1. Call to Family, Community and Participation
CST principle #2

2. Vocabulary Subsidiarity Common Good Social Sin Participation
Responsibility
Eschatological Principle
Universal Destination of Goods
Private Property

3. Principle of Subsidiarity
Subsidiarity: justice and human welfare are best achieved at the most immediate level.
It’s about order, and discerning (prudence) who is best suited to be responsible for which tasks.
The person or group closest to a problem holds the greatest responsibility for addressing it.
Subsidiarity - The Best Country for Everyone

4. Principle of Subsidiarity
Examples:
International trade
Disciplining children
Curriculum
National security
Curfew
Cops
Interstate highways
Post office
Taxes
Minimum wage
Saving for retirement
Groceries

5. Principle of Subsidiarity
Pius XI: It is “a grave evil and disturbance of right order to assign to a greater and higher association what lesser and subordinate associations can do.”
Attempts to maximize or centralize the power of the state at the expense of local institutions is discouraged.
The Church warns about the tendency of the state to usurp authority to control persons, which destroys individual liberty and initiative.

6. Principle of Subsidiarity
There are times when it is not possible for justice to be obtained because of prejudice or local laws/customs.
A higher power must sometimes get involved to ensure basic human rights.
Examples: Segregated schools, UN Peacekeepers, Foster care
What temptations do those high powers then face?
“This institutional substitution must not continue any longer than is absolutely necessary, since justification for such intervention is found only in the exceptional nature of the situation.” (CSDC)
Examples: Segregated schools, UN Peacekeepers, foster care, parents and kids hw
“In this way, intermediate social entities can properly perform the functions that fall to them without being required to hand them over unjustly to other social entities of a higher level, by which they would end up being absorbed and substituted, in the end seeing themselves denied their dignity and essential place.” CSDC

7. Principle of Subsidiarity
When the principle of subsidiarity is followed, a harmony of relationships flow between the individuals and societies.
Think about a band or orchestra, a football team, rowers, etc.
Getting “in the ballpark” may be relatively simple, however, it takes great effort to establish, maintain, adapt, and reevaluate specific responsibilities.

8. Responsibility
Responsibility: The duties and obligations you have towards yourself and to society as a whole
Prioritizing responsibilities:
Mt 6:33: “ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.”
Mt 22:1-14 Parable of the Wedding Feast

9. The Common Good
It is the primary role and goal of a state to promote and protect the common good of its members.
Common good: “the sum of those conditions of social life which allow social groups and their individual members relatively thorough and ready access to their own fulfillment” (Gaudium et Spes)
The common good seeks to protect the welfare of each individual who must in turn be concerned with the welfare of each other person.
St. Paul’s image of the Body of Christ

10. The Common Good ¶1907-1912 Respect for the person
By respecting fundamental and inalienable rights such as respecting individual conscience and religious freedom.
Social well-being and development
Enabling groups to develop: socially, economically, politically, culturally, and spiritually
Ensure the necessities of a full human life: food, clothing, health, education, work, etc.
Peace
Ensuring the stability and security of a just order
Security through morally acceptable measures

11. The Common Good
The common good is always oriented towards the authentic development of the human person. It should help us become saints.
This applies to future generations as well.
We cannot deprive future generations of their ability to prosper.
$57,200/citizen Fall 2014
$60,786/citizen Fall 2016
$62,653/citizen Fall 2017

12. Responsibility and Participation (CCC ¶1913-1914)
Participation is the voluntary and generous engagement of a person in social interchange.
It is necessary that all participate, each according to his position and role, in promoting the common good.
This is achieved first of all by taking charge of the areas for which one assumes personal responsibility.

