CATHOLIC TEACHINGS ON SOCIAL ACTION. Jesus challenge of his Followers We are sent … To preach the...
If you can't read please download the document
CATHOLIC TEACHINGS ON SOCIAL ACTION. Jesus challenge of his Followers We are sent … To preach the Gospel to every person As a Church, we are to continue
Jesus challenge of his Followers We are sent To preach the
Gospel to every person As a Church, we are to continue the presence
of Christ to all of history. We are sent to bring good news to the
poor, proclaim liberty to captives and set free the oppressed. Sent
to live faithfully for the Kingdom of God.
Slide 3
St. Ambrose The more wealth you have, the more you wish to
acquire; and no matter how many new items you get, you always
believe that you are lacking something else. Profit whets the
appetite of the avaricious man, and never appeases it. Covetousness
increases by leaps and bounds: the higher one climbs, the keener
becomes ones desire to climb even higher.
Slide 4
St. Basil the Great The man who snatches the clothes from
another is called a thief. And does he who does not clothe the
naked, when he can do so, deserve any other name? The bread you
hold back belongs to the hungry, the coat that you hoard in your
cupboard belongs to the naked. The shoe that is gathering mildew in
your home belongs to the unshod; the money you have hoarded belongs
to the poverty stricken. Thus, you are oppressing as many people as
you could have helped with your possessions.
Slide 5
Christian Service Goal: To meet peoples immediate needs Focus:
Is on the consequences (on people) of unjust circumstances and
natural disasters Confront: individuals in need Attitude: mostly
concerned about what people need right now Examples: Mother Teresa,
Salvation Army Goal: to bring about changes in structures and
organizations of society Focus: on causes of unjust circumstances
Confront: institutions Question: Why does this situation exist?
Attitude: society needs fundamental change Examples: Pope John Paul
II, Development and Peace Acts of CharityWorks of Justice
Slide 6
The Problem Far too many Catholics are unfamiliar with the
basic content of Catholic social teaching. More fundamentally, many
Catholics do not adequately understand that the social mission of
the Church is an essential part of Catholic faith. 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. We need
to do more to share the social mission and message of our Church.
Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions - U.S.
Bishops, 1998
Slide 7
A Key to Catholic Identity The central message is simple: our
faith is profoundly social. We cannot be called truly Catholic
unless we hear and heed the Church's call to serve those in need
and work for justice and peace. Communities of Salt and Light, U.S.
Bishops, 1993
Slide 8
Group/Individual Work Your group will be assigned one of the
Catholic Social Teaching. In your group - SUMMARIZE the principle
into 1 or 2 sentences. IDENTIFY ways we can live these principles
or agencies that help people in need through Acts of Charity and
Works of Justice. (2 for Each)
Slide 9
Keys to Catholic Social Teaching Human Dignity Belief in the
inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all
Catholic social teaching. Human life is sacred, and the dignity of
the human person is the starting point for a moral vision for
society. The principle of human dignity is grounded in the idea
that the person is made in the image of God. The person is the
clearest reflection of God among us. We are required to honor the
human person, to give priority to the person. What are some ways we
can uphold the dignity of all humans?
Slide 10
Keys to Catholic Social Teaching Community and the Common Good
In a culture driven by excessive individualism, our tradition
proclaims that the person is not only sacred but also social. Human
dignity can only be realized and protected in the context of
relationships with the wider society. How we organize our society
-- in economics and politics, in law and policy -- directly affects
human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community.
The obligation to "love our neighbor" has an individual dimension,
but it also requires a broader social commitment. Everyone has a
responsibility to contribute to the good of the whole society, to
the common good. What are some ways we can help the common good of
our community?
Slide 11
Keys to Catholic Social Teaching Rights and Responsibilities
Human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be
achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities
are met. Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right
to those things required for human decency - starting with food,
shelter and clothing, employment, health care, and education.
Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities -- to
one another, to our families, and to the larger society. What are
some ways we can uphold the rights and responsibilities of all
humans?
Slide 12
Keys to Catholic Social Teaching Option for the Poor and
Vulnerable A basic moral test of society is how it treats its most
vulnerable members. The poor have the most urgent moral claim on
the conscience of the nation. The option for the poor is a
perspective that examines personal decisions, policies of private
and public institutions, and economic relationships in terms of
their effects on the poor - those who lack the minimum necessities
of nutrition, housing, education, and health care. Those who are
marginalized and whose rights are denied have privileged claims if
society is to provide justice for all. The obligation to evaluate
social and economic activity from the viewpoint of the poor and the
powerless arises from the radical command to love one's neighbor as
one's self. The option for the poor is an essential part of
society's effort to achieve the common good. A healthy community
can be achieved only if its members give special attention to those
with special needs, to those who are poor and on the margins of
society. What are some ways we can help the poor and the
vulnerable?
