which sees it as a particular aspect of that freedom, the core of which is ethical and religious, then the reply is certainly negative" (Ibid.).
ď Ž
John Paul is wary of a capitalism which exalts freedom to the extent that justice, rights, the common good and human dignity are sacrificed. A false capitalism takes one part of human freedom, economic liberty, and makes of it the whole story.
Balanced Capitalism Perhaps a fair summary of the position of Catholic social teaching on capitalism is that it gets a conditional approval; it is not inherently wrong but false renderings of capitalist economics must be opposed.
Promotion of Peace “If you want peace, work for justice.” Pope Paul VI, 1972, World Day of Peace Message
Promotion of Peace
Peace is not just the absence of war.
- Vatican II, The Church and the Modern World, 1965, #78
Peace is the fruit of justice and is dependent upon right order among human beings.
Peace is richly and appropriately called "an enterprise of justice“ - Is. 32:17
Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God - Matt 5:9
When peace is not possible what do we do? Just War Theory
Just War ď Ž
"The Church's teaching on war and peace establishes a strong presumption against war which is binding on all; it then examines when this presumption may be overridden, precisely in the name of preserving the kind of peace which protects human dignity and human rights" (Gaudium et Spes, #70).
ď Ž
Modern Catholic teaching has pretty much restricted the use of violent force to resistance to another's aggression. This is a just cause.
ď Ž
However making a case for a just cause is just the beginning of the process.
Just War ď Ž
Competent authority:
any decision to go to war must be made by the person or persons who are duly empowered to act on behalf of the common good.
ď Ž
Comparative justice:
this refers to the need to determine which side is sufficiently right in its complaint about the other side
ď Ž
Right intention:
closely linked to just cause, this criterion calls for scrutiny of the motivation for war
Just War
Last resort:
all reasonable peaceful alternatives must be tried before taking up arms
Probability of success:
although often hard to assess, the idea is to avoid senseless or irrational use of force
Proportionality:
this refers to some calculation of whether the good to be obtained by war outweighs the harm which will be caused
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