1. The Seventh & Tenth Commandments You shall not steal You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods. These commandments both have to do with respecting creation and property. They also call for social justice when it comes to wealth of individuals and nations.

2. 1. We are stewards of creation God has entrusted His creation to our care We must always be aware that we own is a blessing and a gift from God, and as such is not exclusively our own Ownership of goods should not just be for our own satisfaction but for the benefit of our families & others

3. 2. Respect for People and Their Goods We are called to practice temperance and justice when it comes to the world’s goods. This means:  Not being wasteful  Sharing our wealth and blessings with those in need

4. –The seventh & tenth commandments forbid any form of unjustly taking and keeping the property of others as well as:  Deliberate retention of things lost by others  Business fraud  Paying unjust wages  Deliberately and unnecessarily forcing up prices  Work poorly done  Tax evasion  Forgery  Wastefulness

5. 3. Respect for Creation Our stewardship of creation demands that we treat God’s creation with respect. As part of creation, animals are God’s creatures and we owe them kindness  It is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing or to domesticate them to help us with our work and leisure  We should never cause animals to suffer or die needlessly.  While we should love animals, we should never direct to them the level of affection and care due only to people

6. As stewards of God’s creation, we have must take seriously our responsibility to preserve the planet’s resources for future generations:  Needlessly wasting or destroying the planet’s resources can be likened to stealing them from future generations  We have a responsibility to avoid practices that are known to cause damage to the environment

7. 3. The Social Doctrine of the Church Any system that makes profit the exclusive and ultimate end of economic activity is morally wrong. Such systems and practices reduce people to nothing more than a means of making profit, enslaving man and idolizing money. The Church rejects totalitarian or communistic systems deny the freedom of individuals; likewise, it rejects capitalist systems that place more importance on profits than on justice and equity.

8. 4. Economic Activity and Social Justice Work bring us dignity. We are all called to work and to use the gifts and talents we have received from God. In the words of scripture, “If anyone will not work, let him not eat.” Governments must work to ensure that all is in place to allow their citizens to enjoy the fruits of their labor – individual freedom, private property rights, a stable currency, security, efficient public services, etc.

9. While profits are necessary to ensure the future of a business and guarantee employment, those who employ people have an obligation to consider the good of their employees, and not only the increase of profits. Access to employment and professions must be just. There should be no unjust discrimination based upon race, ethnicity, gender or any other such factor. Workers should receive just wages. To refuse to provide a just wage is a grave injustice. Since unemployment wounds the dignity of the person, governments should do all they can to reduce unemployment in their countries.

10. 5. Solidarity and Justice Among Nations On the international level, the inequality of resources and economic capability creates a real ‘gap’ between nations There are those nations possessing and developing the means of growth, but there ae also those accumulating debts. Rich nations need to assist poorer nations to develop their own resources so that they can become less dependent on others for their survival.