De La Salle Santiago Zobel School
Handout #2
Christian Living 4
Key Points on Social Justice
Scriptural Basis of Social Justice:
Old Testament:
· Exodus 22:21-28: The Code of the Covenant which tells us to be always compassionate to the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized.
· Psalms 146:7-8, Ps 72:12-14: Yahweh showed how He serves as the protector and defender of the poor and the oppressed and the outcast too.
· Prophet Amos 5:11-13; 4:1-3; 6:4-7: Describes the scandalous luxury of the rich, which was built on the misery of the poor. The rich do not have the slightest concern for the breakdown of the covenant and since they are the “first” in the society, they would also be “first” into exile.
· Prophet Isaiah 1:11-17; 3:12-24: Announces the true meaning of religion and that is to desist from oppressing the poor and the defenceless. He also announces his mission of bringing glad tidings to the lowly.
New Testament:
· Gospel of Luke: Among the four evangelists, St. Luke is the champion of the poor—of the anawim.
· In the story of the Good Samaritan, he tells us that everyone without exception must help those in need even if you were the least expected to render help.
· In the parable of the Rich Fool, he criticizes man’s inordinate attachment to wealth. Luke does not actually say that wealth itself is evil. It only becomes a hindrance to one’s being humble before God and to one’s always being ready to help the needy.
· In the story of Levi and of Zaccheus, Luke shows us that it is not impossible or too difficult for the rich to help the poor. Also, this story of Zaccheus teaches that the rich should take the opportunity to give back to the poor, especially if their wealth is ill-gotten.
Church Documents on Social Justice:
NCDP 305 (National Catechetical Directory of the Philippines): While faithful to her basic primary mission of evangelization, the Church never dissociates herself from the temporal problems of her members.
· She remains close to the poor and the suffering.
· She longs for justice and peace, and she concerns herself with the concrete needs of the faithful.
· It is thus, the church’s spiritual mission that makes the Church concern herself with concrete reality of daily life and make everyone realize that this world willed by God is a world of justice.
NCDP 312: Justice remains the first demand of love. It is the practical expression of love in a finite individualistic notation of “charity”.
· The poor should not be exploited by the rich and those who are in power
Civil Law on Social Justice:
THE 1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
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.
To this end, the State shall regulate the acquisition, ownership, use, and disposition of property and its increments.
Section 2. The promotion of social justice shall include the commitment to create economic opportunities based on freedom of initiative and self-reliance.
Catholic Social Teaching
and the Key Themes as the Church Response to Society
CHURCH SOCIAL TEACHINGS
and the Key Themes as the Church Response to Society
CHURCH SOCIAL TEACHINGS
· CST is the body of social principles and moral teaching articulated in the papal, conciliar and other official documents issued in the late 19th century and deals with the economic, political and social order.
· Founded in the Old and New Testaments, traditional, philosophical and theological teachings of the Church.
· What is an encyclical?
An encyclical is a formal pastoral letter written by or in collaboration with the pope.
Encyclicals focus on timely teachings on matters of faith and morals.
They are the usual means by which the pope exercises teaching authority as the chief pastor and teacher of the whole Church.
