Catholic Social Justice

Life and Dignity of the Human Person

People do not lose dignity due to factors such as

• poverty
• age
• gender
• disability
• race and ethnicity
• lack of success

God made each person, so every life is important and should be protected.

The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society

This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching.

We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

Call to Family, Community, & Participation

The person is not only sacred, but also social. How we shape our society - through economic, political, and social institutions - directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community.

God made us to be part of communities, families and countries, so all people can share and help each other.

Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened.

We believe people have a right and a duty to actively participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all - especially the poor and vulnerable.

Rights and Responsibilities

The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and basic responsibilities are met.

God wants us to help make sure everyone is safe and healthy and can have a good life.

Catholic social teaching recognizes three sets of rights:

1. The right to life (including food & shelter)

2. Economic rights (including education and employment)

3. Political & cultural rights (including religious freedom)

With rights come responsibilities to others, to our families and to the common of all.

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

While the common good embraces all, those who are weak, vulnerable, and most in need deserve preferential concern.

God wants us to help people who are poor, who don't have enough food, a safe place to live, or a community.

This preferential option for the poor and vulnerable includes all who are marginalized in our nation and beyond - unborn children, persons with disabilities, the elderly and terminally ill, and victims of injustice and oppression.

The Dignity of Work & the Right of Workers

The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God's creation.

Work is important in God's plan for adults and their families, so jobs and pay should be fair.

If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected - the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.

Solidarity

We are one human family - whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences may be.

God made everyone, so we are all brothers and sisters in God's family wherever we live.

Loving our neighbor has global dimensions and requires us to eradicate racism and address the extreme poverty and disease plaguing so much of the world.

Solidarity also includes the Scriptural call to welcome the stranger among us - including immigrants seeking work, a safe home, education for their children, and a decent life for their families.

Care for God's Creation

Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan - it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God's creation.

The world was made by God, so we take care of all creation.

This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

In our use of resources, we must be guided by our concern for the welfare of others, both around the world and for generations to come.

Sources

https://www.crs.org/resource-center/CST-101?tab=life-and-dignity-of-the-human-person

Archdiocese of Indianapolis powerpoint

http://smccblanchette.weebly.com/catholic-social-teaching.html