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HUMAN DIGNITY IN THE SACRED
SCRIPTURES
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Biology - Humans, or human beings, are
bipedal primates belonging to the
mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin
meaning: wise man or knowing man).
Psychology - Humans have a highly
developed brain capable of abstract
reasoning, language, and introspection.
Humans are variously said to possess
consciousness, self-awareness, and a mind,
which correspond roughly to the mental
processes of thought.
Sociology - “Man is by nature a social
animal”. Man cannot live alone. He must
satisfy certain natural basic needs in order to
survive. He has to enter into relationships
with his fellowmen for living a life.”
ANATOMY
The cerebral cortex is nearly symmetrical, with left and
right hemispheres that are approximate mirror images of
each other. Anatomists conventionally divide each
hemisphere into four "lobes", the frontal lobe, parietal
lobe, occipital lobe and temporal lobe
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Frontal Lobe
Associated with reasoning, planning,
parts of speech, movements, emotions
and problem solving
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Parietal Lobe
Associated with movement orientation,
recognition, perception of stimuli.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
- “We are members of one great body,
planted by nature…. We must consider that
we were born for the good of the whole”
Titus Maccius Plautus
- “Homo homini lupus est” (Man is a wolf to
his fellow man)
St. Thomas Aquinas
- Individua substantia rationalis naturae
(Individual substance of a rational nature)
Niccolo Machiavelli
- “Men by nature is evil. They are ungrateful,
fickle, liars, and deceivers, they shun
danger and are greedy for profit.
Rene Descartes
- “Cogito ergo sum”. (I think, therefore I
am).
Thomas Hobbes
- “The life of man (in a state of nature) is
solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
Albert Camus
- “Man is the only creature who refuses to be
what he is.”
Fyodor Dostoevsky
- “Man is a mystery. It needs to be
unravelled, and if you spend your whole
life unravelling it, don't say that you've
wasted time.”
George Berkley
- “Esse est percipi” (To be is to be perceived)
Jean Paul Sartre
- “Man is condemned to be free”.
Martin Heidegger
- “Man is a being unto death”
Lesson 1: Human Dignity in the Scriptures
Occipital Lobe
Associated with visual
processing.
Temporal Lobe
Associated with perception and
recognition of auditory stimuli,
memory and speech
a. Human beings as the crowning glory of God’s
creation
- Genesis 1:26-27
- God created man in his image; in the divine
image he created him; male and female he
created them
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. Both
are equally God's masterpiece. - St. John Paul II in his
General Audience 1999
CCC 1699-1715
“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.”
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Imago Dei
The divine image is present in every man. He is
endowed with:
1. A spiritual and immortal soul
- The human person is composed of body
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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."
Every spiritual soul is created
immediately by God and also that it is
immortal.
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SOUL
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“primus actus corporis physici organici”.
first act of a physical organic body.
it is the principle of life
any living being is a besouled being
HIERARCHY OF BEING
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God
Angels
Humans
Animals
Plants
Minerals
OPERARI SQQUITUER ESSE
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Operations follows being
OPERATIONS
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Nutrition: refers to the operation by
which the creature’s life is conserved. A
vital operation which transforms food
into nutritive substances by the process
of metabolism and the ability to
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assimilate these nutritive materials to the
different parts of the body.
Growth: refers to the augmentation and
refers to the operation by which living
beings acquire by nourishment the
quantity characteristic to it (motis a
minore ad majorem quantitatem). A
result of the assimilation of food.
Reproduction: a new organism is
generated from a previous organism
(origo viventis a principio vivente
conjuncto in similitudinem naturae)
Sensation: manifests the capacity to
perceive accidental properties of things.
Locomotion: manifests the capacity to
move from one place to another.
Intellection: immaterial operation
because its object is the idea which is an
immaterial presentation of reality
Volition: immaterial operation because
its object is the idea which is an
immaterial presentation of reality
PLANTS – Vegitative Soul
ANIMALS – Sensient Soul
HUMANS – Rational Soul
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
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God created man a rational being,
conferring on him the dignity of a person
who can initiate and control his own
actions.
but the exercise of freedom does not
entail the putative right to say or do
anything.
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.
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.
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Man is FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY
made, equipped with everything necessary to
navigate the goods on offer.
Authentic Freedom
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Freedom is not absolute, therefore it is
limited! Do Good and Avoid Evil
Human beings and the Redemptive Act of Christ
ORIGINAL JUSTICE
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Philippine Constitution, Article 2 Section 11
“The State values the dignity of every
human person and guarantees full
respect for human rights.”
2. Human beings 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
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The Nature and Purpose of Sexuality:
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the doctrine which teaches that the state
of Adam and Eve before they sinned was
one of holiness and justice.
It states that our first parents received
grace, and preternatural gifts (Genesis
1:26-27; 2:3). These sanctifying grace,
with its right to enter heaven, and the
preternatural gifts would have been
transferred to all descendants of Adam
and Eve if not for the original sin
The loss of original justice, both for
them and for all their descendants as a
result of the Fall, was later recovered
through the atoning death of Jesus
Christ
PRENATURAL GIFTS
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a. To be human is to exist either as male or as
female.
b. We are sexual beings by nature, existing in
one of these two modes.
c. Sexuality urges us out of isolation into the
company of others.
