Unit 1 Lesson 1: Human Dignity in the Story of Creation
a. Human beings as the crowning glory of God’s creation
b. Human beings as stewards of God’s creation
c. Human beings and the talks on gender and sexuality
A. Human beings as the crowning glory of God’s creation
Genesis 1:26-27
 Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them
have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the
ground." God created man in his image; in the divine image he created
him; male and female he created them.
“The dignity of the human person is rooted in his or her creation in the image and
likeness of God. Endowed with a spiritual and immortal soul, intelligence and free
will, the human person is ordered to God and called in soul and in body to eternal
beatitude.”
 CCC 1699-1715
"God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male
and female he created them" (Gn 1: 27).
 This statement is the basis of Christian anthropology, because it identifies
the foundation of man's dignity as a person in his creation "in the likeness"
of God. At the same time, the passage clearly says that neither man nor
woman separately are the image of the Creator, but man and woman in
their reciprocity. Both are equally God's masterpiece.
• St. John Paul II in his General Audience 1999
Imago Dei
 The divine image is present in every man. He is endowed with:
 (CCC 1702-1711)
 "a spiritual and immortal" soul,
 Intellect (knowledge)
 Freewill (freedom)
Endowed with "a spiritual and immortal" soul,
 The human person is composed of body and soul.
 "then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." (Gen.
2:7)
 Every spiritual soul is created immediately by God and also that it is
immortal.
Intellect
 God gave us the ability to learn about things and understand them by the
use of our intellect. Through our senses, we gain knowledge of things
around us.
Freedom and Responsibility
 God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of a
person who can initiate and control his own actions. (CCC 1730)
 ... but the exercise of freedom does not entail the putative right to say or
do anything. (CCC 1747)
True freedom is the power and right to do that which is right and good. It is
rooted in reason and will, to act or not; to act to do this or that, and so to perform
deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. (CCC 1731)
 The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true
freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to
disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and one becomes a slave to
sin. (CCC 1733)
“The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect
for human rights.” - Philippine Constitution, Article 2 Section 11
B. Human beings as stewards of God’s creation
 "In our day, there is a growing awareness that world peace is threatened
not only by the arms race, regional conflicts and continued injustices
among peoples and nations, but also by a lack of due respect for nature,
by the plundering of natural resources and by a progressive decline in the
quality of life.“ - St John Paul II during the Celebration of World Peace
January 1, 1990
 Being an image of God also implies our responsibility to His creation
(Stewardship)
Caring for and cultivating the world involves the following:
 Joyful appreciation of the God-given beauty and wonder of nature;
 Protection and preservation of the environment, which would be the
stewardship of ecological concern;
 Respect for human life—shielding life from threat and assault, doing
everything that can be done to enhance this gift and make life flourish; and
 Development of this world through noble human effort—physical labor, the
trades and professions, the arts and sciences. We call such effort "work."
Work is a fulfilling human vocation.
Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si presents current ecological
problems our world is facing such as the variety of forms of pollution, increasing
deforestation, a disturbing warming of the climate, depletion of natural resources
(especially quality drinking water), loss of biodiversity, the decline of quality of
human life and relationships, and the global inequality gap between the poor
and the rich.
“throwaway culture” that ruthlessly consumes, exploits, and discards
human life and our natural resources as one of the root causes.
C. Human beings and the talks on gender and sexuality
The Lord God then built the rib that he had taken from the man into
a woman. When he brought her to the man, the man said: “This one, at
last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called
‘woman,’ for out of man this one has been taken.” (Genesis 2:22-23)
... man discovers woman as another "I", sharing the same humanity. (CCC 371)
The Nature and Purpose of Sexuality: CCC 2331-36
 To be human is to exist either as male or as female.
 We are sexual beings by nature, existing in one of these two modes.
 Sexuality urges us out of isolation into the company of others.
CBCP’s Pastoral Moral Guidance on the Anti-Discrimination Bill, March 3, 2015
 ... to call on all pastors throughout the country to be as solicitous of the
pastoral welfare of all our brothers and sisters regardless of sexual
orientation and gender identity.
