Catholic Social Teaching
From a Vincentian Lens
Jack Murphy,
Southeast Voice of the Poor Representative
National VOP Chair
Voice of the Poor Prayer
Lord of all people,
During your time on earth you identified with the poor and instructed us to care for one
another, for our neighbor and especially for the least of our brothers and sisters.
Be with us as we advocate for the poor.
Help us to persevere in joy and love on their behalf.
Add your voice to ours as we speak out for those who are not heard in our communities.
Guide us as we work, comfortable in the knowledge that we are doing your will for this
day and time and place, and that you will take care of tomorrow.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, his Blessed Mother, our patron St. Vincent and our
founder Blessed Frederic. Amen
Ruth Zemek, Phoenix Council
Workshop Objectives
• Familiarity with the Ten Themes
• Appreciation for Vincentian historical and current contributions to
CST
• Beginning of a plan to teach CST back home
Agenda
• Ten Themes of Catholic Social Teaching
• Deep Dive into Four Themes
• Group Activity to Review Remaining Seven Themes
• How Would We Teach These Back Home
Foundations the Society’s Systemic Change Effort
Empowerment
Collaboration
Catholic
Social
Teaching
Mentoring
Advocacy
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Perceptions of People in Need
"Buddy Can You Spare A Dime" (Jay
Gorney /E.Y. Harburg, 1930)
Nobody Knows You When You're Down
& Out (Jimmy Cox, 1923)
Vincentians and Catholic Social Thought
7.4 The practical Vincentian approach to social justice
“The distinctive approach of Vincentians to issues of social justice is to see
them from the perspective of those we visit who suffer from injustice.”
The Rule of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul
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Foundational Documents
• 24 Papal Encyclicals and Vatican Documents including:
• Rerum Novarum (On the Condition of Labor)—Pope Leo XIII, 1891
• The Church and Racism: Towards a more fraternal society—Pontifical Council for Justice and
Peace, 1989
• Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church—Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, 2004
• 36 Documents from the US Bishops including:
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•
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Labor Day Statements
Hunger
Death Penalty
Catholic Perspective on Crime and Punishment
Economic Life
Peace
Communities of Salt & Light
Who said this?
“Economic activity cannot solve all social problems through the simple
application of commercial logic. This needs to be directed towards the
pursuit of the common good, for which the political community in
particular must also take responsibility. Therefore, it must be borne in
mind that grave imbalances are produced when economic action,
conceived merely as an engine for wealth creation, is detached from
political action, conceived as a means for pursuing justice through
redistribution.”
Pope Benedict XVI
Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth)
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Catholic Social Teaching from a Vincentian Lens
• Dignity of the Human Person
• Solidarity
• Respect for Human Life
• Stewardship
• Association
• Subsidiarity
• Participation
• Equality
• Preferential Protection for the Poor
• Common Good
Ten Building Blocks of Catholic Social Teaching
William J. Byron, America, October 31, 1998
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Dignity of the Human Person
“Every human being is created in the image of God and redeemed by Jesus Christ,
and therefore is invaluable and worthy of respect as a member of the human family.”
Fr. Robert Maloney, CM
This is the bedrock principle of Catholic Social Teaching
SVDP Position Papers
• Self Sufficient Wage
• Affordable Housing
• Immigration
• Restorative Justice
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Respect for Human Life
“Every person, from the moment of conception to natural death, has inherent dignity
and a right to life consistent with that dignity.” Fr. Robert Maloney, CM
SVDP Positions Papers
• Health Care
• Homelessness
• Hunger
• Human Trafficking
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Preferential Protection for the Poor
“We believe that we touch Christ when we touch the needy” Fr. Robert Maloney, CM
“Among our tasks as witnesses to the love of Christ is that of giving a voice to the cry of
the poor, so that they are not abandoned to the laws of an economy that seems at times to
treat people as mere consumers.”
Pope Francis, Address to Archbishop of Canterbury (6/14/13)
“The proclamation of the Gospel is destined primarily to the poor, to those who often
lack the essentials for a decent life. The good news is first announced to them, that God
loves them before all others and comes to visit them through the acts of charity that the
disciples of Christ carry out in his name.” Pope Francis General Audience (6/18/13)
SVDP Position Paper
• Predatory Lending
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Common Good
“The common good is understood as the social conditions that allow people to reach their
full human potential and to realize their human dignity.” Fr. Robert Maloney, CM
“To love someone is to desire that person’s good and to take effective steps to secure it.