3. Sexuality urges us out of isolation into the
company of others.
- Being an image of God also implies our
responsibility to His creation
(Stewardship)
- 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
They include three great privileges to
which human beings have no title-infused knowledge, absence of
concupiscence, and bodily
immortality. Adam and Eve possessed
these gifts before the Fall.
PROTOEVANGELIUM
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“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.”
The promise of salvation brought about
by sins of our ancestors is fulfilled in
Jesus Christ.
TYPOLOGY
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a method of biblical interpretation
whereby an element found in the Old
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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.
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Redemption comes to us above all through the
blood of his cross, but this mystery is at work
throughout Christ's entire life:
1. In His Incarnation – “Word made flesh”
2. In His Hidden Life – Obedience
3. In His Word through Teachings, Parables,
Beatitudes, Prayers and Proclamation of the
Kingdom of God;
4. In His Healings and Exorcisms
5. And in His Resurrection.
Jesus‘ words, deeds and suffering had for its aim
restoring fallen man to his original vocation.
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despite of the Fall and sinful nature, God
affirms, transcends the elevated nature of
humanity.
The Ultimate Destination of our Human
Pilgrimage: To Return to the Father
A. Israelites in the Promised Land
- 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.
B. Parable of the Prodigal Son by Pope Francis
- Pope Francis described the father, with
patience, love, hope, and mercy had
never for a second stopped thinking
about his lost.
- The Pope reminded us that God is
always waiting for us; he never grows
tired.
- 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
the criminal justice system is a way of
responding to ending the effects of crime
that makes the people affected.
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:
1.
2.
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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
5. Develop livelihood programs to assist
inmates earn a living and develop their skills
while in prison.
The Bureau of Corrections' logo or seal also
summarizes its goal featuring a rehabilitated
inmate (white) while in custody of the seven (7)
prisons and penal farms (bars) thru educational,
therapeutic, productive approaches and
restorative justice. He looks forward to a brighter
future (rays of the sun), but would need the
assistance of his family and loved ones, the society
and the church, for him to completely undergo
transformation and re-integrates successfully in the
community.
Punishment cannot be reduced to mere retribution,
much less take the form of social retaliation or a
sort of institutional vengeance.
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
Introductory Concepts on Man and Society
SOCIETY
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“socius” which means companion, or
ally; “societas” fellowship, association,
alliance, union, community.
“socius” which means companion, or
ally; “societas” fellowship, association,
alliance, union, community.
An organized association of persons
united for the promotion of some
common purpose or object, whether
religious, benevolent, literary, scientific,
political, convivial, or other.
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New Testament
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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
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Technology is defined as 'information
about how to use the material resources
of a given society or culture to meet
human needs and satisfy human desires.
viewed that through technology,
societies will evolve, change and
survive.
When looking at the technology of a
society, Lenski focused on information the amount of information a society has
and how it uses that information. The
more information (or knowledge) a
society has, the more advanced it will
become
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Latin word meaning ecclesia
The Septuagint used ekklesia to translate
the Hebrew word qâhâl, meaning a
congregation, assembly, company or
other organized body
synagoge = "assembly, congregation";
derived from the preposition sun =
"with, together" and the verb αγω = "to
lead, gather"
In Septuagint (the Old Testament in
Greek), it usually refers to a local
assembly of Jews. The word is used 56
times in the NT, mostly in the Gospels
and Acts, but also in James 2:24 and Rev
2:9; 3:9.
Temple / Sanctuary
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CHURCH
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the Church designates the community of
Christian disciples who gathered at least
weekly for common liturgy and prayer.
The word "church" is used 114 times in
the NT, but only three times in the
Gospels (once in Matt 16:18 and twice in
Matt 18:17).
Synagogue
Gerhard Emmanuel "Gerry" Lenski, Jr.
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The community of Israel foreshadows
the Church. Just as God chooses us to be
saved as part of the Church, so too did
God call Israel as a nation to be his
chosen people as part of his larger plan
of salvation.
hieron = "temple area, holy grounds"
Whereas hieron designates the totality of
the holy space or "temple precincts",
naos refers more specifically to the
"sanctuary building" within the temple
area, in which the deity resides. In the
NT, "temple" normally refers to the
sacred precincts of Jerusalem.
Paul uses "Temple of God" as a
metaphor for the Christian community,
in that the community is the "sanctuary"
where the Spirit dwells
People of God
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Old Testament
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God's Chosen or Elect - In the OT, the
Hebrews are "chosen" by God to belong
to him
thus the descendants of Israel are called
the "people of God"
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Luke uses the term to identify Israel
Community / Communion
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koinonia = "placed in common"
Koinonia refers to a relationship of
fellowship among believers based on
participation in Christ
Paul's ministry to support the poor
financially in the Jerusalem church is a
sign of this communion
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Saints
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(hagioi = "holy ones, those set apart")
Paul commonly addresses the Christian
community as "saints"
Paul commonly addresses the Christian
community as "saints"
Body of Christ
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The "Body of Christ" is a prominent
Pauline metaphor for the church
The Way
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literally "road, path, journey," it
sometimes specifically refers to
individuals following Jesus
Bride of Christ
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The Church is the bride of Christ, and
just as a husband and wife are one flesh,
so is the Church holy because of the
bridegroom. This is seen in paragraph
824 of the Catechism which states,
“United with Christ, the Church is
sanctified by him; through him and with
him she becomes sanctifying.
