1 Pax Romana Compendium Study Guide Intro Plus 1-4

““ CC OO MM PP EE NN DD II UU MM OO FF

TT HH EE SS OO CC II AA LL DD OO CC TT RR II NN EE

OO FF TT HH EE CC HH UU RR CC HH ””

AA PP AA XX RR OO MM AA NN AA SS TT UU DD YY GG UU II DD EE

JO E HO L LA N D , C É S A R J . B A LD E LO M A R, & JA M E S C O N LE Y

ED IT O R S

The cover photo is of the Catholic Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere

within the city of Rome, Italy. This was the Roman titular church of James

Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore from 1877 to 1921. A pla-

que in the Basilica honors this famous American Cardinal who, in one of

his first acts as Archbishop, successfully intervened with the Vatican so that

it would not condemn the young labor movement in America known as the

Knights of Labor. Born into a family of Irish immigrants, Cardinal Gib-

bons was one of the important church leaders who significantly influenced the

decision of Pope Leo XIII to write his famous social encyclical, Rerum No-

varum, which supported both labor unions and the regulatory state – issued

in 1991, only four years after Cardinal Gibbon’s famous intervention with

the Vatican. His intervention, also known as “Gibbons Memorial,” de-

fended the rights of workers to form unions and closely linked Catholic evan-

gelization closely to the church’s defense of the working class. The plaque in

the Basilica honors Cardinal Gibbons with the following words:

JAMES CARDINAL GIBBONS

ARCHBIHSOP OF BALTIMORE 1887-1921

FAITHFUL SHEPHERD AND TEACHER

PIONEER ECUMENIST

DEFENDER OF WORKERS’ RIGHTS

ON TAKING POSSESSION OF THIS HISTORIC BASILICA AS HIS

TITULAR CHURCH ON THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION, MARCH

25 , 1887, CARDINAL GIBBONS PREACHED A SERMON WHICH,

IN ITS SUPPORT FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND CONSTITUTIONAL

DEMOCRACY, ANTICIPATED AND HELPED MAKE POSSIBLE THE

TEACHING OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL IN DIGNITATIS

HUMANAE AND GAUDIUM ET SPES.

“COMPENDIUM OF

THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH”

A PAX ROMANA STUDY GUIDE

Edited by

JOE HOLLAND, PH.D.

President, Pax Romana /Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs – USA

Professor of Philosophy and Religion, St. Thomas University of Florida

CÉSAR J. BALDELOMAR

Executive Director, Pax Romana Center for International Study of Catholic Social Teaching

Graduate Student, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University

JAMES CONLEY, PH.D.

Professor of Humanities & Assistant Dean for the Liberal Arts,

St. Thomas University of Florida

PAX ROMANA

Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs

USA

1025 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 1000

Washington DC 20036 USA

Email [email protected]

Email paxromanausa.org

In dedication to

the 420,000 university students, professionals, and intellectuals

who are members of Pax Romana

in both the Eastern and Western Catholic Churches

across 80 countries of Planet Earth

and to the countless deceased members of Pax Romana

reaching back more than 120 years

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Preface About Catholic Social Doctrine How to Use This Study Guide

Introduction Summary of Introduction: “AN INTEGRAL AND SOLIDARY HUMANISM” Joe Holland, Ph.D. With Discussion Guide .

Part I

Summary of Chapter One: “GOD’S PLAN OF LOVE FOR HUMANITY” James W. Conley, Ph.D. With Discussion Guide Summary of Chapter Two: “THE CHURCH’S MISSION AND SOCIAL DOCTRINE” Arthur William Kane, M.A. With Discussion Guide Summary of Chapter Three: “THE HUMAN PERSON AND HUMAN RIGHTS” César J. Baldelomar With Discussion Guide

Summary of Chapter Four: “PRINCIPLES OF THE CHURCH’S SOCIAL DOCTRINE” Lynn Bridgers, Ph.D. With Discussion Guide

Part II

Summary of Chapter Five: “THE FAMILY, VITAL CELL OF SOCIETY” David Masters, M.A. & Dayane Masters With Discussion Guide Summary of Chapter Six: “HUMAN WORK” Josef Klee, Ph.D. With Discussion Guide Summary of Chapter Seven: “ECONOMIC LIFE” Rebecca Quiñones With Discussion Guide Summary of Chapter Eight: “THE POLITICAL COMMUNITY” Thomas F. Brezenski, Ph.D. With Discussion Guide Summary of Chapter Nine: “THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY” Rev. Stephen Judd, M.M., Ph.D. With Discussion Guide Summary of Chapter Ten: “SAFEGUARDING THE ENVIRONMENT” Edward A. Ajhar, Ph.D. With Discussion Guide Summary of Chapter Eleven: “THE PROMOTION OF PEACE” Tim Shipe With Discussion Guide

Part III

Summary of Chapter Eleven: “SOCIAL DOCTRINE & ECCLESIAL ACTION” Francis J. Sicius, Ph.D. With Discussion Guide

Conclusion Summary of Conclusion: “FOR A CIVILIZATION OF LOVE” Joe Holland, Ph.D. With Discussion Guide

1

SUMMARY OF THE INTRODUCTION:

"AN INTEGRAL AND SOLIDARITY HUMANISM"

JOE HOLLAND

Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Saint Thomas University of Florida;

President, Pax Romana/Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs USA

At the Dawn of the Third Millennium (1-6)

The Compendium begins by telling us that, at the dawn of this Third Mil-lennium of Christian history, the Church – a pilgrim people guided by Christ the “great shepherd” who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” -- speaks to “all people and all nations” to announce an integral salvation. This integral salvation needs to “permeate this world in the realities of the economy and labor, of technology and communications, of society and politics, of the international community and of the relations among culture and peoples.”

This teaching of integral salvation includes “the demands of justice and peace” as central to “the new law of love.” It is founded in the “tran-scendent dignity” of humans as they “encounter their neighbor in a network of relationships.” Thus, the church’s social doctrine has a pro-found unity rooted in God’s love for the world.

Loved by God, all people are called to become authentically human by understanding “their transcendent dignity” and by working for “justice and peace” through “the new law of love” on behalf of our neighbors “in a network of relationships” at every level “to the ends of the earth.” We have so many “needy brothers and sisters waiting for help, ” includ-ing those suffering from unjust oppression, unemployment, lack of

2

healthcare, hunger, homelessness, the despair of affluence without meaning, drug addiction, abandonment in old age, marginalization by discrimination, ecological crisis, war, and human rights violations.

Such needs require “denunciation, proposals, and a commitment to cul-tural and social projects” with a “responsibility inspired by an integral and shared humanism.” (Italics added.)

The Significance of this Document (7-12)

The Compendium tells us that the Church’s social doctrine offers:

� “Principles for reflection” � “Criteria for judgment” � “Directives for action”

As “the starting point for promotion of an integral and solidary human-ism,” this doctrine is “a genuine pastoral priority,” “part of the Church’s evangelizing mission,” and essential for “the new evangelization.”

