CHAPTER ONE
Catholic Social Justice:
An Overview
Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice
- The gospel proclaims that human beings are
made in the image and likeness of God
Human Dignity
Equality
We are all essentially
equal because of our
fundamental dignity
made in God’s image.
- 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
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 50 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
Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice
Flows primarily from the life
and words of Jesus Christ
Catholic Social Justice
Rooted in teachings of the
Hebrew prophets
Moses
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice
- Aspects of Catholic Social Justice Teaching
It gives us principles for reflection
It provides criteria for judgment
It gives guidelines for action
Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
Come from: “Sharing Catholic Social Teaching” –
1998 U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Document
- 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
Wheel of Justice
Stewardship
Solidarity
Work &
Workers
9
8
7
Option for 6
the Poor
1
2
Human
Dignity
5
Common
Good
Respect
for Life
3 Family
4
Rights &
Duties
Community
Participation
The Principles
1. Human Dignity
Because people are
created in God’s image
and likeness every
person is valuable and
should be treated with
dignity.
The Principles
2. Respect for Life
Every stage of a
human’s life is
precious and worthy
of our respect and
protection.
The Principles
3. Family, Community and
Participation
People have a right and duty
to participate in society
seeking together the
common good and the
well-being of all.
The Principles
4. Rights and Responsibilities
Every person has the right to the
basic necessit
ies that promote human dignity.
• Faith
• Food and Shelter
• Education
• Health care
With rights come responsibilities.
The Principles
5. 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
The Principles
6. Preferential Option and Love
for the Poor and Vulnerable
The poor and Vulnerable
are our brothers and
sisters. They deserve
respect, the protection
of their rights, and
justice. Preferential
means 1st priority.
The Principles
7. Dignity of Work and the
Rights of Workers
Work must serve the needs of people,
people should not be slaves to work.
Workers’ have certain basic rights.
The Principles
8. Solidarity
We are all brothers and sisters and
therefore must take care of each
others needs
(according to our ability).
We must especially work for peace
and justice.
The Principles
9. Stewardship
We respect God and
return God’s love by
being good stewards taking care of God’s
creation.
How Christians View the Human Person
In God’s Image & Likeness CCC, 1700-1715
- 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
God made us for himself
We have a spiritual nature
We have rights and responsibilities
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
-We are most human when… we love.
Our Rights as Humans
Right
a claim we can make
on other people and on
society so we can live
a full, human life.
OUR RIGHTS AS HUMANS
rights – the rights are for
every human being
Inviolable rights – these rights are
untouchable because they come
from God
Inalienable rights – these
rights are inherent and
beyond challenge
Universal
OUR RIGHTS AS HUMANS
Peace on Earth (Pacem in Terris),
Pope John XXIII, 1963
-Named the fundamental human rights:
Right
to Life
Moral and Cultural Rights
Right to Worship God
Right to Choose Freely One’s State of Life
Economic Rights
The Right of Meeting and Association
The Right to Emigrate and Immigrate
Political Rights
•free
will
•original sin
•dignity
•Social Justice doctrine
•Sharing Catholic Social Teaching
•common good
•rights
•encyclical
•Peace on Earth