Children of Abraham / New Israel / New
Jerusalem
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Traditional Jewish interpretation, and
that of most Christian commentators,
define Abraham's descendants as
Abraham's seed only through his son
Isaac and his grandson Jacob, to the
exclusion of Ishmael and Esau. This may
however reflect an eisegesis or
reconstruction of primary verses based
on the later biblical emphasis of Jacob's
descendants. The promises given to
Abraham happened prior to the birth of
Isaac and were given to all his offspring
signified through the rite of circumcision
the descent and promise is reinterpreted
along religious lines. In the Epistle to the
Galatians, Paul the Apostle draws
attention to the formulation of the
promise, avoiding the term "seeds" in
plural (meaning many people), choosing
instead "seed," meaning one person,
who, he understands to be Jesus (and
those united with him
MYSTERIUM LUNAE
Saint Ambrose expresses this nicely by presenting
the moon as a metaphor for the Church:
The moon is in fact the Church… [she] shines not
with her own light, but with the light of Christ. She
draws her brightness from the Sun of Justice, and so
she can say: ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ
who lives in me
PRINCIPLES TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE
SOCIETY OR IN FORMING A GROUP OR
COMMUNITY
1. Socialization - expresses the natural
tendency for human beings to associate with
one another for the sake of attaining
objectives that exceed individual capacities.
2. 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.
3. Common Good
Three Essential Elements of Common
Good
1st - Respect for the person as such.
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Fundamental and inalienable rights of
the human person.
2nd - Social well-being and development of
the group itself.
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Development is the epitome of all social
duties.
3rd – Peace
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The stability and security of a just order.
Our laws also support the formation of
these organizations:
1987 Philippine Constitution Article XIII.
Section 23.
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The State shall encourage nongovernmental, community-based, or
sectoral organizations that promote the
welfare of the nation. (Civil Code of the
Philippines Article 32)
The right to become a member of
associations or societies for purposes not
contrary to law
Both the Church and the State recognizes the family
as the most important unit of the society.
FAMILY
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Original cell of social life
Natural society in which husband and
wife are called to give themselves in
love and in the gift of life.
The family must be helped and defended
by appropriate social measures
Article XV. The Family of the 1987 Philippine
Constitution
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.
Section 2. Marriage, as an inviolable social
institution, is the foundation of the family and shall
be protected by the State.
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.
Being in the image of God the human individual
possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just
something, but someone.
Being in the image of God the human individual
possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just
something, but someone.
This teaching rests on one basic principle:
1. individual human beings are the foundation,
the cause and the end of every social
institution.
2. On this basic principle, which guarantees the
sacred dignity of the individual, the Church
constructs her social teaching
The dignity of human person is:
1.
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Innate: we were born with it
Inviolable: cannot be violated
Inalienable: cannot be taken away from us
Universal: encompasses all humanity
Human rights may be defined as those fundamental
rights of human beings which are essential to the
exercise of human dignity.
1. These rights are possessed by human beings
by the mere fact of their being human.
2. 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.
A Brief Development of Understanding
Human Dignity in Relation to Human Rights
1. 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 laXer by bodily
pleasures and instinct. To him, dignity
encompasses not only of those who were
persons of authority and wealth but
includes all humanity.
2. 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).
3. Great Chain of Beings by St Thomas
Aquinas
- St. Thomas 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.
4. Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR) by the United Nations
- 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
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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.
that human rights should be protected by
the rule of law.
Article 1
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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
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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
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Everyone has the right to life, liberty and
security of person.
1987 Philippine Constitution
Article XIII: Social Justice and Human
Rights
Section 1: Congress shall give highest
priority to the enactment of measures that
protect and enhance the right of all the
people to human dignity
Section 17: Commission on Human Rights
(Note: the first CHR in the country was
established during Marcos Gme 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;
5. Pacem in Terris by St John XXIII & other
Church documents on human rights
- 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.
BIBLICAL ROOTS OF THE SOCIAL
TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH
SHALOM
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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.
JUSTICE
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the virtue which inclines us to give to
God and to man what is due to them.
Social justice is central to the Pentateuch
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To be the people of God meant to
practice justice. A just system was
required for all people, aside from their
ethnic origin or social justice.
The Judeo-Christian Tradition Expressions of
Justice are:
1. Sedakah
- It means right relationship.
- 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.
- 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.
- The word sedakah also corresponds to
Yahweh‘s righteousness.
- Some terms related to Yahweh‘s sedakah
are mercy, compassion and salvation
- It is identical with deliverance and
salvation, describing it as associated to a
norm established by God.
2. Mishpat
- It depicts the forensic nature of justice.
- It is justice based on the context of the
failure of the right relationship.
