CHAPTER ONE
Catholic Social Justice:
An Overview
Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice
- The gospel proclaims that human beings
are made in the image and likeness of
God
- Made in a divine image, we are endowed
with a human soul with two great
powers
1.) Intellect
2.) Free will
Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice
1.) Human Intellect
Enables us to
recognize and
understand God’s
command to do good
and avoid evil
Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice
2.) Free will
Enables us to choose
good with the guidance
of our conscience and to
obey God’s law of love
Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice
- Original sin has weakened us, inclining us to commit
evil by making bad judgments and choosing
lesser goods
________________________________________
• Malnutrition is responsible for the death of over five
million children per year
• Nearly three billion people, live on
less than $2.00 per day
• Over 46 million babies have been
aborted in the U.S. since Roe vs.
Wade
Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice
Catholic Social Justice Teaching
- The church doctrine (teaching) attempts to
understand how societies work
- It makes moral judgements about economic and
social matters in light of revealed truth
Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice
Flows primarily from the life
and words of Jesus Christ
Catholic Social Justice
Rooted in teachings of the
Hebrew prophets
Your Catholic Faith & Social Justice
- Aspects of Catholic Social Justice Teaching
1.) It gives us principles for reflection
2.) It provides criteria for judgment
3.) It gives guidelines for action
Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
Sharing Catholic Social Teaching
- Purpose is to alert Catholics that the Church’s
teaching on social justice is an essential part of our
faith
- The wheel of justice presents the principles of
Catholic social justice.
• Our ultimate destination is God’s kingdom
• Along the way there are obstacles
• The principles on the wheel need to
be applied to smooth out the road that
leads us to God
Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
Wheel of Justice
Stewardship
Solidarity
Work &
Workers
9
8
7
Option for 6
the Poor
1
2
Human
Dignity
5
Common
Good
Respect
for Life
3 Family
4
Rights &
Duties
Community
Participation
Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
1.) Principle of Dignity of the Human Person
- Every person deserves respect
- Our dignity does not come from
what we do or what we have, it
comes from being God’s
special creation
Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
2.) Principle of Respect for Human Life
- Every stage of a human’s life is precious and worthy
of our respect and protection
3.) Principle of the Call to Family, Community,
& Participation
- People have a right and duty to
participate in society seeking
together the common good and
well-being of all
Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
4.) Principle of Rights and Responsibilities
- The essential, fundamental right is the right to life
- Every person has the right to the necessities that
make for human decency
• Faith
• Food and Shelter
• Education
• Health care
Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
5.) Principle of the Common Good
- Social conditions that permit people to reach their
full human potential and to realize their human
dignity
- Essential elements
1.) Respect for the person
2.) Social well-being and
establishment of the group
3.) Peace and security
Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
6.) Principle of the Preferential Option; Love for
the Poor and Vulnerable
- Poor and Vulnerable are our brothers and sisters
- They deserve respect, the protection of their rights,
and justice
7.) Principle of Dignity of Work;
Rights of Workers
- Economy must serve the people, not the
other way around
- Workers’ rights
Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
8.) Principle of Solidarity
- We need to commit ourselves to the common good
- We must work for peace and justice in the world
marked by violence and war
9.) Principle of Stewardship
- We respect our loving Creator by
being good stewards of the
earth
How Christians View the Human Person
-Our view of how humans should act
depends on how we see ourselves
-If we see ourselves created
in God’s image, then we
know we are called to
reflect all the qualities of
the Creator
How Christians View the Human Person
- Foundation of Catholic Social Teaching is that each of us is made
in God’s image:
Each human being has tremendous dignity
Each human being is a child of God
We are special in God’s eyes
We have rights and responsibilities
We have a spiritual nature
God made us for himself
We possess freedom; we must use it responsibly
We are social beings
We image God best when we love one another
God made us co-creators with him
We are wounded by sin and inclined to evil and error
How Christians View the Human Person
- Jesus has much to reveal to us about who
we are and how we should treat each
other
- We are saved through Jesus’ passion,
death and resurrection
-We are to be compassionate
like Jesus
Our Rights as Humans
Right
a claim we can make
on other people and on
society so we can live
a full, human life.
Our Rights as Humans
Universal rights – the rights are for
every human being
Inviolable rights – these rights are
untouchable because they come
from God
Inalienable rights – these
rights are inherent and
beyond challenge
Our Rights as Humans
Peace on Earth
- Named the fundamental human rights:
Right to Life
Moral and Cultural Rights
Right to Worship God
Right to Choose Freely One’s State of Life
Economic Rights
The Right of Meeting and Association
The Right to Emigrate and Immigrate
Political Rights
Vocabulary
•free will
•original sin
•dignity
•Social Justice doctrine
•Sharing Catholic Social Teaching
•common good
•rights
•Abba
•encyclical
•Peace on Earth
•pornography