Besides the good of the individual, there is the good that is linked to living in society: the
common good. It is the good of “all of us”, made up of individuals, families and
intermediate groups who together constitute society….To desire the common good and
strive towards it is a requirement of justice and charity.” Pope Benedict XVI Caritas in Veritate
SVDP Positions Papers
• Education
• Fair Wages
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From the US Bishops:
“Sharing our social tradition more fully and clearly is an essential way to
bring good news, liberty, and new sight to a society and world in desperate
need of God's justice and peace.”
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Vincentian Civil Discourse
“Let us learn, first of all, to defend our belief without hating our
adversaries, to appreciate those who do not think as we do, to
recognize that there are Christians in every camp, and that God can
be served now as always! Let us complain less of our times and
more of ourselves. Let us not be discouraged, let us be
better.” Blessed Frederic
(Baunard, Correspondence, p.304)
“I believe that the laity serve the faith better because they confront all the different issues
of life with knowledge and deal with these issues in a Christian way. They do not deal
with these issues in generalities or in an apologetic manner like the theologians who do so
little to change the present situation.”
(Biography of Frederic Ozanam by: Sister M. Teresa Candelas, D.C.)
"Let the lay not imagine that (their) pastors are always such experts, that to every problem
that arises...they can readily give a concrete solution, or even that such is their mission."
(Gaudium et Spes, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 1965 #43)
“A new state of affairs today both in the Church and in social, economic, political and
cultural life, calls with a particular urgency for the action of the lay faithful. If lack of
commitment is always unacceptable, the present time renders it even more so. It is not
permissible for anyone to remain idle.”
(Christifideles Laici, #3 St John Paul, II, On the Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful)
What will you do with this information?
Current Position Papers of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul
• 1. A Just Wage for Employees of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, April 2001
2. Affordable Housing for the Poor, February 2002
3. Health Care for the Poor, Feb. 2004
4. Immigration, Sept. 2004
5. Fair Wages, Sept. 2005
6. Restorative Justice, Sept. 2006
7. Predatory Lending, April 2007
8. Homelessness, Aug. 2007
9. Hunger, Sept. 2008
10. Education, Apr. 2010
11. Human Trafficking, Sept. 2010
http://www.SVDPusa.org/Resources/VoiceofthePoor.aspx
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Voice of the Poor Regional Reps
North Central Region
Mary Ann Reinhardt
rhino139@sbcglobal.net
Midwest Region
Joseph J. Komadina
jkomadina@hotmail.com
Mideast Region
Warren Wright
joannwarrenwright@yahoo.com
Northeast Region
Tom Dwyer
tdwyerma@comcast.net
West Region
Giulio Grecchi
ggrecchi@aol.com
Michael Stratton,
michaelstrattonsvdp.
vop@gmail.com
East Region
Lynne Betts
svdplbetts@yahoo.com
Lois Jackson
Ljgigi1936@aol.com
Spiritual Advisor
Rev. Louis Arceneaux,
C.M.
a.66528@yahoo.com
South Central Region
Frank Kiolbassa
fskiol96@aol.com
National Chair & Southeast Region
Jack Murphy
Jack.murphy@att.net
Catholic Social Teaching Resources
Serving in Hope, Module IV: Our Vincentian Mission, Serving in Hope is our
spiritual formation program. Mod IV deals with the themes of Catholic Social
Teaching (www.svdpusa.org/members/Shop/SVdP-Catalog)
Foundational Principles in the Social Teaching of the Church, Fr. Robert Maloney,
CM (http://vinformation.famvin.org/vincentian-spirituality/in-todays-world/tenfoundational-principles-in-the-social-teaching-of-the-church/)
US Conference of Catholic Bishops: http://usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/whatwe-believe/catholic-social-teaching/index.cfm
Living Justice: Catholic Social Teaching in Action, Thomas Massaro, SJ
William J. Byron. “Ten Building Blocks to Catholic Social Teaching.” 23 Sept
2009. America Press. 31 Oct 1998. (http://americamagazine.org/issue/100/tenbuilding-blocks)
Voice of the Poor:
http://www.svdpusa.org/members/ProgramsandTools/VoiceofthePoor.aspx
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Prayer for Systemic Change
We praise and thank you, O God, Creator of the Universe. You have
made all things good and have given us the earth to cultivate. Grant
that we may always use created things gratefully, and share them
generously with those in need. Give us creativity in helping the poor
meet their basic human needs. Open our minds and hearts so that we
might stand at their side and assist them to change whatever unjust
structures keep them poor. Enable us to be brothers and sisters to
them, friends who walk with them in their struggle for fundamental
human rights. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
(from the Letter of Superior General on theme of annual Vincentian Day of Prayer 2008)