- This is where Yahweh refuses injustice
because the right relationship is being
violated.
- It is also a court of law wherein the
accused is punished and the victim is
vindicated.
- Yahweh is a judge who punishes the
wicked one and rewards the righteous
one. Thus, He corrects wrongdoings in
order to restore right relationship.
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The arbiter, the King -God, secures order
in the community by applying the
mishpat. It implies deliverance for those
who are just and innocent, but harsh for
the wicked and sinful.
3. Hesed
- It is often translated as loving kindness.
Other translations are steadfast love,
mercy and compassion.
- Hesed is the expression of loving
kindness in the Kingdom of Yahweh.
- Yahweh‘s hesed is manifested in His
everlasting love for Israel.
- Yahweh is the epitome and example of
doing hesed to others.
4. Dikaiosune
- Jesus’ invitation to strive first for the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness
(Mt. 6: 33) is basically relational.
- The Greek word dikaiosune can be
rendered righteousness or justice.
- 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.
OLD TESTAMENT – external actions we need to
follow
NEW TESTAMENT – Internal dispositions we
need to have
The Beatitudes of Jesus are also considered as
expressions and ways to realize the right
relationship in the Kingdom of God.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
About People & Blessings
Kingdom is About Newness.
The Kingdom is Still to Come
The Kingdom is a Person
Not a monarchy or a military might
Not violent
God reigns where the divine will is done
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
Just like the mission of Jesus Christ, the mission of
the Church to the society is threefold:
1. Kingly
- One‘s commitment to serve others
through active participation to integral
human development.
2. Priestly
- Our capacity to pray for one another and
our ability to establish a deeper
relationship with God through prayer
and worship.
3. Prophetic
- Proclaiming peace founded on truth,
built according to justice, integrated by
charity and practiced in freedom.
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.
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.
Duc in Altum (“Put out into the deep”)
-
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 to our
faith.
SHALOM – GOAL
JUSTICE – WAY
SEDAKAH, MISHPAT, HESED, DIKAIOSUNE
– EXPRESSIONS (AGENTS OF
TRANSFORMATION)
As Agent of Hope and Transformation
-
-
-
-
-
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.
The Church fulfills her mission of preaching the
Gospel when it teaches the demands of justice
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 recognizes and defends the
fundamental dignity of man to be free
from coercion in matters religious.
-
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:
• All men are to be immune from
coercion on the part of
individuals or social groups and
of any human power
• No one is to be forced to act in a
manner contrary to his own
beliefs
• 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 selfdenial, 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.
THE NATURE OF THE SOCIAL
TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH
What is the Social Teachings of the Church?
Nero - Evil Emperor
Thassadeus
Burned the City Just to perfect his poems
Cristians
were
persecuted,
burned,
oppressed, crucified...
Nature of the Social Teaching of the Church
The Social Teaching of the Church is at the
core of Christianity. It needs to be pointed
out that Jesus is an active agent in the renewal
of the Society.
Sources of CST:
1. Scriptures
2. Homilies
3. Human Experiences
4. Encyclical Letters
Best Kept Secret - palaging may sagot ang
simbahan
Magesterium - Jesus Christ ... Peter Rock
Convo
We could bend the law - from 10 to 300 laws.
His proclamation of the Kingdom of God
means that certain practices in the community
would even have to be renewed in order to
show to the people that indeed God’s reign is
at hand, even if at the same time, it cannot be
fully fulfilled in the present.
1. The Truth of Faith
The First Christians were true followers of
Christ in the sense that they have endeavored
to persevere in the ministry that Christ has
started. This is especially shown in their
commitment to equality, respect and love for
each other.
Moreover, decisions in their communities are
done “in remembrance” of the memory of
Christ.
Persecution of the Early Christians
Domas Aria - Golden House
Why do you think the early christian
communities endure the persecution?
Faith in God and hold to the promise of God.
Because they were eyewitnesses of God or
Jesus Christ. They have seen the truth and
miracles that happens in the time of Christ.
The Middle Ages Church, despite the
infamous abuses of some members of the
hierarchy and
the clergy, remains faithful to Christ’s call to
bring about the reign of love in our
communities.
Important thinkers in the Middle Ages
especially Thomas Aquinas continues to talk
about justice
and charity for the poor.
Reformation inside the church -Aquinas..
The challenge to aid the needy in the
community has become more pressing with
the emergence of modern ideologies that
were brought about mainly by the Industrial
Revolution.
Capitalism and Socialism were two
ideologies that were both supposedly aimed
at improving the conditions of every person’s
life. However, because of their neglect to talk
about God in their endeavours, they have
instead also contributed to the increasing
problems of poverty and injustice in the
community.
Hence, the modern social encyclicals were
Catholic contributions to the talk about
human flourishing pointing out especially the
important points from these two ideologies.
The Catholic Church has issued important
documents in order to officially announce its
stand on pertinent social issues that confront
our communities at particular moments in
history.
These are Catholic contributions to the talk
about human flourishing based on important
principles such as the dignity of the human
person, subsidiarity, solidarity and the
preferential option for the poor.
Moreover, each of these documents, while
sensitive to the historical conditions of
particular times, are grounded in the
Tradition of the Church that finds its
beginning in the person and ministry of Jesus
Christ.
Nature of the Social Teaching
Emphasis on the Human Person as Imago
Dei
Celebrates
Humanity
Interconnectedness
and
our
Promotion of Justice according to God’s
Plan
circumstances and consequences of the
action.
The apex of the affirmation of human dignity
is the coming of Christ. Christ embraces
humanity through the mystery of Incarnation,
which affirms that humanity is central to
God’s plan.
The centrality of the dignity of the human
person is even highlighted more with the
Paschal Mystery of Christ. He showed us that
the cross is not a meaningless symbol, but is
rather a testimony of God’s love.
b. Celebrating our Shared Humanity, Our
Human Interconnectedness
Yahweh’s covenant with Abraham and the
people of Israel is Yahweh’s own initiative
and gift which is even beyond what humanity
deserves.
The covenant is an expression of Yahweh’s
willingness to reach out to His people. In fact,
by the covenant, Yahweh makes himself
bound to fulfil his promises to His people.
In turn, the covenant becomes the people’s
assurance that Yahweh will never abandon
them.
a. The Human Person as the Image of God
Church’s understanding of human dignity - is
the conviction that the human person
occupies a central role in the creation of God,
and that the human person is the only creature
that is created in the image and likeness of
God, and is the only creature that has the
capacity for God.
Human dignity is a core-concept in the social
teaching of the Church. The Church believes
that the human dignity is a concept that is
both inviolable and inalienable, that is, it can
never be compromised regardless of the
Moreover, “there comes from the Decalogue
a commitment that concerns not only fidelity
to the one true God, but also the social
relations among the people of the
Covenant… The gift of freedom and the
Promised Land, and the gift of Covenant on
Sinai and the Ten Commandments are
therefore intimately linked to the practices
which must regulate, in justice and solidarity,
the development of Israelite society.
A society that wishes and intends to remain
at the service of the human being at every
level is a society that has the common good
– the good of all the people and of the whole
society – as its primary goal.
In the diversity of cultures, the natural law
unites peoples, enjoining common principles.
Since something of the glory of God shines
on the face of every person, the dignity of
every person before God is the basis of the
dignity of man before other men.
c. Toward a Just and Humane Society
according to God’s Plan
God destined the earth and all it contains for
all men and peoples so that all created things
would be shared fairly by all mankind under
the guidance of justice (CSDC, 165).
The principle of the Universal Destination
of Goods is an invitation to develop an
economic vision inspired by moral values
that permit people not to lose sight of the
origin or purpose
of these goods, so as to bring about fairness
and solidarity.
Everyone has the right to enjoy the conditions
of social life that are brought about by the
quest for the conditions of social life that are
brought about by the quest for the common
good.
Pope Pius XI: ‘the distribution of created
goods, which, as every discerning person
knows, is labouring today under the gravest
evils due to the huge disparity between the
few exceedingly rich and the unnumbered
property less, must be effectively called back
to and brought into conformity with the
norms of the common good, that is, social
justice. This then prompts the Church to call
for a more just distribution of the world’s
wealth (CSDC 171).
Man, then, must never forget that his capacity
to transform and in a certain sense create the
world through his own work… is always
based on God’s prior and original gift of the
things that are.
2. The Paradigm of Love and Justice versus
the Way of Violence
Love is the most identifying value of the
Church's social teaching. It is what makes
us uniquely Christians. It is, in fact,
unachievable without grace, but the grace is
freely supplied to the willing, which is grace
itself.
a. The Way of Love and Justice
In the Church’s perspective, love as a value is
“the highest and universal criterion of the
whole of social ethics.” (CSDC, 171)
Love presupposes and transcends justice.
This means that love builds upon justice just
like grace builds upon nature.
For what happens when love meets justice,
look at the cross of Christ, the cross of Christ
which is our law. Without justice, there is no
love. Without justice, love does not survive.
Justice is the prerequisite of love. Justice is
fulfilled by love.
Kant insisted that, in justice, the law of
punishment was a categorical imperative
which admitted no exception. For if justice
goes, there is no longer any value in human
beings living on the earth. Kant is entirely
correct. A world without justice is, to be sure,
too horrible to behold.
However, a world with justice but without
love is equally as bad or worse. Human
relationships cannot be governed solely by
the measure of justice. The prophet Malachi
tells us that God requires more than doing
justice. He requires us to love mercy and to
walk humbly with Him (Malachi 3:3).
Summum ius, summa iniuria was a Roman
maxim mentioned by Cicero. It is a brilliant,
ambiguous saying which can be translated,
“extreme justice is the greatest injustice,” or
an "extreme justice is an extreme wrong.
Here is a truly radical challenge: to take love,
which, as St. Thomas mentions in his
Summa Theologiae, is the form of the
virtues, and to socialize it or institutionalize
it into social and political charity. This task is
the modern challenge of our time.
Social charity makes us love the common
good. It makes us effectively see the good of
all people,
considered not only as individuals or private
persons but also in the social dimension that
unites them. (CSDC, 207)
violence is unacceptable as a solution to
problems, that violence is unworthy of man.
Violence is a lie, for it goes against the truth,
the truth of our humanity. Violence destroys
what it claims to defend: the dignity, the life,
the freedom of human beings.
c. Understanding ‘critical collaboration’ with
the State
The Church recognizes its autonomy from the
State. However, many understand this to
mean that the Church should not be involved
in political issues, or with politicians and
public policies. This is not the meaning of the
separation of Church and State.
a. From Separation
What really is the meaning of this separation?
We need a new world order that is grounded
not only on secular values but on Christian
love, on social and political charity, which is
identical with solidarity, i.e., a direct demand
of human and Christian brotherhood.
Social and political charity is not exhausted
in relationships between individuals, but
extends to the network formed by communal
relationships, which is precisely the social
and political community; it intervenes in this
context seeking the greatest good for the
community in its entirety. (CSDC, 208)
There are three main ideas:
-the state has no official religion,
-the state should not discriminate any
religion; and
-the Church should not control or dominate
any religious group, the police or armed unit
of the State.
The principle of the separation of Church and
State is a reaction to some medieval
arrangement of church-sponsored religions or
a State persecution of some undesirable
religions.
b. Versus the Way of Violence
The Church does not approve the use of
violence and the use of arms because it is
aware that violence only leads to more
violence, which often results only in new
forms of oppression.
Violence is never a proper response. The
Church proclaims that violence is evil, that
In order to respect the autonomy of the
Church, the State shall not establish one
religion as the religion of the State.
It shall not favor one religion over the other.
It shall foster the freedom of all religious
beliefs and should not interfere with their
practices unless these actions become
detrimental to public order.
In order to respect the autonomy of the
State, the Church prohibits its ministers and
priests to run for public office or, if they do,
they should resign from their ministry as
priests.
This is also done in order to guard the
Church’s role as agent of unity as
exemplified in a community of different
political persuasions.
Separation of Church and State does not
mean, however, that the Church and its
ministers cannot take a stand on social,
economic and political issues affecting the
welfare of the people.
And, if taking sides on these issues
necessitates choosing one candidate over
another, the Church can encourage its
members to pursue their own options to
address the situation according to its moral
values.
In the end, it is the individual Christian who
decides based on his or her own conscience,
not its leaders or ministers.
cannot and must not remain on the sidelines
in the fight for justice.” (Benedict CVI, Deus
Caritas est)
The Church has the right and the duty “to
teach her social doctrine, to exercise her role
freely among men, and also to pass moral
judgment in those matters which regard
public order when the fundamental rights of
the human person or the salvation of souls
require it.” (Gaudium et Spes, 76)
Both the Church and those who govern
society are seeking to serve mankind
(although under different titles), and they
“will carry out this service with greater
efficacy, for the good of all, the healthier and
better is the cooperation between them.”
(CSDC, 425)
As part of the Church and Society, what truth
from the social teachings of the Church do I
find relevant today? What concrete actions/s
can I offer to help promote the agenda of the
Second Plenary Council of the Philippines?
THE RESPONSE
FAITHFUL
OF
THE
LAY
b. To Cooperation
Using a bicycle, one can surely reach his or
her destination if the two wheels are
consistent in moving to the same direction.
The same is true with the relationship
between the Church and State, i.e., both have
the same goal of reaching the common good
and realizing the Kingdom of God.
The distinction between the Church and the
State does not imply a complete separation,
nor does it mean that the Church should
restrict her activity to the private and spiritual
sphere.
Certainly the Church “cannot and must not
replace the State. Yet at the same time she
How do I respond to the Social Teachings of
the Church?
A. Rationalizing the Church’s Involvement
B. Global Realities of the Church’s
Involvement
Due to global concerns like war, hunger,
poverty, global warming, climate change,
apathy; and challenges brought about by
secularism, materialism, neoliberalism and
globalization, the Church is called to be
involved in responding to those issues.
C. Local Realities
Involvement
of
the
Church’s
The Church is also called to be involved in
promoting justice, solidarity and the
common good through active participation
and cooperation in community development,
promotion of human dignity, justice, peace,
and environmental education.
•
•
DUTY OF THE LAY FAITHFUL TO
THE SOCIETY
•
A. As One Church
•
•
•
•
It is the proper duty of the lay faithful to
proclaim the Gospel with an exemplary
witness of life rooted in Christ and lived
in temporal realities: the family; in the
world of work, culture, science, and
research; the exercise of social, economic
and political responsibilities.
The lay faithful are called to cultivate an
authentic lay spirituality by which they
are reborn as new men and women, both
sanctified and sanctifiers, immersed in
the mystery of God and inserted in
society.
Prompted by such spirituality, the lay
faithful are able to contribute to the
sanctification of the world, as from within
like leaven, by fulfilling their own
particular duties.
The role of the laity is in a special way to
“seek the Kingdom of God by engaging
in temporal affairs and ordering them
according to the plan of God. As such, lay
men and women are in a unique position
to bring their faith into all areas of
society.
In their own way, the laity participate in the
priestly, prophetic and kingly mission of the
Church by virtue of their Baptism and
Confirmation.
B. Promoting the Culture of Dialogue
•
•
•
•
The sacred dignity of each person and the
call to love one’s neighbor as an essential
element of one’s love of God combine to
demand that all differences be explored
and all conflicts be addressed through
respectful dialogue.
This applies to religious differences as
well as political, economic, social and
cultural ones.
Only through patient, respectful dialogue
do people grow beyond the limitations of
their experience, perceptions, opinions
and values.
Each person is a unique part of the
tapestry of creation, of the mosaic of the
human family.
Only through dialogue can new level of
understanding and appreciation be
achieved in the human community.
The art of dialogue is effective among
Filipinos because they are used to start
small talk like: Saan ka pupunta? (Where
are you going?), Kumusta? (How are
you?), OK ka lang ba? (Are you OK?)
They are also comfortable to engage with
serious conversation or dialogue. This is
the reason why they have a saying that:
“Walang hindi nadadaan sa mabubuting
usapan.” Every problem (issue or
conflict) can be settled through a peaceful
dialogue.
C. Translating Faith into our Thoughts,
Words and Actions
• From Curiosity to Advocacy
• As Catholics, we need to witness our faith
not only by word of mouth but by concrete
actions. Thus, we need to walk our talk.
• The first step in translating faith into action
is by being aware of existing social problems
and concerns through series of exposures and
immersions.
• Followed by personal expression of
commitment in initiating and organizing
advocacy projects related
promotion and development.
to
human
b. Salamanca Congress: Dominicans in the
Promotion and Defense of Human Rights
• This congress is an integral part of this
“Salamanca Process” in bringing leaders of
Dominican intellectual institutions together
for the promotion and defense of human
rights.
• Hopefully it will result in a deeper
integration of the intellectual and apostolic
life of the Dominican Family through
concrete projects of collaboration with the
following objectives:
• Recover the history of the
involvement of Dominicans in the
promotion and defense of human
rights;
• identify and evaluate the current
engagement of Dominicans in the
promotion and defense of human
rights at the academic level and at a
practical level on the ground;
• develop networks and policies that
will enable the promotion and defense
of human rights to be integral to
Dominican preaching of intellectual
and apostolic life; and
• promote networks of collaboration
at the zonal, regional and
international levels through concrete
projects in defense of groups whose
rights are violated.
c. UST-OCD-Simbahayanan (TOMAS)
Experience
• The University of Santo Tomas, through the
Office of Community Development –
Simbahayan has conducted community
organizing
through
their
partner
communities.
• UST has been successful in utilizing
TOMAS experience in implementing its
projects and programs.
• UST offers training in organizing,
management, program and project analysis to
become systematic in the field of community
engagement.
UST IR offers training and community
building through CREED, Aral, Asal at
Dasal, among others.
How does the Church sees evangelization in
our present realities?
The main task of the Church in the
Philippines is to encourage its flocks to
become active members of Christian
communities and to lead people to
authentic renewal through meaningful
proclamation of the Good News in order to
address some existing contradictions in the
Philippines such as massive poverty,
unemployment, graft and corruption and drug
addiction.
The Vision-Mission of the 2nd Plenary
Council of the Philippines
We, as church in the Philippines, with total
trust in god‘s love, envision ourselves as the
community of disciples, who firmly believe
in the Lord Jesus and joyfully live in harmony
and solidarity with one another, with
creation, and with God.
Following the way of our Lord, we opt to be
a Church of the Poor, which demands
evangelical poverty of us all…
To achieve this vision, under the leading of
the spirit of God and with Mary as our guide,
we shall embark on a renewed integral
evangelization and witness to Jesus Christ‘s
Gospel of salvation and liberation through
our words, deeds and lives.
As bishops, priests, religious and laity, we
together commit ourselves to implement the
spirit and decrees of the Second Plenary
Council of the Philippines in order to
inculturate gospel values in our milieu by
this shall kaayusan (order in harmony) be
achieved through persons who are makaDiyos, maka-tao, makabayan and makabuhay.
a. Community of Disciples
whose faith in Jesus is expressed in a Church
in mission that includes Asia and the whole
creation.
A real community of disciples is patterned
after the Holy Trinity where the three divine
Persons: unique, equal and united are in
constant sharing and in mission.
It also approximates the early apostolic
Christian communities
b. The Church of the Poor
Our priority must be programs for the
conscientization,
evangelization
and
organization of the marginalized poor.
First, into small communities of faith and
discernment.
Second, into sectoral groups to attend to
specific needs in cultural, political, economic
and religious institutions.
This is empowerment of the laity especially
the poor for active participation and
leadership in the Church‘s life and mission.
and with their pastors.
Patterned after the Domus Ecclesia or House
Church which was the Church known to the
early Christians where they gathered at a
house of a member and then there they share
the Word of God and partake of whatever
each of them can offer.
The members have a strong sense of
belongingness and responsibility for one
another.
They share the Word of God and are guided
by regular catechesis. They gather around the
Eucharist and have a vibrant celebration of
life in the liturgy.
They share not only their spiritual concerns
but also the material concerns.