Slide 13
Keys to Catholic Social Teaching Participation All people have
a right to participate in the economic, political, and cultural
life of society. It is a fundamental demand of justice and a
requirement for human dignity that all people be assured a minimum
level of participation in the community. It is wrong for a person
or a group to be excluded unfairly or to be unable to participate
in society. In the words of the U.S. bishops, "The ultimate
injustice is for a person or group to be treated actively or
abandoned passively as if they were non- members of the human race.
To treat people this way is effectively to say they simply do not
count as human beings." What are some ways we can uphold that all
humans have a chance to participate in the life of society?
Slide 14
Keys to Catholic Social Teaching Dignity of Work/Rights of
Workers The economy must serve people, not the other way around.
All workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair
wages, and to safe working conditions. They also have a fundamental
right to organize and join unions. People have a right to economic
initiative and private property, but these rights have limits. No
one is allowed to amass excessive wealth when others lack the basic
necessities of life. What are some ways we can uphold the dignity
of work and rights of all workers?
Slide 15
Keys to Catholic Social Teaching Stewardship of Creation
Catholic tradition insists that we show our respect for the Creator
by our stewardship of creation. The goods of the earth are gifts
from God, intended for the benefit of all. We humans are not the
ultimate owners of these goods, but rather, the temporary stewards.
We are entrusted with the responsibility of caring for these gifts
and preserving them for future generations. What are some ways we
can stewards of the earth?
Slide 16
Keys to Catholic Social Teaching Global Solidarity Catholic
social teaching proclaims that we are our brothers' and sisters'
keepers, wherever they live. We are one human family, whatever our
national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences.
Solidarity means that "loving our neighbor" has global dimensions
in an interdependent world. John Paul II has called solidarity a
virtue. It is the virtue, he says, by which we demonstrate "a firm
and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common
good... because we are all really responsible for all." What are
some ways we can create global solidarity?
Slide 17
Keys to Catholic Social Teaching Constructive Role for
Government Because we are social beings, the state is natural to
the person. Therefore, the state has a positive moral function. It
is an instrument to promote human dignity, protect human rights,
and build the common good. One of the key functions of government
is to assist citizens in fulfilling their responsibility to others
in society. Since, in a large and complex society these
responsibilities cannot adequately be carried out on a one-to-one
basis, citizens need the help of government in fulfilling these
responsibilities and promoting the common good. According to the
principle of subsidiarity, the functions of government should be
performed at the lowest level possible, as long as they can be
performed adequately. If they cannot, then a higher level of
government should intervene to provide help. What are some ways you
can support the role of our government?
Slide 18
Keys to Catholic Social Teaching Promotion of Peace Catholic
teaching promotes peace as a positive, action-oriented concept. In
the words of Pope John Paul II, "Peace is not just the absence of
war. It involves mutual respect and confidence between peoples and
nations. It involves collaboration and binding agreements. Name 2
things in your life that can promote peace?
Slide 19
Ka ren Armstrong Charter of Compassion Karen Armstrong is a
British author and commentator known for her books on comparative
religion. She is a former Roman Catholic nun, who went from a
conservative to a more liberal and mystical Christian faith. Her
work focuses on commonalities of the major religions, such as the
importance of compassion and the Golden Rule. Armstrong received
the $100,000 TED Prize in February 2008. She used that occasion to
call for the creation of a Charter for Compassion, which was
unveiled the following year.
Slide 20
Charter of Compassion
Slide 21
UNDERLINE 4 or 5 important key phrases on the Charter of
Compassion Handout that speak to you. SHARE one phrase with the
class and why it speaks to you.
Slide 22
Journal Explain your viewpoint on how the Charter of Compassion
(using the 4 or 5 points you chose) corresponds with that of the 10
Catholic Social Teachings?
Slide 23
What do we need to know? For the remainder of the year we will
be studying ways that we, as Catholics, can help support the
dignity of all human beings. Human Trafficking Chocolate Production
Central Alberta Refuge Effort Pro - Life