Excerpted from : The Heart of Catholic Social Teaching,

David Matzko McCarthy, Editor (2009).

 

PRIMARY SOURCES IN THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION;

SCRIPTURE AND WORSHIP

 

Biblical justice, or righteousness, exists when the relationships between God to humans and between humans to humans are in balance.

·         God is the source of justice

·         God reveals justice

·         God expects humans to practice it in their dealings with one another and with God

The biblical prophets cried for justice for the poor and weak. They said God’s judgment is tempered by compassion and refusal to abandon the people of Israel. They judged those in power, and they judged fiercely.

Worship must include practice of justice; i.e. care for the poor, the weak, widows and orphans.

Ezekiel foresaw the end of Israel as God’s judgment on the people. After the final destruction of Jerusalem, he envisioned a rebuilding of the land and the temple that was accompanies by renewal of just relationships among the peoples.

At the end of the exile, Third Isaiah, noticing the costs of rebuilding on those who could least afford it, preached that the worship God wanted from the Israelites depended on their meeting the needs of the poor. For worship to be acceptable to God, Israel had to be in a state of right relationship with the least and poorest among them. Only by the people practicing compassion, individually as well as corporately, with every person could this balance be achieved. When such justice ruled in the land, the prophets proclaimed, it would be a time of Shalom, the reign of God.

 

Finally, we see God’s justice being personified with the coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus placed first the needs of those without the basics for a dignified life over those who have prosperous abundance. Jesus taught that it’s personal and relational because the justice we give and seek is God’s. It’s not about fairness; it’s united to compassion.

It is in His great gift to us, the Eucharist, where we see the model for the compassion we are called to live. The Eucharist is an action that expresses Christ’s gift of Himself to us, a gift given with the intention of continuing our transformation. We give thanks for the gift of Christ, we are altered and move out into the world and continue the self-emptying in justice to those in need.

 

 

 

MAJOR THEMES OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING

 

The way to a fulfilled human life comes from imitating Jesus, especially in the following ways: 

·         Upholding life, dignity and equality of all persons

·         Recognizing a special obligation to defend the poor and vulnerable

·         Understanding need to promote the common good so that people may reach their full potential and dignity

·         Accepting the challenge to respond in charity to human needs, while also working to change structures that perpetuate poverty and inhumane conditions

 

BASIC TENETS OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING

 

Jesus is the source and example for the Christian way of living in the world.

He calls us to be guided by the following principles:

·         Solidarity with all of humanity

·         Working for peace

·         Service of the poor and vulnerable among us

·         Love of God and neighbor –compassionate caring

·         Unity

·         Constant conversion, turning away from individualism, materialism, consumerism, violence toward the mission of caring for the poor

·         Anticipating and working for the future fullness of god’s reign in the world

·         Hungering and thirsting for justice

·         Being good stewards of God’s creation

·         Recognizing that we are called to be the ongoing presence of Christ in the world

·          

THE CHURCH’S SOCIAL DOCTRINE – THE BODY OF WRITTEN WORKS

 

Began in 1891 with Pope Leo XIII’s  foundational Encyclical Rerum Novarum and has subsequently developed through the Magisterium of the Popes and Bishops.

·         A response to the revolutionary changes brought on by the Industrial Revolution

·         Posed the first great social question – the labor question

·         Central theme is the just ordering of society

·         Sets forth the Catholic doctrine on work, the right to property, the principle of collaboration instead of class struggle, the rights of the weak, the dignity of the poor, obligations of the rich, perfecting of justice through charity, and the rights to form professional associations.

The principles stated in Rerum Novarum have been taken up and studied more deeply in successive social encyclicals. The whole of the Church’s social doctrine can be seen as an updating, deeper analysis and expansion of those principles laid out in Rerum Novarum.