 ... In Catholic institutions, there should be zero-tolerance for the bullying and
badgering of persons in such personal situations.
 ... If “gay rights” movements, for instance, encourage free and unbridled
sexual relations between persons of the same sex, the Church cannot lend
its support, for in its view, they ultimately do a disservice to our brothers and
sisters. What gay rights can legitimately champion is justice for all, fairness
that must extend to all persons regardless of sexual orientation and gender
identity.
What are the views of the Church on Homosexuality?
 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who
experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons
of the same sex... homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered – (CCC 2357)
 They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every
sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These
persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians,
to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may
encounter from their condition. (CCC 2358)
 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery
that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested
friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should
gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection. (CCC 2359)
 Thus, the Church teachings on sexuality, marriage and family promotes a
concept of human dignity grounded on the very principle ordered by God
for the benefit of the society
Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons 1986
• "It is only in the marriage relationship that the use of the sexual faculty can
be morally good. A person engaging in homosexual behaviour, therefore,
acts immorally. To choose someone of the same sex for one's sexual activity
is to annul the rich symbolism and meaning, not to mention the goals, of
the Creator's sexual design." (PCHP 7)
Unit 1 Lesson 2: Human Dignity in the Redemptive Act of Christ
Protoevangelium
 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring
and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” (Genesis
3:15)
 The promise of salvation brought about by sins of our ancestors is fulfilled in
Jesus Christ.
Redemption comes to us above all through the blood of his cross, but this mystery
is at work throughout Christ's entire life:
In His Incarnation –
“Word made flesh”
In His Word through
Teachings, Parables,
In His Hidden Life –
Beatitudes, Prayers
Obedience
and Proclamation of
the Kingdom of God;
In His Healings and
Exorcisms
And in His
Resurrection.
Typology
 a method of biblical interpretation whereby an element found in the Old
Testament is seen to prefigure one found in the New Testament. The initial
one is called the type and the fulfillment is designated the antitype.
Elements
Old Testament
New Testament
Tree
Tree of Knowledge
Cross (Tree of Life)
Garden
Eden
Gethsemane & Golgotha
Angel
Satan/ Lucifer
Gabriel
Woman
Eve
Mary
Man
Adam
Jesus
The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ
 A faith believed and lived as the central truth by the first Christian
community; handed on as fundamental by Tradition; established by the
documents of the New Testament; and preached as an essential part of
the Paschal mystery along with the cross.
 Jesus‘ words, deeds and suffering had for its aim restoring fallen man to his
original vocation.
 This is a testament to the dignity of human beings that despite of the Fall
and sinful nature, God affirms, transcends the elevated nature of humanity.
 Christ continues to reveal Himself to us and expresses in different ways
particularly through our conversion and redemption.
Restoration of those who sinned and became slave of sin finds its
foundation in the dignity of the human person and redemption by Christ through
the programs of the Church, government and other groups.
Restorative Justice
 Restorative justice in the criminal justice system is a way of responding to
ending the effects of crime that makes the people affected.
 Restorative justice seeks to repair harm, to appropriate responsibility for the
harm and to involve those who have been affected by the harm, including
the community, in the resolution.
The Philippine government adheres and believes that all persons have dignity
whether one is a criminal or not.
Bureau of Corrections functions are:
 Safe keep prisoners convicted by courts,
 Prevent prisoners from committing crimes,
 Provide inmates basic needs,
 Ensure rehabilitation programs are made available to the inmates for their
physical, intellectual and spiritual development
 Develop livelihood programs to assist inmates earn a living and develop
their skills while in prison.
Punishment and imprisonment have meaning if, while maintaining the
demands of justice and discouraging crime, they serve the rehabilitation of the
individual by offering those who have made a mistake an opportunity to reflect
and to change their lives in order to be fully reintegrated into society.”