The Compendium presents here ‘a complete and systematic … overview” of the “fundamental elements” of Church’s Magisterium in the social arena,” with “Episcopal Conferences (having) the task of making the appropriate applications as required for the different local situations.” While “this teaching” is drawn “from documents of differing authority,” it needs to be “considered as a whole,” that is characterized by “an ever greater interconnectedness” which requires a “systematic approach” to our contemporary reality, with “constant updating” of interpreting “the new signs of the times,” and with “new strategies” and “different char-isms” for “the evangelization of the social order.”

The Compendium “is first of all for bishops, who will determine the most favorable methods for interpreting it correctly,” and also for priests, religious, and the lay faithful, and indeed for all Christian communities, as well as for our “brethren of other Churches and Ecclesial Communi-ties,” for “followers of other religions,” and for “all people of good will.” It also welcomes the new dialogue among “religions and cultures”

3

in “promoting peace, fraternity, justice, and growth of the human per-son.”

At the Service of the Full Truth about Man (13-17)

In service to “the women and men of our time,” the Compendium draws on the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes (from Vatican Council II) and reflects the Church’s “one solitary goal,” namely “to carry forward the work of Christ himself under the lead of the befriending Spirit … to bear witness to the truth, to save and not to sit in judgment, and to serve and not to be served.”

In this regard, the Church offers a contribution to “the question of man’s place in nature and human society” on behalf of “civilizations and cultures” that are rooted in the ancient traditions of human wisdom – often thousands of years old. “These are the basic questions of human life, recalled by the admonition found on the ancient “temple portal at Delphi” – “Know yourself.”

These questions address the very nature of “human existence, society and history.” Such questions are “essentially religious,” for they ask the “why of things.” They take on ever greater significance today because of “the enormity of the challenges facing modern generations.”

� A first challenge is “the truth itself of the being who is man” � A second is “the understanding and management of pluralism

and difference at every level” � A third is “globalization,” for we are witnessing “the opening of

a new era” of “human destiny.”

“The disciplines of Jesus” commit themselves to “the quest for the truth and the meaning of life lived both as an individual person and as a socie-ty.” Regarding these questions, “God has spoken to men and women throughout history.” In Jesus, his Son made man, “God … has entered history in order to dialogue with humanity and to reveal to mankind his plan of salvation, justice, and brotherhood.”

4

In the Sign of Solidarity, Respect, and Love (18-19)

“The Church journeys along the roads of history together with all of humanity.” “The Second Vatican Council” demonstrated the Church’s “solidarity, respect, and affection for all of humanity by its dialogue with the great problems of our times.” It did this in the light of the Gospel and “under the promptings of the Holy Spirit,” in order “to put the Church at the service of the human race.”

The Church proposes to all women and men a humanism that reflects “God’s plan of love.” This plan calls for “an integral and solidary hu-manism capable of creating a new social, economic, and political order founded on the dignity and freedom of every human person in peace, justice, and solidarity.”

5

PP AA RR TT OO NN EE

“The theological dimension is needed both for interpreting

and for solving present day problems in human society.”

Centessimus Annus, 55

6

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER ONE

“GOD’S PLAN OF LOVE FOR HUMANITY”

JAMES CONLEY, PH.D.

Professor of Humanities & Assistant Dean for the Liberal Arts

Saint Thomas University, Miami Gardens, Florida

Chapter One of the Compendium clarifies how Catholic social doc-trine has its foundation in Sacred Scripture and specifically in three loves: the “gratuitous love" of God for creation as revealed in the Old Testament, the “commandment of mutual love” asso-ciated with Biblical covenants and embodied in the person of Jesus Christ, and a Trinitarian or “transcendent love” which de-fines God and applies to each person, to the Church, and to all communities – economic, social, or political.

The chapter has four major components:

� a reflection on “God’s Liberating Action in the History of Israel”

� a presentation of Christ as the “Fulfillment of the Father’s Plan of Love”

� a discussion of the identity and vocation of the “Human Per-son in God’s Plan”

� a commentary on “God’s Plan and the Mission of the Church”

7

Each of these sections unveils significant aspects of “gratuitous love,” “mutual love” and “transcendent love,” as God’s plan for society.

I. God’s Liberating Action

in the History of Israel

God’s Gratuitous Presence (20-25)

The chapter begins with remarks on how “all cultural traditions” recognize some aspect of divine presence in existence and in supporting social justice. “On the one hand,” the chapter says, “God is seen as the origin of what exists, as the presence that guarantees to men and women organized in society the basic conditions of life, placing at their disposal the goods that are ne-cessary. On the other hand, God appears as the measure of what should be, as the measure that challenges human action – both on the personal and social levels – regarding the use of those very goods in relation to other people.”

The human experience of this divine presence as “gift and gra-tuitousness” constitutes “the background of universal religious experience, in which humanity shares in different ways.”

“God’s progressive revelation of himself to the people of Israel” is “made concrete” in the divine call to Moses and in the libera-tion of the captive Israelite slaves from Egypt: “I have seen the affliction of my people” (Exodus 3:7) says God, who names him-self “I am who am” (Exodus 3:14). This is the God who freely brings all creation into existence, who responds to enslavement as a liberator and protector, and who provides a set of laws – the Decalogue or Ten Commandments – which “contain a privileged expression of natural law” and are “…linked to the practices that

8

… [will] regulate, in justice and solidarity, the development of Israelite society,” especially “the rights of the poor.”

This gives rise to the “law of the sabbatical year (celebrated every seven years and that of the jubilee year (celebrated every fifty years),” which ideally provide for the “cancellation of debts,” re-lease of slaves, and return of familial lands. This legislation, a “founding principle” of God’s covenant with Israel, constitutes “a kind of social doctrine in miniature.” “These principles be-come the focus of the Prophets’ preaching,” which then proc-laims how “God’s spirit … is poured into the human heart … [to] make these same sentiments of justice and solidarity, which reside in the Lord’s heart, take root in you” (cf. Jeremiah 31:33 and Ezekiel 36:26-27).

The Principle of Creation

and God’s Gratuitous Action (26)

As we have seen, God’s act of creating is an act of “gratuitous love” revealing for humanity a plan of love based on justice and peace. This teaching is intensified in the “Wisdom Literature” of the Bible, and in the teaching of the Book of Genesis that man and woman are both created in “the image and likeness of God” (Genesis 1:26-27), that is, Divine love and gratuitousness called to cultivate the garden of life.

Yet, from the beginning, humanity’s share in the gift of God’s gratuitousness “has been distorted by sin.” This sin breaks the harmony within the human person, between woman and man, among all people, and between humans and other creatures. “It is in this original estrangement that are to be sought the deepest roots of all the evils that … assail justice and solidarity.”

9

II. Jesus Christ the Fulfillment

of the Father’s Plan of Love

In Jesus Christ the Decisive Event of the History

of God with Mankind is Fulfilled (28-29)

The Compendium tells us that “The benevolence and mercy that inspire God’s actions … come so very much close to man … [in] Jesus, the Word made flesh.” To communicate how Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s plan for humanity and society, the Compen-dium calls attention to the earliest stages of Christ’s ministry when he says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the cap-tives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19). We learn that “Jesus announces liberating mercy of God to those whom he meets on his way, beginning with the poor, the marginalized, the sinners.”

The Revelation of Trinitarian Love (30-33)

“The New Testament grasps, in the light of the full revelation of Trinitarian love offered by the Passover of Jesus Christ, the ulti-mate meaning of the Incarnation.” We experience in “Jesus cruci-fied and risen from the dead [that] God is Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; truly distinct and truly one, because God is an infinite communion of love.” Jesus is inspired by “the love he has experienced in his intimate union with the father, a love which after the Resurrection and Pentecost the Holy Spirit “pours forth in the hearts…” of humanity (Romans 5:5).

The Apostle John grasped the “profound meaning and … [the] most logical consequence “of God’s gift of life and gift of Christ as the Son of God, and this consequence is a “reciprocity of

10

love” in a commandment which “…Jesus describes as ‘new’ and ‘his’: ‘that you love one another; even as I have loved you, so you love one another’ (John 13:34).” This law of mutual love be-comes the “law of life for God’s people, [and] must inspire, justi-fy, and elevate all human relationships in society and politics.”

III. The Human Person

in God’s Plan of Love

Trinitarian Love, the Origin and Goal

of the Human Person (34-37)

As “the mystery of God as Trinitarian love” has reached out to humanity through creation and through the gift of the Son and the Holy Spirit, so each person must transcend his/her self reach-ing out first to God and secondly to his/her neighbors – up to all peoples in the world – according to the plan of God.

God’s plan of love begins with the gratuitous “creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God” (Genesis 1:26-27), that is, as “the image of Trinitarian love in the created universe.” “Genesis thus provides us with certain foundations of Christian anthropology: the inalienable dignity of the human person … the social nature of human beings … the meaning of human activity in the world … (as called to follow) the laws of nature.

Christian Salvation for all People

and the Whole Person (38-40)

The salvation offered ... in Jesus … is a universal and integral sal-vation … [concerning] the whole person … personal and social, spiritual and corporeal, historical and transcendent.” It is “a reali-ty already in history” but its completion, however, is in the fu-

11

ture” when we shall “share in Christ’s resurrection and in the eternal life of communion with the Father in the joy of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, “purely immanentistic visions of the meaning of history” and of “self-salvation” are clearly in error.

Our relationship with God as Trinity requires “openness in con-crete love toward man … even if he is an enemy” (cf. Matthew 5:43-44). This is the basis of our “commitment to justice and so-lidarity, to the building up of a social, economic, and political life that corresponds to God’s plan.”

The Disciple of Christ

as a New Creation (41-44)

Yet our “personal and social life, as well as human action in the world, is always threatened by sin.” So we need an “inner trans-formation of the human person” in order to have “a real trans-formation of … relationships with others.” In seeking “to love one’s neighbor as oneself,” we need “a firm and constant deter-mination to work for the good of all people and of each person.” This requires purifying our “pride and inordinate self-love” and perfecting it “by the cross and resurrection of Christ.”

The Transcendence of Salvation

and the Autonomy of Earthly Realities (45-48)

“The more human realities are seen in the light of God’s plan and lived in communion with God, the more they are empowered and liberated.” Then, in these realities, humans are better able in created things to follow “their own laws and values.” When this unified or integral vision is maintained, all works together. But if God is removed from the vision, society becomes “alienated” in its organizational forms and in its social relations.

12

Here we can speak of what the Compendium calls an “eschatologi-cal relativity” to human action: “the human person … transcends the limits of the created universe, of society and history; his ulti-mate end is God.” We can also speak of a “theological relativity,” which means that the “destiny of humanity and creation … is infinitely greater than human possibilities and expectations.”

Without this complementarity of God and society, we have ulti-mately a “totalitarian vision of society” which is “contrary to the integral truth of the human person and to God’s plan in history.”

IV. God’s Plan and the Mission of the Church

The Church, Sign and Defender of

the Transcendence of the Human Person (49-51)

The Church as a community is “the sign and the safeguard of the transcendent dimension of the human person” and “a sign and instrument … of communion with God and of unity among all men.” As this sacrament, the Church serves the Kingdom of God “by announcing and communicating the Gospel of salvation and by establishing new Christian communities.”

The Church should not be “confused with the political communi-ty and it is not bound to any political system.” Its transcendental dimension is “a bulwark against every totalitarian temptation,” as well as “a leaven for attaining wholeness, justice, and solidarity.”

The Church, the Kingdom of God,

and the Renewal of Social Relations (52-55)

“God, in Christ, redeems not only the individual person but the social relations existing between men.” As the Apostle Paul tells us, “In Christ Jesus … there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither

13

slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ” (Galatians 3:26-28). “The transformation of social rela-tionships … [according to] the demands of the Kingdom of God” leads Christians … “to dialogue with all people of good will in the common quest for the seeds of truth and freedom sown in the vast field of humanity.” This call to the “transforma-tion of the world” represents Jesus’ “new commandment of love,” stands out as “a fundamental requirement of our time, and is the reason “the Church’s social Magisterium … offers res-ponses … [to] the signs of the times.”

New Heavens and a New Earth (56-58)

“God’s promise and Jesus Christ’s resurrection raise in Christians the well-founded hope that a new and eternal dwelling place is prepared for every human person, a new earth where justice ab-ides (cf. Corinthians 5:1-2; 2 Peter 3:13).” “The good things – such as human dignity, brotherhood and freedom … belong to the Kingdom of truth and life.” In the new world to come, “the words of Christ will … resound for all people: Come … inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink …” (Matthew 25:34-36).

So the fulfillment of the human person in history is “achieved in Christ, through the gift of the Spirit.” It “develops in history and is mediated by personal relationships” that reach for “justice and peace.”

Mary and Her “Fiat” in God’s Plan of Love (59)

“Heir to the hope of the righteous in Israel and first among the disciples of Jesus Christ is Mary, his mother.” “By her ‘fiat’ to the plan of God’s love (cf. Luke 1:38), [and] in the name of all hu-

14

manity, she accepts in history the One sent by the Father, the Savior of all mankind.” Her Magnificat “proclaims … the coming of the Messiah of the poor (cf. Isaiah 11:4; 61:1) … the One who casts down the mighty from their thrones and raises up the lowly, fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty, scatters the proud and shows mercy to those who fear him (cf. Luke 1:50-53).”

This first chapter of the Compendium is a profound one. The mes-sage is rich in its range and in the resources sought for a founda-tion to the social doctrine of the Church. That foundation is scriptural, and it entails the progressive revelation of God’s plan of love for humanity. Reflecting on the history of Israel, on the nature and teaching of Christ, on the identity and vocation of the human person, and on the mission of the Church, this chapter explains God’s plan in terms of “gratuitous love” in the act of creation and salvation, a law of “mutual love” taught and embo-died by Jesus, and a transcendent love which calls all persons to serve their neighbors and ultimately to dwell in the “new earth” of the Kingdom of God.

15

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER TWO:

"THE CHURCH’S MISSION

AND SOCIAL DOCTRINE"

ARTHUR W. KANE, M.A.

Assistant Professor of Philosophy,

Saint Thomas University, Miami Gardens, FL

I. Evangelization and Social Doctrine

The Church, God’s Dwelling Place

with Men and Women (60-61)

The Compendium tells us that the Church, sharing in mankind’s joys and hopes, in its anxieties and sadness, stands with every man and woman of every place (Cf. Gaudium et Spes, Vatican Council II). The Church lives within humanity as “the sacrament of God’s love” and of “the most splendid hope, which inspires and sustains every authentic undertaking for and commitment to human liberation and advancement,” in order to make “the world more human.”

Enriching and Permeating Society

with the Gospel (62-65)

“With her social teaching the Church seeks to proclaim the Gos-pel and make it present in the complex network of social relations

16

… [by] enriching and permeating society itself with the Gospel.” The Church’s social doctrine predisposes those who receive it to “thoughts and designs of love, justice, freedom, and peace.” Thus, “evangelizing the social sector … means building a city of man that is more human.” This is “an integral expression” of su-pernatural salvation.

The Church’s mission to evangelize means sharing the Good News with the world, both its supernatural and natural dimen-sions: “The Church’s social doctrine is an integral part of her evangelizing ministry. Nothing that concerns the community of men and women –situations and problems regarding justice, free-dom, development, relations between people, peace – is foreign to evangelization.”

“Redemption begins with the Incarnation,” which proclaims “the solidarity established by the Wisdom of the Divine Creator.” “The salvific economy of the Gospel” encompasses the whole person – “not a detached soul or a being closed with its own in-dividuality, but a person and a society of persons.”

Social Doctrine, Evangelization

and Human Promotion (66-68)

“The Church’s social doctrine is an integral part of her evangeliz-ing ministry.” The entire field of development, relations among peoples, and justice and peace, must be included in evangeliza-tion. Social doctrine is not something “tacked on” to evangeliza-tion; “rather, it is at the very heart of the Church’s ministry of service.” But the Church’s social doctrine does not provide “technical solutions.”

17

The Rights and Duties of the Church (69-71)

“The Church has the right to be a teacher for mankind, a teacher of the truth of faith.” “This right of the Church is at the same time a duty, because she cannot forsake this responsibility with-out denying herself and her fidelity to Christ.”

This is why the Church proclaims “the Gospel in the context of society, to make the liberating word of the Gospel resound in the worlds of production, labor business, finance, trade, politics, law, culture, social communications, where men and women live.”

For just as the Church has the right to proclaim the social doc-trine based on the Gospel, so is it her duty, “because she cannot forsake this responsibility without denying herself and her fidelity to Christ.” Pope Paul VI told us: “Because of the public relev-ance of the Gospel and faith, because of the corrupting effects of injustice, the Church cannot remain indifferent to social matters” (Evangelii Nuntiandi).

II. The Nature of the Church’s Social Doctrine

Knowledge Illuminated by Faith (72-75)

The Church’s social doctrine has evolved over time “through the

numerous interventions of the Magisterium on social issues.” In

his 1988 encyclical Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, John Paul II clarified that

the Church’s social doctrine “belongs to the field, not of ideolo-

gy, but of theology and particularly of moral theology.” “Its main

aim,” the Compendium states, “…is to guide Christian behavior.

“This teaching…is to be found at the crossroads where Christian

life and conscience come into contact with the real world.” It

operates at “three levels of theological-moral teaching:”

18

� “The foundational level of motivation”

� “The directive level of norms for life in society”

� “The deliberative level of consciences”

The “essential foundation” of the Church’s social doctrine is

found “in biblical revelation and in the tradition of the Church.”

It shows us “God’s plan for the created world.” This faith-based

dimension at the same time makes us of reason to engage with

the “historical aspects of praxis.” Thus, “faith and reason’ come

together as “the two cognitive paths of the Church’s social doc-

trine.” It is “knowledge enlightened by faith.”

In Friendly Dialogue with

all Branches of Knowledge (76-78)

“The Church’s social doctrine avails itself of contributions from

all branches of knowledge, whatever their source, and has an im-

portant interdisciplinary dimension.” It makes use especially of

philosophy and the social sciences. Philosophy is “indispensible”

for “a correct understanding of the basic concepts of the

Church’s social doctrine, concepts such as the person, society,

freedom, conscience, the common good, solidarity, subsidiarity,

and the State.”

An Expression of the Church’s

Ministry of Teaching (79-80)

“The whole of the Church community – priests, religious and

laity – participates in the formulation of this social doctrine” as an

expression of the “sensus fidelium,” that is, of all the faithful. It is

also “the work of the Magisterium, which teaches with the au-

thority that Christ conferred on the apostles and their succes-

sors.” It works in a “primary” way through the “universal Magis-

19

terium of the Pope and the Council,” which is then “integrated

into the Magisterium of the Bishops,” who in turn offer “valid

contributions” in a “collegiality of the Church’s Pastors.” In sum,

“it is authentic Magisterium, which obliges the faithful to adhere

to it.”

For a Society Reconciled

in Justice and Love (81-82)

“The Church’s social doctrine has the task of proclamation, but

also of denunciation.” It denounces “the sin of injustice and vi-

olence.” It defends “especially the poor, the least and the weak.”

Injustice and the violation of rights give rise to “social questions,”

to which the proper answer is “social justice.” It speaks to “the

religious and moral order” of society on behalf of “a complete

form of humanism” in preparation for the “new heavens and a

new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

A Message for the Sons and Daughters

of the Church and for Humanity (83-84)

Everyone in the Church “is called by this social teaching to rec-

ognize and fulfill the obligations of justice and charity in society.”

It belongs to “the lay faithful – by virtue of “their secular condition”

and “the secular nature of their vocation” – to “put the Church’s

social teaching into action and thus fulfill the Church’s secular

mission.” In addition, the Church’s social doctrine has a “univer-

sity destination” and is “explicitly addressed to all people of good

will.”

20

Under the Sign of Community

and Renewal (85-86)

In its “continuity,” the Church’s social doctrine “refers to the

universal values drawn from Revelation and human nature.” In its

“continuous renewal,” it responds to “changes in historical condi-

tions.” Thus, it is a “work site” – a work “always in progress” on

behalf of justice and peace.” As “Mother and Teacher,” the

Church is always “reaching out” as a “point of contact with the

Gospel, with the message of liberation and reconciliation, of jus-

tice and peace.”

III. The Church’s Social Doctrine in Our Times:

Historical NoteS

The Beginning of a New Path (87-88)

While the term “social doctrine” goes back to Pius XI, its con-

temporary form begins with “the Encyclical Letter Rerum Nova-

rum of Pope Leo XIII” (1891) as marking “the beginning of a

new path” for the Church’s involvement in social matters. But

this “new path” had deep roots in the Church’s rich “doctrinal

heritage” – from Scripture, especially the Gospels, and from the

Church’s long tradition. The Industrial Revolution in the nine-

teenth century had effected vast changes in societal structures

that led to “the first great social question—the labor question –

prompted by the conflict between capital and labor.”

From Rerum Novarum to Our Own Day (89-103)

In this section, the Compendium reviews the development of

Catholic Social Doctrine from Rerum Novarum to our own day.

21

Pope Leo XIII in Rerum Novarum “expounded the first great social

encyclical” in response to the social suffering of industrial work-

ers. The encyclical expounded “with precision and in contempo-

rary terms ‘the Catholic doctrine on work, the right to property,

the principle of collaboration instead of class struggle as the fun-

damental means for social change, the rights of the weak, the dig-

nity of the poor and the obligations of the rich, the perfecting of

justice through charity, and the right to form professional associa-

tions,” i.e. labor unions. It

Pope Pius XI IN his Quadragesimo Anno (1931) commemorated the

40th anniversary of Rerum Novarum and affirmed that workers’

salaries should be proportional to their needs and also to those of

their families. This encyclical also introduced the principle of

subsidiarity, which became a permanent part of the Church’s so-

cial teaching. It also rejected “liberalism, understood as unlimited

competition between economic forces.” Against “totalitarian re-

gimes,” Pius XI issued Non Abbiamo Bisogno (1931) on the “totali-

tarian fascist regime in Italy,” Mit Brennender Sorge (1937) on the

German Reich, and Divini Redemptoris (1937) on atheistic commun-

ism. In this last encyclical, he declared that the evils of atheistic

communism were “intrinsically perverse” and that its evils could

be corrected through “the renewal of Christian life, evangelical

charity, the fulfillment of justice at the interpersonal and social

levels, and the institutionalization of professional and inter-

professional groups.”

Pope Pius XII issued important “Christmas Radio Messages” on

“morality and law,” especially on “natural law as the soul of the

system to be established on both the national and international

levels.” He was the “immediate precursor of Vatican Council II

and of the social teaching of the popes who followed him.”

22

Blessed Pope John XXIII, during the 1060s, read “deeply into the

signs of the times” including “the beginning of decolonization”

and a “thaw” in the Cold War. He announced that “the social ques-

tion is becoming universal and involves all countries,” and that, together

with the labor question there was need to address agriculture and

global development. His encyclical Mater et Magister (1961), updat-

ing earlier encyclicals and seeking to further involve the whole

Christian community, stressed the themes of “community and socia-

lization.” His encyclical Pacem in Terris (1963), an encyclical of

peace, human dignity, and human rights, addressed the problem

of securing peace in the age of nuclear proliferation. This was

“the first time an encyclical was addressed also to ‘all men of

good will.’” It also called for “the public authority of the world”

to “solve the great economic, social, political, or cultural prob-

lems … posed by the universal common good.”

The Second Vatican Council produced the Pastoral Constitution

Gaudium et Spes (1966), which emphasized the role and responsi-

bilities of all the “People of God” toward the poor in their com-

munities and the world. This document showed the Church as

cherishing “a feeling of deep solidarity with the human race and

its history.” It presented “in a systematic manner the themes of

culture, of economic and social life, of marriage and the family, of

the political community, of peace and the community of

peoples,” all from a Christian anthropological viewpoint with the

human person as the starting point. The Council also produced

“the Declaration Dignitatis Humanae, in which the right to religious

freedom is proclaimed.

Pope Paul VI presented his encyclical Populorum Progressio which

proclaimed that “Development is the new name for peace.” It

called for “an integral development of man … [for] a develop-

23

ment in solidarity with all humanity … [and] for a ‘complete hu-

manism’ guided by spiritual values.” In 1967, following the wish-

es of the Council, Paul VI established the Pontifical Commission

“Iustitia et Pax” (Justice and Peace) “to stimulate the Catholic

community to promote progress in need regions and international

social justice.” In 1968, the inaugurated the annual “World Day

of Peace” for which the Pope prepares a message that builds on

and adds to the social teaching of the Church. In 1971 Pope Paul

VI issued his apostolic letter Octogesima Adveniens – updating Re-

rum Novarum on its 80th anniversary and noting that the complex

problems of this post-industrial society require new thinking

beyond modern ideologies. He refers to the problems of “urba-

nization, the condition of young people, the condition of women,

unemployment, discrimination, emigration, population growth,

the influence of the means of communication, the ecological

problem”.

Pope John Paul II issued in 1981 (ninety years after Rerum Nova-

rum) Laborem Exercens, his encyclical on human work. This doc-

ument described human work as “the fundamental good of the

human person, the primary element of economic activity, and the

key to the entire social question.” His encyclical, Solicitudo Rei So-

cialis (1988), commemorating the twentieth anniversary of Paul

VI’s Populorum Progressio, stated that development was failing the

Third World and “true development cannot be limited to the

multiplication of goods and services – to what one possesses –

but must contribute to the fullness of ‘being’ of persons.” He

called for an “opus solidaritatis pax,” that is peace as the fruit of

solidarity. Then, on the 100th anniversity of Rerum Novarum,

Pope John Paul issued his third social encyclical Centesimus Annus.

This document review the past 100 years of Catholic social doc-

24

trine, highlights the principle of solidarity, reflections on the col-

lapse of the soviet system, and supports a :free economy” guided

by “solidarity.”

In the Light and under the Impulse

of the Gospel (104)

“The documents referred to here constitute the milestones of the

path travelled by the Church’s social doctrine from the time of

Leo XIII to our own day.” In formulating this teaching, the

Church has been “prompted not by theoretical motivation, but by

pastoral concerns … by repercussions that social upheavals have

on people … [as] men and women … search for a better world.

25

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER THREE:

"THE HUMAN PERSON & HUMAN RIGHTS"

CÉSAR J. BALDELOMAR

Executive Director,

Pax Romana Center for International Study of Catholic Social Teaching

Graduate Student, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Chapter Three of the Compendium summarizes Catholic Social Doctrine’s teaching on the human person as its central principle. It is a teaching that speaks urgently to us today, as myriad social injustices continue to occur daily.

I. Social Doctrine and the Personalist Principle (105-107)

The chapter opens by stating that “The Church sees in men and women, in every person, the living image of God.” This “Imago Dei” is fully revealed in the mystery of Jesus Christ, who through “his incarnation has united himself in some fashion with every person.” The Church, therefore, strives to “be the first to embark upon the path of the human person” and “she invites all people to recognize in everyone … above all in the poor and suffering … a brother or sister ‘for whom Christ died’” (I Co-rinthians 8:11; Romans 14:15).

“The whole of the Church’s social doctrine … develops from the prin-ciple that affirms the inviolable dignity of the human person.” The Hu-man person … must always remain [the] subject, foundation, and goal” of human society. This is why the Church “defends human dignity” and denounces “violations of human rights.”

26

II. The Human Person as the “Imago Dei” (108-123)

Creation in the Image of God (108-114)

“The fundamental message of Sacred Scripture proclaims that the human person is a creature of God” who is “made in the God’s image of God,” who is “male and female,” who stands at “the center and summit” of the created world, and who is able to think, love, and freely enter into relationships with others.

The human person also can enter into “a covenant of faith and love with the Creator.” The Church proclaims that “This relationship with God can be ignored or even forgotten or dismissed, but it can never be eliminated.” A human’s life purpose is to continuously search for and enter into a relationship with God. Indeed, the human person, as a natu-rally social being, who finds “life and self-expression only in community with other humans, “tends naturally to God.”

“Man is not a solitary being,” but like God is a “social being.” Thus God created humans as both male and female, and both in God’s image. Therefore, both “man and woman have the same dignity and are of equal value.” Further, their dynamic and fulfilling gift of themselves to each other in communion participates in God’s creation by giving new life.

In addition, “man and woman are in relationship with others,” and they have even been “entrusted’ with the lives of others. After the flood, God’s message to Noah implies that that “the life of every man must be considered sacred and inviolable.” The fifth commandment later tells us: “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17). Finally, Jesus recalls the message of the book of Leviticus (19:18) when he declares: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:29-31; Luke 10:27-28).

Humans are also in a relationship with and are responsible for the other creatures of the natural world, which they are called to “serve” with “re-sponsibility.” Though, according to the Compendium, humans have do-minion over nature and its many species, humans should avoid “arbi-

27

trary and selfish exploitation,” since “All of creation in fact has value and is ‘good’ in the sight of God, who is its author.”

Humans also need to be attentive to their inner spirituality, which dis-tinguishes them from God’s other creatures. Both reason and free will are “spiritual faculties which most properly belong to man.” Only by cultivating a healthy relationship with oneself can one use reason and free will to know the truth. “The heart of man” as one’s “inner spiritual-ity” has “deep aspirations” for God, as stated in the words of The Confes-sions of Augustine: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

The Tragedy of Sin (115-119)

Unfortunately, human history has been tainted by “the tragic appearance of original sin.” According the Compendium, “By this gesture [of sin], man tries to break through his limits as a creature, challenging God … the source of life.” The result is not simply personal sin, but also sin which “affected the human nature that [humans] would then transmit in a fallen state.” For this reason, human nature becomes “deprived of original ho-liness and justice.”

This “wound” now within “man’s inmost self” is “the root of personal and social divisions” and alienations across the human family. Following this “first sin,” we have the story of Cain and Abel, of “brother hating brother and finally taking his brother’s life” (cf. Genesis 4:2-16).” Then, in the story of Babel we find “the shattering of the human family.”

The mystery of sin, the Compendium continues, contains “a twofold wound” – one within the sinner and the other in the sinner’s relationships with others. Personal sin and social sin can never be separated, as if there were some sins that are only personal (without social consequences) and others that only social (without personal responsibility). For this reason all sins are both personal and social, for they are free acts of individuals with social implications.

Some sins, however, are social in a special way, that is, they “constitute by their very object a direct assault on one’s neighbor.” The Compendium includes

28

here “every sin committed against the justice due in relations between individuals, between the individual and the community, and also be-tween the community and the individual.” Examples are sins “against the rights of the human person, starting with the right to life, including that of life in the womb,” against physical integrity … freedom (includ-ing religious freedom) … human dignity … common good … rights and duties of citizens.” All relationships that are “not in accordance with the plan of God” for “justice … freedom … and peace” are social sins.

The Universality of Sin

and the Universality of Salvation (120-123)

“The consequences of sin perpetuate structures of sin.” This makes it “difficult to remove them,” for “they grow stronger, spread, and become sources of other sins.” Personal and social sins continue through the generations, ultimately becoming part of the human experience. Today we see espe-cially two such “structures” of social sin: 1) “the all consuming desire for profit;” and 2) “the thirst for power” – with both pursued “at any cost.”

But hope exists in the “universality of salvation in Jesus Christ.” With-out hope in the redemptive power of Jesus, humanity would become pessimistic and live apathetically. Through the new Adam, “who enligh-tens fully and brings to completion the image and likeness of God” in humans, all creation – humans, heaven, and earth – will be “freed from decay” with the promise of eternal life with God the creator.

III. The Many Aspects of the Human Person

Introduction (124-126)

Catholic social doctrine, “prizing highly the marvelous biblical message,” views the human person in his or her totality as a complex divinely created creature. The Church does not succumb to history’s various reductionist systems that “attempt to make the image of man unclear by emphasizing only one of his characteristics at the expense of all others.” The Church warns against perceiving humans as simply an aggregate of cells within a

29

mechanistic body, or as individual units uprooted from their communal context. To be human is to be in solidarity with others while maintaining a strong bond with God, “who is transcendent and the Creator, and who, through all the levels of creation, calls on man endowed with re-sponsibility and freedom.”

The Unity of the Person (127-129)

The human person “was created by God in unity of body and soul,” and God has entrusted entirely this unity to the individual subject, who is morally responsible for his or her actions. The human body allows one to exist and function within the material world, but, due to sin, one should always guard from becoming enslaved to the objects of the ma-terial world and to a “purely earthly vision of life.” Neither should one “despise bodily life; rather, ‘man…is obliged to regard his body as good and honorable since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day.”

The spiritual dimension of human existence allows one to converse with God in the innermost realm of one’s heart. The immortal and spiritual soul makes the human person “superior to the material world” and also allows one to reflect on one’s non-reducible essence as a creator of God created in God’s image.

The human person’s bodily and spiritual natures form a unity that can-not be reduced to pure materialism (disregarding the spiritual dimension of human life) or spiritualism (devaluing the body as a hindrance to per-fection with God).

Open to Transcendence and

Uniqueness of the Person (130-134)

Openness to Transcendence. The human being, through his or her intel-lect, is open to God’s transcendence, as well to the essence of other created beings. Consequently, one is relational, for one’s intellect and tendency toward the absolute and the truth lead one outside of the ego-tistical walls of oneself.

30

Unique and Unrepeatable. Yet, the Compendium notes that each human being is unique and “unrepeatable” and possesses a unique intellect and consciousness, which allows one to reflect on oneself. One should be careful not to confuse the intellect and consciousness as the defining characteristics of the human person, for this would reduce the person’s total essence as a creature in God’s image. One “does not cease to be person” by not possessing intellect and consciousness.

Respect for Human Dignity. As “the ultimate end of society,” the hu-man person should be the basis of the social order and its various processes. The Compendium states that “Every political, economic, social, scientific and cultural programme must be inspired by the awareness of the primacy of each human being over society.” Society should be devo-id of restrictions that hinder one’s integral development as a moral per-son with bodily and spiritual needs.

Since the person represents the starting point of society, real social change only occurs when individual persons begin changing by orienting their wills to God’s justice and love. The promotion of justice, honesty, and truthfulness in society “is the task of everyone, and in a special way of those who hold various forms of political, judicial or professional responsibility with regard to others…”

The Freedom of the Human Person (135-143)

The Value and Limits of Freedom. Freedom is a sign and gift from God. Each person is free to make his or her own decision, including the free choice to find and follow God’s moral law. Freedom also allows one to modify one’s internal and external situations that may be inconsistent with God’s moral law.

Thus, though one possesses freedom, one still remains dependent on God. In other words, freedom is not unlimited, for it must accept the moral law of God, which, if followed out of love for God and for oth-ers, truly liberates one from the imprisonment of evil. Personal conver-sion to God’s moral law, which results from one’s free seeking, is essen-tial before achieving social change.

31

The Bond Uniting Freedom with Truth and the Natural Law. The Com-pendium states, “In the exercise of freedom, men and women perform morally good acts that are constructive for the person and for society when they are obedient to truth, that is, when they do not presume to be creators and absolute masters of truth or of ethical norms.” Freedom, as stated earlier, is a gift from God that should be oriented toward good. This cultivation of freedom toward the good results in the formation of one’s conscience, which can then help one discern, with the help of natural moral law, what is good and evil – what should be done and avoided. Natural moral law is the infusion of God’s wisdom into the human intellect to help one better comprehend good and evil. It is universal because it is proper to human nature. And it teaches that all humans are subject to God and are equals among other humans.

Natural law also unifies individuals from diverse contexts. Though the Church realizes that each context is different and requires special atten-tion, natural law “remains immutable ‘under the flux of ideas and customs and supports their progress… Even when it is rejected in its very prin-ciples, it cannot be destroyed or removed from the heart of man. It al-ways rises again in the life of individuals and societies.” Thus, human freedom, which has been subjected and inclined to evil forces since hu-manity’s inception, requires natural law to follow God’s moral law in common freedom and solidarity with the entire human family. This common freedom to follow God’s moral law comes from the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ in which he liberated humanity from its egotistic tendency to love only oneself and consequently ignore and reject God and one’s neighbor.

The Equal Dignity of All People (144-148)

Human dignity, which stems from being created in the image and like-ness of God, is extended to all humans, “regardless of their race, nation, sex, origin, culture, or class.” Recognizing the human dignity found in all humans allows the individual and society to progress toward a truly hu-mane social order that concerns itself with the fate of the most vulnera-ble. But safeguarding and fostering recognition of equal human dignity among all is impossible without communal help: “Only through the mu-

32

tual action of individuals and peoples sincerely concerned for the good of all men and women can a genuine brotherhood be attained; other-wise, the persistence of conditions of serious disparity and inequality will make us all poorer.”

As complimentary for each other, men and women equally deserve to be treated with dignity. The unity of the dual sexes is the foundation for society and human history. The Compendium states that “in the encounter of man and woman a unitary conception of the human person is brought about, based not on the logic of self-centeredness and self-affirmation, but on that of love and solidarity.”

Equally deserving human dignity are persons with disabilities, for “they point up more clearly the dignity and greatness of man.” Communities should aid disabled individuals to participate in all social and familial functions. To deny disabled individuals access to these social realms would be to engage in a grievous “form of discrimination, that of the strong and healthy against the weak and sick.” Communities must not only consider eliminating social and economic obstacles that repress disabled populations, but they should also recognize their need for love and sexual intimacy as integral to their human dignity.

The Social Nature of Human Beings (149-151)

Human beings are naturally social beings “because God, who created humanity, willed it so.” The fact that humans are social beings led to the uniquely human development of societies. Humans are relational beings that find their highest expression in communion and solidarity with oth-ers. Due to the sin of “pride and selfishness,” however, not all humans automatically relate to fellow humans. This anti-social behavior leads to a tendency for one to assert one’s dominion over other humans, and this thwarts any prospect of the common good. All humans in society, there-fore, need to pursue in unison a common moral goal that both upholds and enhances each person’s human dignity and accountability to each other. This also applies to the interaction of all societies.

33

Human Rights

The Value of Human Rights (152-154)

The Compendium proclaims that “The movement towards the identification and proclamation of human rights is one the most significant attempts to respond effectively to the inescapable demands of human dignity.” Since human dignity is universal, inviolable, and inalienable, the Catholic Church affirms the 1948 United Nations foundational document, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as a milestone toward a more humane social order. The Church also recognizes that human beings – and not the State and other public powers – are the foundation for human dignity and rights. Rights should mutually enhance one’s spiritual and material realms. In addition, communal participation is necessary to defend and uphold human digni-ty and justice. The moral life is not a solo task.

The Specification of Rights (155)

Pope John XXIII, the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI, and Pope John Paul II have articulated what the Church considers the most press-ing issues in human rights. Pope John Paul II lists human rights issues in his Encyclical Centesimus Annus:

the right to life, an integral part of which is the right of the child to devel-op in the mother’s womb from the moment of conception; the right to live in a united family and in a moral environment conducive to the growth of the child’s personality; the right to develop one’s intelligence and freedom in seeking and knowing the truth; the right to share in the work which makes wise use of the earth’s material resources, and to de-rive from that work the means to support oneself and one’s dependents; and the right freely to establish a family, to have and to rear children through the responsible exercise of one’s sexuality. In a certain sense, the source and synthesis of these rights is religious freedom, understood as the right to live in the truth of one’s faith and in conformity with one’s transcendent dignity as a person.

34

Rights and Duties (156)

All men and women have the duty to protect and promote human rights. Rights and duties are linked and complimentary, since rights can-not exist without the duty of all in upholding them.

Rights of Peoples and Nations (157)

Human rights apply to the individual and to the community. In other words, “the rights of nations are nothing but ‘human rights fostered at the specific level of community life.’” The duty of nations is to promote peace, respect, and solidarity both within its own social order and with dealings with other nations.

Filling in the Gap between

the Letter and the Spirit (158-159)

The Catholic Church recognizes that though many proclaim the essen-tiality of human rights, many forms of injustice still occur all throughout the world. The Compendium recognizes that even “The Church pro-foundly experiences the need to respect justice and human rights within her own ranks.” Trusting in God and working in cooperation with other nations, non-governmental organizations, world religions, and move-ments from around the globe, the Church seeks to establish and foster human rights for the entire human family. The imago dei always serves as the foundation for the Church’s progression toward a society that values God’s moral law. Working toward a more humane social order can only be accomplished with the help of God and God’s spirit and in unison with fellow humans and communities.

1

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER FOUR:

"PRINCIPLES OF THE

CHURCH’S SOCIAL DOCTRINE”

LYNN BRIDGERS

Theologian and Author, New Mexico

I. Meaning and Unity (160-163)

It’s my pleasure to provide a summary of Chapter Four of the Compen-dium, which focuses on the “Principles of the Church’s social doctrine.” The chapter begins by examining the “Meaning and Unity” of the Church’s social doctrine.

We are reminded that “the permanent principles of the Church’s social doctrine constitute the very heart of Catholic social teaching.” These are: “the dignity of the human person” as “the foundation of all the other prin-ciples” (addressed in the prior chapter), the common good; subsidiarity; and solidarity.