13. Participation in Public Life CCC ¶1915, 1917
As far as possible citizens should take an active part in public life.
It is acknowledged that this will vary greatly depending on one’s state in life.
Participation begins with education and culture.
“One is entitled to think that the future of humanity is in the hands of those who are capable of providing the generations to come with reasons for life and optimism.” –Gaudium et Spes

14. The Common Good and Participation
What challenges do you think your generation faces because of a failure of past generations?
What are some other challenges that future generations may face because of the way we act today?
In what ways are you a full participant in the societies you are involved in?
In what ways could you, or should you, work to increase your participation?

15. Why don’t people participate?
What can we do to change this?

16. Eschatological Principle
Definition: living in this world for the sake of the next.
Eschatological: end times (the eschaton)
Two goals/ends:
Proximate end: to build up the Kingdom of God on Earth (never ends)
Ultimate end: to get all people to heaven (never ends)
What happens if we ignore the proximate end?
What happens when we lose track of the ultimate end?

17. Eschatological Principle
The resurrection is a future event (ultimate goal) that should impact and influence the way we live our daily lives (proximate goal).
Our daily actions, or inactions, good choices and bad have an ultimate weight to them. They are a part of our history, for better or worse.
If we do not believe in the resurrection, then we do not have the courage to act as Christians today.
It is the resurrection that enables us to live courageous lives of action, applying ourselves fully to today knowing that there is, nevertheless, something more important.

18. Eschatological Principle
I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come…
Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen):
“poor banished children of Eve”
“mourning and weeping in this valley of tears”
“after this our exile”
2 Maccabees 7:1-14
What sustains us?

19. Universal Destination of Goods
Definition: God destined the earth and its resources to meet the needs of all people.
This principle is based on the fact that the original source of all that is good is the very act of God, who created both the earth and man, and who gave the earth to man so that he might have dominion over it by his work and enjoy its fruits (Gen 1:28-29).
God gave the earth to the whole human race for the sustenance of all its members, without excluding or favoring anyone. (CDSC 171)

20. Universal Destination of Goods
Universal destination of goods does not mean that everything is at the disposal of each person or of all people, or that the same object may be useful or belong to each person or all people.
If it is true that everyone is born with the right to use the goods of the earth, it is likewise true that, this needs to be done in an equitable and orderly fashion by an authority.

21. Private Property
By working, and using their gifts, humans make part of the earth their own. This is the origin of private property.
This right is based on your duty to take care of yourself, your family, and the poor.
Private property is essential to societies and economies, but is not an absolute or untouchable factor. It is a limited right.
Private property is supported in as much as it helps to ensure the universal destination of goods and works to that end. Private property is not the goal.
Increased wealth or property increases the obligations that you have.
What is the purpose of wealth?
Is it bad or good?
Bad if it excludes people or exploits others
Good as the legitimate payment for those who labor.

22. Social Sin
Definition: social structures, institutions, and attitudes which foster unjust treatment of others.
Sins against the common good.
What work can we do to overcome social sin?
First, we need to look at our structures, institutions, and attitudes in light of the Gospel.
Then, we look at our own sinful nature and work to change it.
Then, we address the concrete social issues.

23. Confucius
To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order;
To put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order;
To put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life;
We must first set our hearts right.

24. St. Augustine
“The times are bad! The times are troublesome!” This is what humans say. But we are our times. Let us live well and our times will be good. Such as we are, such are our times.

25. Vocabulary Subsidiarity Common Good Social Sin Participation
Responsibility
Eschatological Principle
Universal Destination of Goods
Private Property

26. Quiz… Making part of the earth your own in order to serve others
Voluntary but necessary involvement in society
Justice and human welfare are best achieved at the most immediate level
Building up the kingdom of God on earth now for the sake of getting all people to heaven
The earth’s resources were meant as a gift for all people
Unjust structures, institutions, or attitudes
All of the conditions of society that allow groups and individuals to grow and develop.
The duties and obligations you have towards yourself and to society as a whole

27. Pope Francis on Subsidiarity
Address to U.S. Congress: “Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiarity, in a constant effort to do our best. I am confident that we can do this.”
13:00 – Abraham Lincoln subsidiarity
26:26 – quote above