 St John Paul II (Jubilee in Prisons, 2009)
The Ultimate Destination of our Human Pilgrimage: To Return to the Father
 Our pilgrimage here on earth will be finally fulfilled together with all
creation, to share in Christ's resurrection and in the eternal communion of
life with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
a. Israelites in the Promised Land
o In the Old Testament, the Israelites journeyed to the Promised Land
led by Moses. This pilgrimage of faith from deliverance from Egyptian
slavery to the land given to them by God so that He can establish
Himself a relationship that was lost due to sin of Adam.
o The covenant that God established with Abraham, chosen to be the
father of a multitude of nations, opens the way for the human family
to make a return to the Father.
b. Parable of the Prodigal Son by Pope Francis
o In the parable of the Prodigal Son, Pope Francis described the father,
with patience, love, hope, and mercy had never for a second
stopped thinking about his lost.
o And as soon as he sees him still far off, he runs out to meet him and
embraces him with tenderness, the tenderness of God, without a
word of reproach: his son has returned! and that causes the joy of
the father. In that embrace for his son, the Pope exclaimed, is all that
joy.
The Pope reminded us that God is always waiting for us; he never grows
tired. Jesus shows us this merciful patience of God so that we can regain
confidence, hope-always. God's patience has to call forth in us the courage to
return to him, however many mistakes and sins there may be in our life. For we are
not numbers, we are the most important thing to him. (Merciful Father, 2016)
Introductory Concepts on Man and Society
The human person is by nature a social being.
 They are relational beings, who are free and responsible, recognizes the
necessity of integrating themselves in cooperation with fellow human
beings, and who is capable of communion with them.
 They belong to various societies such as family, civil and religious
communities, and are bound together by a principle of unity and common
good.
The human person is an image of God and resembles the communion of
the divine persons in the Trinity, he must therefore establish himself a community
with other persons in order to live in a society.
Society
 A society is a group of persons bound together organically by a principle
of unity that goes beyond each one of them. As an assembly that is at once
visible and spiritual, a society endures through time... He rightly owes loyalty
to the communities of which he is part and respect to those in authority who
have charge of the common good. - CCC 1880
 Society is a requirement of man‘s nature through exchange, mutual service
and dialogue with others. By this he develops and responds to his vocationlove for neighbor and love for God.
 Each community is defined by its purpose and consequently obeys specific
rules; but “the human person . . . is and ought to be the principle, the
subject and the end of all social institutions.” (CCC 1881)
 “Socialization" also expresses the natural tendency for human beings to
associate with one another for the sake of attaining objectives that exceed
individual capacities. It develops the qualities of the person, especially the
sense of initiative and responsibility, and helps guarantee his rights. (CCC
1882)
Principle of Subsidiarity
 "a community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a
community of a lower order, depriving the latter of its functions, but rather
should support it in case of need and help to coordinate its activity with the
activities of the rest of society, always with a view to the common good."
(CCC 1883)
Three Essential Elements of Common Good
 1st - Respect for the person as such.
o Fundamental and inalienable rights of the human person.
nd
 2 - Social well-being and development of the group itself.
o Development is the epitome of all social duties.
rd
 3 - Peace
o The stability and security of a just order.
Our laws also support the formation of these organizations:
 1987 Philippine Constitution Article XIII. Section 23.
o The State shall encourage non-governmental, community-based, or
sectoral organizations that promote the welfare of the nation.
 Civil Code of the Philippines Article 32
o The right to become a member of associations or societies for
purposes not contrary to law;
Both the Church and the State recognizes family as the most important unit of the
society.
 The family is the original cell of social life. A natural society in which husband
and wife are called to give themselves in love and in the gift of life… The
family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral
values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom. Family life is
an initiation into life in society. (CCC 2207)
The family must be helped and defended by appropriate social measures
 Article XV. The Family of the 1987 Philippine Constitution
o Section 1. The State recognizes the Filipino family as the foundation
of the nation. Accordingly, it shall strengthen its solidarity and actively
promote its total development.
o Section 2. Marriage, as an inviolable social institution, is the
foundation of the family and shall be protected by the State.