 

 

In 1931, Pope Pius XI published the Encyclical Quadragesimo Anno on the 40th anniversary of Rerum Novarum confirming and stressing the following principles:

·         Freedom to form associations

·         Solidarity and cooperation within social structures and between capital and labor

·         Workers’ salaries should be proportional not only to a worker’s needs, but t those of his family

·         Subsidiarity

Subsidiarity holds that all societies of a superior order must adopt helping attitudes, i.e., support, promotion and development, with respect to lower-order societies. This principle protects people from abuses by higher-level social authority and calls on these authorities to help individuals and intermediate groups to fulfill their duties.

 

In 1961, Blessed John XXIII published his Encyclical, Mater et Magistra (Mother and Teacher). Some key words and ideas:

·         Community and socialization

·         The Church is called in truth, justice and love to cooperate with all people in building authentic communion.

·         Economic growth must not only satisfy mens’ needs, but also promote their dignity.

 

  In 1963, he brought to center stage the problem of peace in an era of nuclear proliferation. His Encyclical Pacem in Terris also emphasizes:

·         The dignity of humans and the importance of cooperation among people

·         The need for public authority to tackle and solve the problems posed by the universal public good

 

 

In 1962, Blessed John XXIII convened the Second Vatican, a Council of all the Bishops of the whole Church in response to a need he saw for renewal in the Church. Here, there was much discussion of the place and role of the Church in modern society and politics. A key document that was produced was Guadium et Spes (The Church in the Modern World).  Basic themes of this document were:

·         Solidarity – the sharing of joys and griefs and the friendship and love of God.

·         Cooperation for the common good

·         Love is meant to be found in all social relationships, with every person.

·         Unity with all mankind which is manifested in cooperation with others by building peace, protecting human dignity, seeing that all people have the basic necessities of life, i.e., food, shelter, clothing, education, employment, basic freedoms

 

 

 

 

In 1967, building on Guadium et Spes, Pope Paul VI proclaimed in his Encyclical Populorum Progressio (On the Progression of Peoples) the following principles:

·         Human development must be a transition from less humane to more humane conditions.

·         Development must be responsive to the demands of justice on a global scale, guarantee worldwide peace and make possible a humanism guided by the values of dignity of others and solidarity with all humanity.

Also in 1967, Pope Paul VI established the Pontifical commission, “Justice and Peace”, in order to stimulate the Catholic community to promote progress in needy regions and promote international social justice.

In 1968, Pope Paul VI initiated the annual January 1st celebration of the World Day of Peace and the tradition of writing annual messages with the theme chosen for each World Day of Peace.

 

On the 80th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, in 1971, Pope PaulVI updated the social teaching of Pope LeoXIII with an Apostolic Letter, Octogesima Adveniens, which was a reflection on that era of turbulence and social controversy.  Here, he noted that ideologies alone were inadequate to respond to the challenges of urbanization, unemployment, discrimination, population growth, and the problems of women, young people, discrimination and ecological degradation.

 

In 1988, in Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (On Social Concerns), Pope John Paul II dealt with the theme of development. Regarding the difference between development and progress, he stated, “…true development cannot be limited to the multiplication of goods and services, but must contribute to the fullness of ‘being’ of man, thus showing the moral nature of real development.

 

The 100th anniversary of Rerum Novarum was marked by Pope John Paul II with his third social encyclical, Centesimus Annus. Here, the Pope again took up the principle of solidarity.

·         Stated by Pope Leo III as ‘friendship’

·         Pope Pius XI used the term ‘social charity’

·         Pope Paul VI, covering many aspects of the social question, speaks of ‘civilization of love’

·         Pope John Paul II shows how the Church’s social teaching moves along “the axis of reciprocity between God and man, recognizing God in every person and every person in God is the condition of authentic human development.

·         This indispensable solidarity is the correct context for democracy and the free economy.

 

Pope Benedict XVI  has issued two encyclicals of significance for this summary:  Deus Caritas Est (On Christian Love – God is Love)  and Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth).