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Poverty and Catholic Social Teaching

Poverty and Catholic Social Teaching. Dignity and Justice in the City. Congregation of Holy Cross. Founded Notre Dame (1843) Continued influence of charism and spirituality “Notre Dame family”. Center for Social Concerns.

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Poverty and Catholic Social Teaching

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  1. Poverty andCatholic Social Teaching Dignity and Justice in the City

  2. Congregation of Holy Cross • Founded Notre Dame (1843) • Continued influence of charism and spirituality • “Notre Dame family”

  3. Center for Social Concerns • Annual theme focuses attention on two key principles of CST • Evangelium Vitae • “It is by listening to the word of the Lord that we are able to live in dignity and justice.” (48)

  4. Church and the World • Social Scriptures • Where it all begins • Social Tradition • Experiences from the life of the Church • Social Thought • Keeping the tradition up to date • Social Teaching • Timeless principles of the Church

  5. Social Dimension of the Scriptures • The Church understands Justice as rooted in Scripture • Is 1:15 “Make Justice your aim.” • Micah 6:8 “You have been told, O man, what is good and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right, and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” • LK 10:34 Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” • Scriptures make social demands • Prophets • The Law is for Love • Matthew 25

  6. Catholic Social Tradition • Brings together all people, place, events, and movements following the call of Scripture • The lived experience of this call • Dorothy Day • Is the Catholic Church really the “church of the poor”? • Requires work for justice

  7. Catholic Social Thought • Patristic and Classical • Augustine • Aquinas • Reflection on what it means to live JUST lives • We need to correct our relationship with: God, each other, creation • Ongoing Theological Inquiry • Liberation Theology • Eco-theology

  8. Catholic Social Teaching • Official teachings of the Magisterium • Papal Encyclicals • Bishops Conferences • Able to offer an unchanging light to the new problems that we are confronted with • Role of the laity

  9. Talk to your neighbors… • Can you name some principles of the Church’s Social Teaching?

  10. Values and Principles • Human Dignity • Common Good • Rights and Responsibilities • Option for the Poor • Dignity of Work • Subsidiarity and Solidarity • Care for Creation

  11. Dignity of Human Life • Foundation of CST • Humans are created in the Image of God • All human life is sacred, from conception to death • Gen 1:26 Then God said: “Let us make man in our image and after our likeness.” • Eph 4:23-24 “And be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.”

  12. Community and the Common Good • Humans are social beings • Perfect model is God’s Trinitarian (Relational) Nature • We realize our own humanity in relationship with others • Lv 19:9-15 “These things you shall leave for the poor and alien. I, the LORD, am your God.” • Jn 13:34 “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.”

  13. Rights and Responsibilities • The existence of rights are necessarily tied to duties • “With great power comes great responsibility” • We must fulfill basic rights for dignity to exist • Duty to defend our rights • But others must be able to exercise theirs as well • Mt 23:11 “The greatest among you must be your servant”

  14. Preferential Option for the Poor • Every person, regardless of status, is welcome as Christ • Corporal & Spiritual Works of Mercy – poverty of body and soul • Mt 25:31-46 “Amen, I say to you, what you did for the one of these least ones, you did for me” • Ps 41:1-3 “Happy those concerned with the poor and the lowly”

  15. Dignity of Work • Our human vocation is to participate in the creative work of God • This means that we are made to labor; work is a good thing • But it must be dignifying • Every person has a right to fair, meaningful, decent work that respects their dignity

  16. Solidarity & Subsidiarity • Complementary principles • Solidarity – global concern • We are all connected • Subsidiarity – local concern • But action should first occur at the lowest level possible • Jn 17:20-21 “I pray that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.“ • “We come not just as servants, but as their neighbors, to be with them and of them.” -Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross, 13

  17. Care for God’s Creation • All creation is a gift from God • We are not masters but stewards with responsibility • Environmental poverty • Mt 6:25 “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing”

  18. What do we do? • Our choices reflect what we believe in • “Every economic decision has a moral consequence” -Caritas in Veritate • If we believe in Christ, we must act like it • We are called to serve: • The Oppressed • Relief of their suffering • The Oppressor • Conversion of heart • But we are not taking sides against “sinful enemies” • Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross, 13

  19. How do we do it? • “The mission is not simple, for the impoverishments we would relieve are not simple. There are networks of privilege, prejudice and power so commonplace that often neither oppressors nor victims are aware of them. We must be aware and also understanding by reason of • fellowship with the impoverished • and patient learning. • For the kingdom to come in this world, disciples must have the competence to see and the courage to act.” - Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross 13

  20. Experience of CST • CST is not just our mind, or heart, or soul isolated from one another, it’s about integration • Ought to be a transformative experience

  21. Holy Cross Education “The mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart.” - Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C. • Education – Social Teaching = Power to Exploit • “We stand with the poor and afflicted because only from there can we appeal as Jesus did for the conversion and deliverance of all.” (Constitutions, 13)

  22. Holy Cross Principles of Education • Mind • Integrating faith & reason • Heart • Discerning a vocation of service • Zeal • Desire to use gifts for common good • Family • Embracing community as context for lifelong formation • Hope • Trusting in the cross and God’s promise of the kingdom

  23. Break into Small Groups

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