 Where families cannot fulfill their responsibilities, other social
bodies have the duty of helping them and of supporting the
institution of the family. Following the principle of subsidiarity,
larger communities should take care not to usurp the family's
prerogatives or interfere in its life. (CCC 2209)
 For example, the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) has a mandate to take custody of
abandoned children:
 “In response to inquiries on cases of child abandonment,
the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) stressed that its primary mandate is to intervene
on behalf of abandoned children to ensure their welfare

and protection. This came at the heels of cases of
children being abandoned in public places…
"DSWD can take custody of abandoned children,
foundlings." Department of Social Welfare and
Development website. March 28, 2018
Unit 1 Lesson 3: Human Dignity as Inviolable and Inalienable
The dignity of the human person is the primary principle and the heart and
soul of the social teaching of the Catholic Church.
This teaching rests on one basic principle: individual human beings are the
foundation, the cause and the end of every social institution. That is necessarily
so, for men are by nature social beings... On this basic principle, which guarantees
the sacred dignity of the individual, the Church constructs her social teaching.
 (Mater et Magistra 218-220)
Being in the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a
person, who is not just something, but someone. (CCC 357)
For the Christian faith, the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
demonstrate that God has a special purpose for human beings. This remnant of
the divine image and purpose conferred by God carry the implication that
people are to be honored and treated as sacred
Human life is seen to be essentially social because human beings have
been created in the image of God who is Trinity and who combines both unity
and relationship in self.
Persons sometimes exercise power in a way which dehumanizes other
persons. For this reason Christian ethical reflection has arrived at the category of
human rights. Human rights are a mechanism to control the exercise of power so
that it does not become dehumanizing of persons.
Human rights may be defined as those fundamental rights of human beings which
are essential to the exercise of human dignity.
 These rights are possessed by human beings by the mere fact of their being
human.
 They are inherent in their nature, and far from being concessions by society
or by the state, instead society and the state have the duty to defend and
promote them.
The dignity of human person is:
 Innate: we were born with it
 Inviolable: cannot be violated
 Inalienable: cannot be taken away from us
 Universal: encompasses all humanity
A Brief Development of Understanding Human Dignity in Relation to Human Rights
 Dignitas by the early Romans & Cicero
 Imago Dei by St Leo the Great
 Great Chain of Beings by St Thomas Aquinas
 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations
 Pacem in Terris by St John XXIII & other Church documents on human rights
Dignitas by the early Romans & Cicero
 Early Romans used the term dignitas referring to people appointed
to public offices and with higher status in the society. Then Cicero
redefined dignitas referring to all humans by making distinction
against animals where the former are governed by reason while the
latter by bodily pleasures and instinct. To him, dignity encompasses
not only of those who were persons of authority and wealth but
includes all humanity.
Imago Dei by St Leo the Great
 St. Leo the Great and St. Thomas Aquinas also used the term dignitas
referring to dignity of human person. To St Leo, persons have dignity
due to the fact that man is raised up among other beings and made
in God’s image (Imago Dei).
 St Aquinas adopted this elevated beings of St Leo to his concept of
great chain of beings which means the higher the status of a being,
the more dignity one possess
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
 The United Nations was established (1945) on accounts of horrors
experienced from World War 2 particularly from Nazi Germany and
Imperial Japan. It recognizes the dignity of every person in Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (1948). The Preamble and first three
articles of the declaration serve as its foundation of other rights.
Preamble
 Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and
inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of
freedom, justice and peace in the world…
 … that human rights should be protected by the rule of law.
Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards
one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this
Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex,
language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin,
property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on
the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country
or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust,
non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Since the Philippines is one of the signatories of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, our 1987 Philippine Constitution adheres to these freedoms through
the creation of Commission of Human Rights and by directing the government to
value the dignity of all human persons through ensuring full respect for human
rights such as:
 1987 Philippine Constitution
o Article XIII: Social Justice and Human Rights
Section 1: The Congress shall give highest priority to the enactment
of measures that protect and enhance the right of all the people to
human dignity, reduce social, economic, and political inequalities,
and remove cultural inequities by equitably diffusing wealth and
political power for the common good.
Section 17:
(1) There is hereby created an independent office called the
Commission on Human Rights.
(Note: the first CHR in the country was established during Marcos time
two days before the start of People Power 1)
Section 18: The Commission on Human Rights shall have the following
powers and functions:
(1) Investigate, on its own or on complaint by any party, all
forms of human rights violations involving civil and political rights;
(2) Adopt its operational guidelines and rules of procedure,
and cite for contempt for violations thereof in accordance with the
Rules of Court;
(3) Provide appropriate legal measures for the protection of
human rights of all persons within the Philippines, as well as Filipinos
residing abroad, and provide for preventive measures and legal aid
services to the underprivileged whose human rights have been
violated or need protection;
(4) Exercise visitorial powers over jails, prisons, or detention
facilities;
(5) Establish a continuing program of research, education, and
information to enhance respect for the primacy of human rights;
(6) Recommend to the Congress effective measures to
promote human rights and to provide for compensation to victims of
violations of human rights, or their families;
(7) Monitor the Philippine Government’s compliance with
international treaty obligations on human rights;
(8) Grant immunity from prosecution to any person whose
testimony or whose possession of documents or other evidence is
necessary or convenient to determine the truth in any investigation
conducted by it or under its authority;
St John XXIII's encyclical Pacem in Terris (1963) was a landmark in the
acceptance by the Catholic Christian Church of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights. For the first time, the Papal magisterium presents a relatively
complete and systematic catalogue of human rights, comparable to those in
contemporary declarations of human rights promulgated by national or
international entities.
During the 60th anniversary of the Declaration, the Vatican reaffirmed its support
to the goals of United Nations.
 “The Holy See celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the UDHR, first, by recalling
the great sense of unity, solidarity and responsibility that led the United
Nations to proclaim universal human rights as a response to all persons and
peoples weighed down by the violation of their dignity, a task that even
today challenges us.
 Then, it has promoted events, educational programs, assistance initiatives
worldwide, in particular for children, women and vulnerable groups, so that
God, as His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI said on December 10, 2008, "may
allow us to build a world where every human being will feel accepted in
his/her full dignity, and where relations among persons and among peoples
are based on respect, dialogue and solidarity.”
“The promotion of human rights remains the most effective strategy for eliminating
inequalities between countries and social groups, and for increasing security”
 Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the United Nations, April 2008
The chart depicts the levels of rights and the
relationships between them according to the rights
theory found in the encyclical, Pacem in Terris. Rights
theory in the social tradition recognizes the
importance of the social nature of the person and role
that context plays in the promotion and guarantee of
rights.
 Source of Diagram: Hollenbach, David. Claims
in Conflict. Paulist Press, 1974, p. 98
List of Human Rights cited from Church documents
 the right to life, food and shelter (RN #4, 10)
 the right to private property (RN #5) the right to choose one's state in life
(RN #9)
 the right to a living wage (RN #34) the right to a just wage (LE #19)
 the rights of workers to form unions (RN #38)
 the right to life and a worthy standard of living (PT #11)
 the right to moral and cultural values (PT # 12-13) the right to worship
according to one's conscience (PT #14)
 the right to freely choose one's state of life and establish a family (PT # 1517)
 the right to emigrate and immigrate (PT #25)
 the right to rest (LE #19)
 the right to a work that is not harmful to one's conscience or personal dignity
(LE #15)
 the right to appropriate subsidies for unemployed workers and their families
(LE #18)
 the right to a pension in old age, sickness or injury (LE #19)
 the right to social security connected with maternity (LE #19)
 the right to assemble and form associations (QA #23)
 the right to religious freedom (DH #13) the right to development (JM #15)
 the right to freedom of expression and thought (JM #44)
 the right to private initiative and ownership (CA #43)
Key to documents referred to in () above:
o RN - Rerum Novarum, 1891
o LE - Laborem Exercens, 1981
o JM - Justicia in Mundo, 1971
o PT - Pacem in Terris, 1963
o DH - Dignitatis Humanae, 1968
o CA - Centesimus Annus, 1991
Unit 2 Lesson 1: Social Mission Of The Church
The origin and foundation of the Social Mission of the Church are rooted in the
Judeo-Christian Tradition
Shalom
 Yahweh is a righteous God in the Old Testament so He encourages His
people as well to become just and righteous in order to realize peace or
shalom (over-all harmony) in His Kingdom.
The Judeo-Christian Tradition Expressions of Justice are:
 Sedakah
o It means right relationship.
o It is manifested by Yahweh in His relationship with Israel and with all
things He has made, and by Israel, in her response of obedience,
reverence and faithfulness to God.
o The right relationship that God has established demonstrates the way
of justice for human beings in dealing with one another.
o The word sedakah also corresponds to Yahweh‘s righteousness.
Yahweh shows his righteousness by keeping the covenant and being
the very source of righteousness. (Ps. 111: 3, 5, 9).
o Some terms related to Yahweh‘s sedakah are mercy, compassion
and salvation.
o It is identical with deliverance and salvation, describing it as
associated to a norm established by God.
 Mishpat
o It depicts the forensic nature of justice.
o It is justice based on the context of the failure of the right relationship.
o This is where Yahweh refuses injustice because the right relationship is
being violated.
o It is also a court of law wherein the accused is punished and the
victim is vindicated.
o Yahweh is a judge who punishes the wicked one and rewards the
righteous one. Thus, He corrects wrongdoings in order to restore right
relationship.
o The arbiter, the King-God, secures order in the community by
applying the mishpath. It implies deliverance for those who are just
and innocent, but harsh for the wicked and sinful.
 Hesed
o It is often translated as loving kindness. Other translations are
steadfast love, mercy and compassion.
o Hesed is the expression of loving kindness in the Kingdom of Yahweh.
o Yahweh‘s hesed is manifested in His everlasting love for Israel. (Ps. 25:
6, Jer. 31: 3), remaining faithful in spite of Israel‘s unfaithfulness (Hos.
2), and showing compassion and mercy for her sins (Isa. 54: 8).
o Yahweh is the epitome and example of doing hesed to others.
 Dikaiosune
o Jesus’ invitation to strive first for the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness (Mt. 6: 33) is basically relational.
o The Greek word dikaiosune can be rendered righteousness or justice.
o The metaphor of the Kingdom of God embodies the way God relates
with people and sheds light on the word dikaiosune as the manner
by which God wants to be ―king or as to be the divine will is followed.
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ proclaims that the Kingdom of God is
already at hand and the Beatitudes are the ways to attain its fullness.
God reigns where the divine will be done.
 The Lord‘s Prayer in Luke 11: 2-4 are petitions for the coming of God‘s
Kingdom and for the doing of the divine will.
 The right situation is doing justice to humankind for it is the one willed by
God.
 Jesus‘ initial proclamation of the justice of God ― to bring good news to the
poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free and announce the Lord‘s year of mercy/favor
(Lk. 4: 18-19) resonates the prophet Isaiah‘s announcement of God giving
― justice to His people (Is. 60: 21; 61: 1-3).
 Jesus‘ proclamation of the Kingdom of God also entails renewal and
righteousness by witnessing the Gospel.
 The Beatitudes of Jesus are also considered as expressions and ways to
realize the right relationship in the Kingdom of God.
The Beatitudes of Jesus Christ according to Matthew 5: 3-10:
 Blessed are you Poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
 Blessed are you Hungry, you shall be satisfied.
 Blessed are you that Weep, you shall laugh.
 Blessed are those Mourn, they shall be comforted.
 Blessed are the Meek, they shall inherit the earth.
 Blessed are the Merciful, they shall obtain mercy.
 Blessed are Pure in Heart, they shall see God.
 Blessed are the Peacemakers, they shall be called children of God.
The Gospel shows in an abundance of texts that Jesus was not indifferent
or extraneous to the problem of the dignity and rights of the human person, nor
to the needs of the weakest, the neediest, and the victims of injustice.
Jesus‘ concern was not limited to the forgiveness of sins: At all times He
stressed a real solidarity with the poorest and lowliest (Matthew 11:28-30). He
cured the sick, lepers and blind men, and many more. He fed thousands of hungry
people. He personally took upon Himself the description of the Suffering Messiah
as foretold by Isaiah.
The Church continues to struggle for the realization of the Kingdom of God
through ongoing renewal and consistent propagation of the Gospel through
words and deeds.
The social mission of the Church is rooted in the ministry and mission of Jesus
Christ to love and serve by promoting and protecting the wellbeing of the human
persons.
Just like the mission of Jesus Christ, the mission of the Church to the society is
threefold: Kingly, Priestly and Prophetic.
 King
o One's commitment to serve others through active participation to
integral human development.
 Priest
o Our capacity to pray for one another and our ability to establish a
deeper relationship with God through prayer and worship.
 Prophet
o Proclaiming peace founded on truth, built according to justice,
integrated by charity and practiced in freedom.
The Church and the Questions of 'Just Relations' among People
 The Church in the Philippines has been known as the forerunner of truth and
justice among the Filipinos regardless of ethnicity, gender and religion.
 It is not to be identified with any political partisan in order to become a
credible herald of peace, justice and truth; and proponent of unawa
(understanding), awa (mercy) and gawa (deeds) among people
particularly the marginalized.
Respect vs. Discrimination
 The Church in the Philippines is expected to be the advocate of impartiality
that shuns any form of discrimination, conflict and political animosity.
 The Church is also called to promote respect for races, genders, religions
and point of views so that national unity and healing are attainable.
 Discrimination and neglect are obstacles to the full development of persons
and of society as a whole.
o Everyone has a role and needs to have the opportunity to improve
oneself so that he/she can take her/his place in society and
participate fully in the community he/she finds himself/herself in.
 This aspiration can only be achieved through the recognition of people's
capacities, potentials, and rights as well as in ensuring that the structures in
the communities and in society as a whole support this goal.
Duc in Altum ("Put out into the deep" Lk. 5:4)
 Each Catholic is a missionary.
 He/she is immersed and conscious of the signs of the times making him/her
capable of bringing people closer to the Kingdom of God.
 Like the apostles of Jesus Christ, we are also fishers of men by witnessing our
faith.
As Agent of Hope and Transformation
 Christ commanded his disciples: "Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).
 It is through baptism that members of the Christian community are called
to a holiness of life in the world befitting disciples of Jesus.
 Discipleship is the fundamental vocation in which the Church's mission and
ministry find full meaning.
 As disciples of Jesus, we are called into communion with both God and
others and are sent in mission to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom.
 The Synod of Bishops spoke about the relation between the Gospel and
justice: -Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation
of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching
of the Gospel.
 The Church fulfills her mission of preaching the Gospel when it teaches the
demands of justice.
Responding to the Demands of our Contemporary Communities
a. The Fact of Religious Pluralism
 The Church recognizes and defends the fundamental dignity of man
to be free from coercion in matters religious.
 The Church position on religious pluralism: All men are called in
freedom to Jesus Christ and to his Church, which has a divine mission,
indeed a mandate, to evangelize the whole world, so that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth, and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father (Phil 2:10 11).
 To all peoples, the Church preaches Christ crucified, a stumbling
block to Jews and a folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of
God (1 Cor. 1:23-24).
 All men and women are called by God to faith and baptism in Jesus
Christ.
b. Truthful Tolerance
 The Declaration on Religious Freedom of Vatican II, Dignitatis
Humanae, cast a new light.
 The human person has a right to religious freedom. This freedom
means that:
o All men are to be immune from coercion on the part of
individuals or social groups and of any human power
o No one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own
beliefs
o Not to be restrained from acting in accordance with his own
beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in
association with others, within due limits.
c. Fidelity to Proclaim the Kingdom of God
 The Church, endowed with the gifts of her founder and faithfully
observing his precepts of charity, humility and self-denial, received
the mission of proclaiming and establishing among all peoples the
Kingdom of Christ and of God, and she is, on earth, the seed and the
beginning of that Kingdom.
 The Church's mission is the same as it was yesterday, today, and
tomorrow: to evangelize the whole world. It is the duty of the Church,
therefore, in her preaching to proclaim the Cross of Christ as the sign
of God's universal love and the source of all grace.