CHAPTER ONECatholic Social Justice:

An Overview

- The gospel proclaims that human beings are made in the image and likeness of God

- Made in a divine image, we are endowed with a human soul with two great powers

1.) Intellect

2.) Free will

Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice

Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice

1.) Human Intellect

Enables us to recognize and

understand God’s command to do good

and avoid evil

Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice

2.) Free will

Enables us to choose good with the guidance of our conscience and to obey God’s law of love

Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice

- Original sin has weakened us, inclining us to commit evil by making bad judgments and choosing

lesser goods ________________________________________

• Malnutrition is responsible for the death of over five million children per year

• Nearly three billion people, live on less than $2.00 per day

• Over 46 million babies have been aborted in the U.S. since Roe vs. Wade

Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice

Catholic Social Justice Teaching

- The church doctrine (teaching) attempts to understand how societies work

- It makes moral judgements about economic and social matters in light of revealed truth

Catholic Social Justice

Flows primarily from the life and words of Jesus Christ

Rooted in teachings of the Hebrew prophets

Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice

- Aspects of Catholic Social Justice Teaching

1.) It gives us principles for reflection

2.) It provides criteria for judgment

3.) It gives guidelines for action

Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice

Principles of Catholic Social TeachingSharing Catholic Social Teaching

- Purpose is to alert Catholics that the Church’s teaching on social justice is an essential part of our faith

- The wheel of justice presents the principles of Catholic social justice.

• Our ultimate destination is God’s kingdom

• Along the way there are obstacles

• The principles on the wheel need to be applied to smooth out the road that leads us to God

Principles of Catholic Social Teaching

Human Dignity

1 2

3

45

6

7

8 9Respect for Life

Family Community Participation

Rights & Duties

Common Good

Option for the Poor

Work & Workers

Solidarity Stewardship

Wheel of Justice

Principles of Catholic Social Teaching

1.) Principle of Dignity of the Human Person

- Every person deserves respect

- Our dignity does not come from what we do or what we have, it comes from being God’s special creation

Principles of Catholic Social Teaching2.) Principle of Respect for Human Life

- Every stage of a human’s life is precious and worthy of our respect and protection

3.) Principle of the Call to Family, Community, & Participation

- People have a right and duty to participate in society seeking together the common good and well-being of all

Principles of Catholic Social Teaching4.) Principle of Rights and Responsibilities

- The essential, fundamental right is the right to life

- Every person has the right to the necessities that make for human decency

• Faith

• Food and Shelter

• Education

• Health care

Principles of Catholic Social Teaching5.) Principle of the Common Good

- Social conditions that permit people to reach their full human potential and to realize their human dignity

- Essential elements

1.) Respect for the person

2.) Social well-being and establishment of the group

3.) Peace and security

Principles of Catholic Social Teaching6.) Principle of the Preferential Option; Love for

the Poor and Vulnerable

- Poor and Vulnerable are our brothers and sisters

- They deserve respect, the protection of their rights, and justice

7.) Principle of Dignity of Work; Rights of Workers

- Economy must serve the people, not the other way around

- Workers’ rights

Principles of Catholic Social Teaching

8.) Principle of Solidarity

- We need to commit ourselves to the common good

- We must work for peace and justice in the world marked by violence and war

9.) Principle of Stewardship

- We respect our loving Creator by being good stewards of the earth

How Christians View the Human Person

-Our view of how humans should act depends on how we see ourselves

-If we see ourselves created in God’s image, then we know we are called to reflect all the qualities of the Creator

- Foundation of Catholic Social Teaching is that each of us is made in God’s image:

Each human being has tremendous dignity

Each human being is a child of God

We are special in God’s eyes

We have rights and responsibilities

We have a spiritual nature

God made us for himself

We possess freedom; we must use it responsibly

We are social beings

We image God best when we love one another

God made us co-creators with him

We are wounded by sin and inclined to evil and error

How Christians View the Human Person

- Jesus has much to reveal to us about who we are and how we should treat each other

- We are saved through Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection-We are to be compassionate

like Jesus

How Christians View the Human Person

Our Rights as Humansa claim we can make

on other people and on society so we can live

a full, human life. Right

Universal rights – the rights are for every human being Inviolable rights – these rights are untouchable because they come from GodInalienable rights – these

rights are inherent andbeyond challenge

Our Rights as Humans

Peace on Earth

- Named the fundamental human rights:Right to LifeMoral and Cultural RightsRight to Worship GodRight to Choose Freely One’s State of LifeEconomic RightsThe Right of Meeting and AssociationThe Right to Emigrate and ImmigratePolitical Rights

Our Rights as Humans

Vocabulary•free will•original sin•dignity•Social Justice doctrine•Sharing Catholic Social Teaching•common good•rights•Abba•encyclical•Peace on Earth•pornography