Social Justice God calls society to follow the moral judgments of God to ensure the rights of individuals and groups within a larger society.

Society Groups of people bound together through common values, culture, history, traditions or geography.

Social Justice The common Good: the conditions that need to exist in society that allow all people, either as groups or individuals, to reach their full human and spiritual fulfillment. “Majority rules” does NOT guarantee that the common good is protected.

Social Justice Responsibility of Political Authority The state has the responsibility to make decisions for the common good. NOT the ability to establish their OWN moral order: they must follow the law of God planted in all our hearts. These laws ensure the basic human rights of all: Food, clothing, health, work , education, and culture, right to establish a family and so on…

Human Rights The basic political, social and economic rights that every human being claims by virtue of their human dignity as beings created by God. Society cannot grant these rights and must not violate them.

Where it all begins…. HUMAN DIGNITY: We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore we all have FUNDAMENTAL WORTH. Human dignity is the basis of all the teaching in social justice.

Social Sin occurs when: Human dignity is denied not at an individual level but by structures of sin that develop over time as the collective effect of individual sins. Institutions and societies then develop ways of acting towards one another that consistently deny certain members their human rights and basic human dignity. Examples include: racism, sexism, institutionalized poverty.

From the Dignity of One to ALL Human Solidarity: Ability to walk in the shoes of others. If one person suffers, we all suffer. Begins with the idea that we all deserve a basic fair share. (Not an EQUAL share, but at least basic needs are met.) Solidarity is ACTIVE: it is defined as an act of charity.

From solidarity to… Preferential option for the Poor The bishops noted that The poor need more help to achieve their basic goals in life than do the well-off. Therefore as Christians we have a duty to assist the poor first as the rich will have resources to provide for themselves.

Stewardship In addition to caring for our sisters and brothers, Social justice charges us with caring for the earth, all its inhabitants and its resources.

Service Vs. Justice Our response to social injustice has TWO components: Service and Justice Works of Service: seek to alleviate immediate needs. More immediate, results easier to see Works of Justice: try to change the structures of society that keep people needing works of service (poverty, war, etc.) Results may be a long time in coming but will affect more people for a longer term.

Service and Justice We need BOTH. Christ calls us to be faithful in our care of others even if success is hard to see. See diagram of two feet of Service and Justice Pg. 224.

What are the Social Encyclicals? Letters written by various Popes to the universal Church on the topic of Social Justice. (Popes write encyclicals on other topics as well.) Modern Popes have issued these letters to challenge Catholics to work together to right the wrongs of society. Here are two: Rerum Novarum (On the Condition of Workers) 1891 First letter from a Pope on this topic Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth) 1963