Catholics are usually obliged to obey the moral and theological content of all encyclicals. Source: http://www.faithfirst.com
Catholic Social Teaching 1891-1991
| Year | Latin title and the Pope Promulgator | English Translation |
| 1891 | Rerum Novarum (Leo XIII) | (Condition of Labour) |
| 1931 | Quadragesimo Anno (Pius XI) | (Reconstruction of the Social Order) |
| 1961 | Mater et Magistra (John XXIII) | (Mother & Teacher - Christianity & Social Progress) |
| 1963 | Pacem in Terris (John XXIII) | (Peace on Earth) |
| 1965 | Gaudium et Spes (Vatican II) | (Church in the Modern World) |
| 1967 | Populorum Progressio (Paul VI) | (Progress/Development of Peoples) |
| 1971 | Octegesima Adveniens (Paul VI) | (Call to Action) |
| 1971 | *Justice in the World (Synod of Bishops) | |
| 1975 | Evangelii Nuntiandi (Paul VI) | (Evangelization in the Modern World) |
| 1981 | Laborem Exercens (John Paul II) | (On Human Work) |
| 1987 | Solicitudo Rei Socialis (John Paul II) | (Social Concerns of the Church) |
| 1989 | *Peace with God the Creator (John Paul II) | |
| 1990 | Redemptoris Missio (John Paul II) | (Missionary Activity of the Church) |
| 1991 | Centesimus Annus ( John Paul II) | (One Hundred Years) |
Catholic Social Teaching
Summary of Key Encyclicals and Documents
Summary of Key Encyclicals and Documents
Rerum Novarum: On the Condition of Labour (Leo XIII, 1891)
Lays out rights and responsibilities of capital and labour
Upholds the right to private property
Condemns atheistic communism, affirms dignity of work
Calls for the protection of the weak and the poor through the pursuit of justice
Quadragesimo Anno: On Reconstructing the Social Order (Pius XI, 1931)
Condemns the effects of greed and concentrated political and economic power
Proposes social organisation be based on principle of subsidiarity
Pacem in Terris: Peace on Earth (John XXIII, 1963)
Focus on human rights as basis for peace
Calls for disarmament
States need for world-wide institution to promote and safeguard universal common good
Gaudium et Spes: Church in the Modern World (1965)
Recognition that church immersed in the world
Condemns poverty
Warns about threat of nuclear war
Build structures to uphold justice and peace
Populorum Progressio: On the Development of Peoples (Paul VI, 1967)
Focuses on human development – “the new name for peace”
Condemns situations contributing to global poverty
Calls for new international organisations and agreements to promote justice and peace
Octogesima Adveniens: An Apostolic Letter: A Call to Action (Paul VI, 1971)
Calls for political response to economic injustice
Develops role of local churches in response to unjust situations
Participation in social and political reforms
Justice in the World (Synod of Bishops, 1971)
“Action for justice” key dimension of preaching the gospel
Evangelii Nuntiandi: Evangelisation in the Modern World (Paul VI, 1975)
Links work of doing justice with evangelisation
Gospel seen as liberation from oppressive cultures
Laborum Exercens: On Human Work (John Paul II, 1981)
Affirms dignity of work and of worker
Affirms rights of labour
Calls for workplace justice
Meaning of work can be understood if dignity of labor is its underlying premise or principle
Sollicitudo Rei Socialis: The Social Concerns of the Church (John Paul II, 1987)
“Option for the poor” as a central tenet of Church teaching
develops notions of ‘solidarity’, ‘structures of sin’ and ‘social mortgage on property’
Suggests resources for arms race be used to alleviate human misery
Nature must be considered in development, leading humanity to the fullness of being.
Peace with God the Creator, Peace with Creation: Pastoral Letter (John Paul II, 1990)
Ecological crisis - moral crisis facing humanity
Respect for nature and ecological responsibility - key tenet of faith
Integrity of creation to be upheld
Ecological education - nurture new global solidarity including nature
Key Principles of Catholic Teaching
1. Human Dignity
Human beings are created in the image of God and, therefore, are endowed with dignity. This inherent dignity carries with it certain basic rights and responsibilities which are exercised within a social framework.
Human beings are created in the image of God and, therefore, are endowed with dignity. This inherent dignity carries with it certain basic rights and responsibilities which are exercised within a social framework.
2. The Common Good
While the dignity of the human person is affirmed, individuals live in common with others and the rights of individuals must be balanced with the wider common good of all. The rights and needs of others must be always respected.
While the dignity of the human person is affirmed, individuals live in common with others and the rights of individuals must be balanced with the wider common good of all. The rights and needs of others must be always respected.
3. The Principle of Solidarity
Human beings are social by nature and do not exist merely as individuals. When considering the human community it must be remembered that it consists of individuals and social elements.
