Catholic Social Teaching On our Journey to Justice "every generation has the task of engaging anew in the arduous search for the right way to order human affairs" (no. 25). Pope Benedict XVI Spe Salvi

Kumbaya My Lord

Catholic Social Teaching Misunderstood and Dismissed “ Far too many Catholics are not familiar with the basic content of Catholic social teaching... This poses a serious challenge for all Catholics, since it weakens our capacity to be a Church that is true to the demands of the Gospel.” Sharing Catholic Social Teaching United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

What is Catholic Social Teaching “Catholic Social Teaching is a formula or a set of principles for reflection to evaluate the framework of society and to provide criteria for prudential judgment and direction for current policy and action.” Father Bill Ryan s.j. Not a Specific Blueprint or Model Not Political – Neither Left or Right CST Provides Principles and Values that must guide just solutions

Catholic Social Teaching History New Testament, Revelation of Trinity reveals mankind’s vocation to love “That they be one as you and I are one” Jn 17:21-22 “The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me…” Lk 4:18-19 Is 61:1-2 Mathew 25 New Church marked by a new social order Acts of the Apostles everyone held things in common St. John Chrysostom

Modern Social Doctrine Documents Rerum Novarum (1891) Rerum Novarum Pope Leo XIII Quadragesimo Anno (1931) Quadragesimo Anno Pope Pius XI Mater et Magistra (1961) Mater et Magistra Pope John XXIII Pacem in Terris (1963) Pacem in Terris Pope John XXIII Gaudium et Spes (1965) Gaudium et Spes Vatican II Dignitatis Humanae (1965) Dignitatis Humanae Vatican II Populorum Progressio (1967) Populorum Progressio Pope Paul IV Solicitudo Rei Socialis (1987) Solicitudo Rei Socialis Pope John Paul II Centesimus Annus (1991) Centesimus Annus Pope John Paul II Deus Caritas Est (2005) Deus Caritas Est Pope Benedict XVI

Catholic Social Doctrine and the Theological Virtues Faith, Hope and Charity and the greatest is Charity Mirror the Trinity in that they are integral Charity has two components Love your God with your whole mind, heart and soul. Love your neighbor as you love yourself L Catholic Social Doctrine is guidance for the Golden Rule.

GOOD SAMARITAN DISCUSSION

Church’s 3 Fold Responsibility “The Church's deepest nature is expressed in her three- fold responsibility: of proclaiming the word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia), and exercising the ministry of charity (diakonia). These duties presuppose each other and are inseparable. For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being.[17]” Pope Benedict XVI Deus Caritas Est[17]

Church’s 3 Fold Responsibility Proclaiming the Word of God (kerygma-martyria) Celebrating the Sacraments (leitourgia) Ministry of Charity (diakonia)

Models to Understand Catholic Social Doctrine Two Leg Model Charity Justice Babies in the Basket “When I gave food to the poor, they called me a saint. When I asked why the poor were hungry, they called me a communist.” - Dom Helder Camara, Brazilian Bishop

Models to Understand Catholic Social Doctrine Four Pillar Model 1. Human Dignity – Made in God’s Image 2. Solidarity – We are our brother’s keeper 3. Common Good – The Fulfillment of Everybody 4. Subsidiary – Higher Social Orders serve and never take over

Models to Understand Catholic Social Doctrine Seven Key Themes 1. Life and Dignity of the Human Person 2. Call to Family, Community, and Participation 3. Rights and Responsibilities 4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable 5. The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers 6. Solidarity 7. Care for God’s Creation

The Unwanted Visitor

Surely Lord this is a Hard Teaching Social Justice Not Easy Must Confront Hard Realities 2.8 Billion People Live on Less than $2 a day The U.S. has 5% of World Population but 25% of world’s prisoners 1.4 Million U.S. deaths by abortion each year China enables the killing in Darfur and oppresses Tibet The Cassandra Effect

Social Justice Takes Courage Social Justice a Point in Conversion There is still one thing left for you: sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Luke 18:22 “But when he heard this he became quite sad, for he was very rich.”

A New Stage in History “The contemporary world is marked by a rift between the Gospel and culture, by a secularized vision of salvation that tends to reduce even Christianity to “merely human wisdom, a pseudo- science of well-being”[1111]. The Church is aware that she must take “a giant step forward in her evangelization effort, and enter into a new stage of history in her missionary dynamism”[1112]. The Church's social doctrine is situated within this pastoral vision: “The ‘new evangelization', which the modern world urgently needs,... must include among its essential elements a proclamation of the Church's social doctrine”[1113].” Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church paragraph 523

Your Both New for a Reason The Church has the Authentic View of Humanity that the world desperately needs Our Service and our Advocacy give power to our witness.