These principles address “the reality of society in its entirety,” and the chapter stresses “their unity, interrelatedness and articulation.” The moral depth of these principles grows out of there reference to their role as the “primary articulation of the truth of society” and as “the ultimate and organizational foundations of life in society.”

2

The Principle of the Common Good

Meaning and primary implications

We begin with the principle of the common good. The principle of the common good stems from the “dignity, unity and equality of all people.”1 As the Council relates, “the common good, in fact, can be understood as the social and community dimension of the moral good.”2 This is a reminder that we cannot live solely for ourselves, but must live out our lives with the lives of others, in families, cities, regions, peoples and nations, and so must live out our lives not only “with” but “for” others.

Responsibility of everyone for the common good

The demands of the common good upon our own individual lives va-ries. Differing social conditions, cultural dimensions, and historical pe-riods assert impact fundamental rights in different ways. But some de-mands seem to transcend these differences, and these include the com-mitment to peace, just organization of the powers of State, a sound judi-cial system, protection of the environment, and provision of those es-sentials that all human beings need in order to survive and thrive – food, housing, work, education, culture, transportation, health care, freedom of expression and religious freedom.3 This means that the pursuit of the common good must challenge the inequitable distribution of basic goods, must pursue a more just distribution of goods in the name of the common good.

Since it is the State that serves as the vehicle for pursuit of the common good, provision of these elements becomes the task of the political community. The purpose of political institutions is to provide their people with needed material, cultural and spiritual goods. This means 1 Ibid.,72. 2 Ibid, 72. 3 Ibid., 73.

3

that governments in each country or nation must work toward a harmo-ny between what is good for particular limited groups and what is good for the people as a whole. Yet pursuit of the common good cannot simply be limited to political life, for it has its end in God. The Council clarifies, “the common good of society is not an end n itself; it has value only in reference to attaining the ultimate ends of the person and the universal common good of the whole of creation.”4

THE UNIVERSAL DESTINATION OF GOODS

It is out of the implications of the common good that we can clearly recognize the importance for goods and their distribution. Because the ultimate origin of all goods is God, goods must be available to all people and not reserved for the few. Given to us for use by all, we must fur-ther distribution of the goods of this earth to all. The universal right to use the goods of the earth is based on this concept, the universal desti-nation of goods. So important is this concept that members of the Council can clearly state, “the right to the common use of good is the ‘first principle of the whole ethical and social order.’”5 When we apply this principle we must consider the distribution of goods, but we must do so without losing sight of the fact that all goods originate in God.

This brings us to consideration of the role of private property. Human beings have been given dominion over the world, “making earth our own.” This is the origin of private property, which the Church views as an “essential element of an authentically social and democratic economic policy,” and “the guarantee of all correct social order.”6 Recognizing the ultimate lordship of God and its implications, the church endorses private property but also recognizes the need to regulate it.

This means, for example, that materials otherwise idle can be put to ser-vice in light of social need. This may be applied to the equitable distribu-

4 Ibid., 75. 5 Ibid., 75. 6 Ibid., 77.

4

tion of land. But it is perhaps most familiar in what is termed the prefe-rential option for the poor. Since, in Matthew 25:31-46 it is written that the “poor remain entrusted to us and it is this responsibility upon which we shall be judged at the end of time,” we have a special responsibility to address the needs of the poor and to avoid immoderate love of rich-es.

THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITY

One way in which the Church’s social teaching have been lived out is by practicing the principle of subsidiarity. Present since the first social en-cyclical, Rerum Novarum (1892), subsidiarity counters the centralization and bureacratization of government and management so familiar to many of us. Simply stated subsidiarity means “all societies of a superior order must adopt attitudes of help (subsidium) – therefore of support, promotion, and development – with respect to lower order societies.”7 This principle protects us from abuse by social authorities at higher le-vels of government or administration. It keeps decision-making power close to those the decisions impact. Rather than the good of the power-ful, “the primacy of the person and the way this is expressed in society, must remain the criteria for making decisions concerning the application of subsidiarity.”8 When the principle of subsidiarity is applied, it gives rise to the next principle of social doctrine, participation.

PARTICIPATION

The principle of participation means that the citizen, “either as an indi-vidual or in association with others, whether directly or through repre-sentation, contributes to the cultural, economic, political and social life of the civil community to which” he or she belongs.9 One cannot sup-port lower order societies if they are not able or not willing to participate

7 Ibid., 81. 8 Ibid., 83. 9 Ibid., 83.

5

in decisions that impact their lives. This is a pillar of democratic life and a guarantee of the democratic system. In totalitarian or dictatorial re-gimes, this principle is violated outright, but in many other settings, fail-ure of the citizens to participate results in a de facto denial of participation and inability to practice subsidiarity.

THE PRINCIPAL OF SOLIDARITY

Participation is also mandated by the next social principle, that of soli-darity, which emphasizes the “bond of interdependence between indi-viduals and peoples” found at every level.10 Continual increase in inter-dependence means we must pursue an ethical-social solidarity as a moral virtue that helps us to replace “structures of sin” with “structures of solidarity.” There are strong bonds between solidarity and the other principles of social teaching. They find their roots in the message of Jesus Christ, and solidarity takes on dimensions of forgiveness and re-conciliation, of love of one’s neighbor, and of willingness to sacrifice for others.

THE FUNDAMENTAL VALUES OF SOCIAL LIFE

In addition to these principles, Catholic social teaching is based on fun-damental values. Principles and values have a reciprocal relationship and virtue, moral attitudes and actions correspond to these values and principles. First among these values is Truth, and “the specific duty to move always toward the truth, to respect it and bear responsible witness to it.”11 Second in these values is Freedom, which stands as the highest sign in the individual persons of “being made in the divine image, and consequently, is a sign of the sublime dignity of every human person.”12 It is through freedom that every human person is permitted to pursue his or her personal vocation and seek truth. Third among these values is

10 Ibid., 85. 11 Ibid., 88. 12 Ibid., 89.

6

Justice. Justice “consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor,”13 and is practiced not only through commutative, distributive and legal justice, but increasingly through the pursuit of so-cial justice. But even Justice is not sufficient in and of itself, for it must be grounded in the deeper power of love.

THE WAY OF LOVE

No summary of the principles of the Church’s social doctrine would be complete without recognition of the role of love. As the Council simply states, “it is from the inner wellspring of love that the values of truth, freedom and justice are born and grow.”14 As they remind us, “love presupposes and transcends justice,” can “animate and shape social inte-raction,” and infuses and informs the common good. They close with this important message of love, knowing all good originates in God’s love and we find our ultimate fruition in God’s love. The write “it is undoubtedly an act of love, the work of mercy by which one responds here and now to a real and impelling need of one’s neighbor, but it is an equally indispensable act of love to strive to organize and structure so-ciety…..”15 This, essentially, is the Church’s social doctrine.

13 Ibid., 89-90. 14 Ibid., 91. 15 Ibid., 92.