4. The Principle of Subsidiarity
Recognises that society is based on collectives or communities of people ranging from small groups or families. This principle affirms that a higher level community should not interfere in the life of a community at a lower level of social organisation.
5. The Purpose of the Social Order
The social order must uphold the dignity of the human person.
6. The Purpose of Government
The purpose of government is the promotion of the common good. Governments are required to actively participate in society to promote and ensure social justice and equity.
7. The Principle of Participation
Individuals and groups must be enabled to participate in society.
8. The Universal Purpose of Goods
The world’s goods are meant for all. Although the Church upholds the right to private property this is subordinate to the right to common use and the overall common good. There is a social mortgage on private property.
9. The Option for the Poor
This refers to seeing the world through the eyes of the poor and standing with the poor in solidarity. This should lead to action for justice with and on behalf of those who are poor and marginalised.
Most Recent Encyclicals by Pope Benedict XVI
Deus Caritas Est
·
In this encyclical, Benedict reflects on the concepts of eros, agape, and logos, and their relationship with the teachings of Jesus.
In this encyclical, Benedict reflects on the concepts of eros, agape, and logos, and their relationship with the teachings of Jesus.
· --Eros and agape are two of the various Greek words for love, each of which has a slightly different shade of meaning:
· agape is descending, oblative (or that which sacrifices type of love) in which one gives of oneself to another;
· eros is ascending, possessive love which seeks to receive from another.
· Logos is often translated into English as "word", but can also mean thought, speech, reason, principle, standard, or logic, among other things.
--The document explains that eros and agape are both inherently good
--but eros risks being downgraded to mere sex if it is not balanced by an element of spiritual Christianity. The opinion that eros is inherently good follows a school of thought in the Catholic Church known as the "Caritas tradition"
--But for Anders Nygren, a Lutheran bishop, in his mid-20th century book Eros and Agape, agape is the only truly Christian kind of love, and that eros is an expression of the individual's desires and turns us away from God.
--but eros risks being downgraded to mere sex if it is not balanced by an element of spiritual Christianity. The opinion that eros is inherently good follows a school of thought in the Catholic Church known as the "Caritas tradition"
--But for Anders Nygren, a Lutheran bishop, in his mid-20th century book Eros and Agape, agape is the only truly Christian kind of love, and that eros is an expression of the individual's desires and turns us away from God.
Spe Salvi (Latin "SPE SALVI facti sumus”—in hope we were saved, is from Rom 8:24.) ---
· is an encyclical letter by Pope Benedict XVI promulgated on November 30, 2007 about the theological virtue of hope.
· ---The title comes from St. Paul's letter to the Romans. This is Benedict's second encyclical, following the 2005 document Deus Caritas Est, meaning "God is Love."
· In this second encyclical, pope Benedict tried to make a link between these two Christian concepts to the theological virtue of faith by analyzing the Greek and Latin translation
Benedict traces here the relationship between the Christian concept of hope and redemption.
Benedict traces here the relationship between the Christian concept of hope and redemption.
· Benedict relates the story of Josephine Bakhita as an example of the contrast between a prior, pagan way of life and the new "hopeful" Christian life. Josephine, an African saint who lived her early life as a slave, converted to Catholicism after finding "the great hope" which had "redeemed" her. She spent the rest of her life as a nun, preaching throughout Italy and was canonized in 2000.
Caritas in Veritate (Latin: "Charity in Truth")
· is the third encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI and his first social encyclical. It was signed on June 29, 2009, and was published on July 7, 2009.
· --The encyclical is concerned with the problems of global development and progress towards the common good of all peoples.
· --Argues that both Love and Truth are essential elements of an effective response.
· --The work is addressed to all strata of global society – there are specific points aimed at political leaders, business leaders, religious leaders, financiers and aid agencies but the work as a whole is also addressed to all people of good will.
Online sources/references: please see De La Salle Notes and Homework Zobel website