Their poverty and their faith lead them to
involvement in action for justice and social
transformation.
The vision of the Church as community of
disciples can be concretely experienced in the
BECs.
Without the BECs, the communitarian nature
of the Church and of discipleship remains an
abstraction.
In the BECs, the ordinary Christians are
awakened to their call to live their
discipleship fully and actively and in the
context of the community.
The community of disciples is an evangelized
and evangelizing community.
c. Basic Ecclesial Communities or BECs as
Community of Disciples
BECs are small communities whose
members are in unity and solidarity with one
another
It witnesses to the coming of God's Kingdom.
It is prophetic community that proclaims the
message of the Kingdom, i.e., the message of
salvation and liberation.
As Community of Disciples, the BECs
celebrate the presence of Christ in the
Sacraments.
Like Christ, BECs are concerned about the
plight of the poor and the needy, those who
are sick, who are hungry, who are in prison.
They actively participate in the building of
the Kingdom of God, a kingdom of justice,
peace and
love. The community of disciples is truly a
servant community.
The 9 Pastoral Priorities of the Catholic
Church in the Philippines
If we are to become a Church of the poor, we
must be evangelically poor.
We shall learn from the poor and seek to
liberate ourselves from values, behavior and
lifestyles that discriminate against the poor.
The Family as the Focal Point of
Evangelization
The family is the basic cell of the Church and
society, the Gospel has first to be shared in
the family.
Many cultural distortions originate in the
family.
Integral faith formation must, therefore, take
place in the family for all members.
The family has to become a key agent of
proclaiming the Gospel.
Building
and
strengthening
of
Participatory Communities that make up
the Parish as a Community of
Communities
Integral Faith Formation
At the heart of pastoral renewal is faith
formation.
We must have integral faith to fulfill our
vocation and mission.
It has to be a discerning faith that sees the
action of God in our lives and in our
communities.
Empowerment of the Laity toward Social
Transformation
We shall support the growth
strengthening of Basic Ecclesial
and
Communities and other forms of faith
communities as a vehicles of renewal.
We shall strive to integrate them in parish life
and activities and develop structures of
coordination and participatory decisionmaking.
Integral Renewal of the Clergy
We shall promote and support the exercise of
the God-given gifts and charisms of lay
people. Lay people must take the lead in
social transformation.
To address the lack of witnessing by some of
the clergy, we shall ensure deeper dialogue of
life between the clergy and the poor so that
lifestyles may conform to that of the poor
Christ.
Active Presence and Participation of the
Poor in the Church
For genuine servant-leadership, we shall
provide effective clergy formation in human
development,
spirituality,
scripture,
theology, pastoral care and mission.
Journeying with the Youth
The youth are the most numerous in our
population.
They are some of the most active workers of
renewal in the Church and in society. But
they are also most vulnerable to the negative
developments in our rising technological
society.
We affirm their gifts and immense capacity
to pursue the Christian ideal in their lives and
in
New Evangelization
Is a technical term used by Pope John Paul II
in his encyclical Redemptoris Missio in 1992
in order to revitalize the faith, give dynamism
to the building up of the Church and to draw
people to unity.
Evangelization can be new in its ardor,
methods, and expression.
The call to the new evangelization is a call for
the baptized
society.
members of the Church to deepen their faith
and reach out to other Christians in deep need
of a new encounter with Christ.
We shall dialogue with them, enter their
world, and journey with them toward the
maturity of Christ to which we all aspire.
In modern times this means re-proposing the
Gospel to people in countries and cultures
heavily
Ecumenism and Inter-religious Dialogue
influenced by secularization.
To achieve the unity that Christ willed, we
shall strive to eradicate prejudices, grow in
deeper
understanding and appreciation of other
faiths, and religious traditions, especially
Islam.
As a way of healing, reconciliation and
national unity, we shall encourage dialogue
among all sectors of society.
New Evangelization is doable through:
a. Evangelization by Attraction
When our communities show a Christ-like
love characterized by joyful unity as
exemplified by the first Christian
communities the world will once more take
notice and exclaim again, ―See these
Christians, how they love one another!
Animation and Formation for “Missio Ad
Gentes”
We shall respond to the Holy Father‘s
challenge that Filipinos become ―the
foremost missionaries for all of Asia.
b. Evangelization in a Digital World
Therefore, we shall ensure that mission
animation and formation will be integral to
religious formation in the family, schools,
and other institutes of formation.
The Church has to enter this world and use it
to communicate the Good News to all
peoples.
In today‘s world, you are not “in” if you are
not in the digital world.
The digital world is where people live today
and where they can be reached.
To neglect to use these means is to neglect
one of the most potent instruments the Lord
has given us to communicate the Good News
to all peoples.
c. Evangelization and Conversion
The first response that is expected of those
who heard the preaching of the Good News is
repentance.
The Greek word used in the New Testament
for repentance is metanoia.
What is to repent? It is to change.
-First, it is a change of mind, a change in our
way of thinking, a change in our “pananaw.”
-Second is a change of heart, a change in our
attitude, in our “kalooban.”
-The third change is a change of behavior or
“pagkilos.”
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