Download Social Teaching of the Catholic Church

SOCIAL TEACHING OF THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Roots and Principles
Each person finds his good by adherence to God's plan for him, in order to realize it
fully: in this plan, he finds his truth, and through adherence to this truth he becomes
free (cf. Jn 8:32). To defend the truth, to articulate it with humility and conviction,
and to bear witness to it in life are therefore exacting and indispensable forms of
charity. Charity, in fact, “rejoices in the truth” (1 Cor 13:6). (Benedict XVI, Charity
in Truth, 2009)
Everything has its origin in God's love, everything is shaped by it, everything is
directed towards it. (Benedict XVI, God is Love, 2006)
Solidarity “is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the
misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is 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. “ (John Paul II, The Social Concern of the Church, 38, 1987)
The Parable of the “Good
Samaritan”
Through the moral and social lens:
What precisely was “not good” about the actions of
the first two men?
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What does Christ seem to approve in the actions of
the Samaritan?
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What social influences come to bear on the decisions
of each of the men who encounter the man who has
been attacked?
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What responsibility does each of the travelers bear
for his decision?
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What is Jesus saying about the nature of the call to
be a neighbor in this passage?
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Battling a Hellish Anthropology:
C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape to Wormwood
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“The whole philosophy of Hell rests on recognition of
the axiom that one thing is not another thing, and,
especially, that one self is not another self. My good is
my good and your good is yours. What one gains
another loses. Even an inanimate object is what it is by
excluding all other object from the space it occupies; if
it expands, it does so by thrusting other objects aside or
by absorbing them. A self does the same. With beasts
the absorption takes the form of eating; for us, it means
the sucking of will and freedom out of a weaker self
into a stronger. ‘To be’ means ‘to be in competition.’”
C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
Scriptural and Theological Roots of
CST
1.
Creation/Genesis
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2.
3.
Man is Imago Dei
The Fall—Sin gravely wounds the “Four Shaloms”
(harmonies)
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4.
Ex nihilo—creation out of nothing, all is from God, all is gift
Man and God
Man and Woman (first society)
Man and Creation
Body and Spirit
People of Israel
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Covenant (“marital”) bond through Abraham
Sense of “Corporate Personality”
Care of neighbor, widow, orphan, stranger, traveler
Scriptural and Theological Roots of
CST: New Testament
5.
Christ universalizes the “family of God”
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God is “Our Father”
Gentiles also included
Dignity of the individual human person
Letter and Spirit of the Law: Beatitudes
Church’s Social Teaching?
DEFINITION of CST: Caritas in veritate in re sociali: the
proclamation of the truth of Christ's love in society.
(Benedict XVI, Charity in Truth, no. 5)
List of Principles of CST
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Life and Dignity of the Human Person
Marriage, Family, Community and Participation
The Common Good; Rights and Duties
The Universal Destination of Goods
The Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers
Solidarity
Subsidiarity
Principles of CST
1.
Life and Dignity of the Human Person
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Foundation of all CST
Basis of all “rights” and “duties” of personal and social
nature
Necessitates protection of most vulnerable—especially at
beginning and end of life
Persons over things
Principles of CST
2.
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Marriage, Family, Community and Participation
Family is the “fundamental cell” of society
Marriage is the key to strong families
Marriage and family are at the service of their
communities and…
Catholics have a duty to participate in society “in a
manner corresponding to his vocation and according to
the degree of influence he wields in the polis.” (B16, CV,
7)
Principles of CST
3.
The Common Good; Rights and Duties
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We are to seek the good of all in society
Because of his intrinsic dignity, the human person has
certain de facto rights, given from God and calling on a
just response from others
Each person also has duties flowing from his freedom,
toward God and others
Rights are not licenses to act unjustly
Principles of CST
4.
Universal Destination of Goods (CCC, 2402)
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God’s creation is for all
Private Property is a proper right, derived from human
dignity
Private property a means to greater good, not an end in
itself
Fundamental Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
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“unbridled capitalism” is rejected
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The Poor and Vulnerable have special priority
Profit is a means, not an end
Duty to Protect God’s Creation
Principles of CST
5.
Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers
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Work is for man, not man for work
Part of man’s participation in ongoing creation of God—
a duty from Genesis
Rights must be respected:
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Right to earn a decent wage
To organize (unions)
To own property
To productive work
To economic initiative
Principles of CST
6.
Solidarity
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All human persons are made in image of God
Therefore, “All are responsible for all.” (JPII)
The Golden Rule, My Brother’s Keeper
In today’s world, not only familial and proximate
requirements but global implications for justice and
charity
Principles of CST
7.
Subsidiarity
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Smaller “groups” (families, fraternal orgs, parishes, etc.)
have a duty to responsibly govern themselves,
therefore…
They are to be respected by larger authorities, and
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Not “absorbed” into larger
Assisted to reach their potential by the larger group
“Forms of collectivism” such as communism and socialism
are not optional for Catholics (CCC, 2425)
Other Key Terminology
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Justice—def. Giving God and others their due
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Retributive Justice: penalty for crime
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Restorative Justice: bringing back to wholeness
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Commutative Justice: contracts, exchange of goods
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Distributive Justice: proper allocation of things
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Social Justice: assuring proper order in society
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Charity (Love)—def. 1. “love received and given—it is “grace.”
Its source is (the love of the Trinity). B16, CV, No. 5 2. The
reasoned willing of the good for the other. (Aquinas)
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Development—def. Persons and societies becoming all that they
can be
Other Key Terminology
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Social sin—Def. Violations of God’s divine law in
which we actively or passively participate through
our societies
Structures of sin—Def. The “fruit of many sins” can
be “structures of sin” which become somehow
institutionalized and encourage more personal sin