Charity, Social Justice, and Charity, Social Justice, and Catholic Social Teaching Catholic Social Teaching

ThemesThemesLearning GoalsLearning Goals Success CriteriaSuccess Criteria

1) Understand and 1) Understand and apply the Catholic apply the Catholic Social Teaching Social Teaching themes and connect themes and connect them to the world we them to the world we live inlive in

1) Able to identify 1) Able to identify examples of the examples of the themes in lyrics (i.e. themes in lyrics (i.e. Shad song), and/or Shad song), and/or children’s storybooks children’s storybooks

Charity VS. Social JusticeCharity VS. Social JusticeCharity is social service.Charity is social service. Social Justice is social Social Justice is social

change.change.

Charity provides direct Charity provides direct services like food, services like food, clothing, shelter.clothing, shelter.

Social Justice works to Social Justice works to change unjust structures change unjust structures and organizations.and organizations.

Charity is directed at the Charity is directed at the effectseffects of injustice. of injustice.

Social Justice is directed at Social Justice is directed at the the root causesroot causes of injustice. of injustice.

Charity is often private, Charity is often private, individual acts.individual acts.

Social Justice is often Social Justice is often public, group actions.public, group actions.

Examples:Examples:homeless shelters, food homeless shelters, food banks, clothing drives, banks, clothing drives, money donations.money donations.

Examples:Examples:working to change laws, working to change laws, changing policies and changing policies and practices of companies or practices of companies or governmentsgovernments

Catholic Social Teachings Catholic Social Teachings (CST)(CST)

• The Church’s social teaching is a rich The Church’s social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. Modern the challenges of modern society. Modern Catholic social teaching has been Catholic social teaching has been articulated through a tradition of papal, articulated through a tradition of papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents. In these conciliar, and episcopal documents. In these brief reflections, we highlight several of the brief reflections, we highlight several of the key themes that are at the heart of our key themes that are at the heart of our Catholic social tradition. Catholic social tradition.

The 7 Themes of Catholic Social Teaching

1. Life and Dignity of the Human Person

2. Participation: The Call to Family and Community

3. Rights and Responsibilities

4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

5.Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers

6.Solidarity7.Care for God’s

Creation

Life and Dignity of the Life and Dignity of the Human PersonHuman Person

- ALL human beings have ALL human beings have dignity because they are made dignity because they are made in the image of God and are all in the image of God and are all loved by God.loved by God.

- Nothing can take away this Nothing can take away this fundamental dignity, not even fundamental dignity, not even his/her worst actions.his/her worst actions.

- Human life is sacred and the Human life is sacred and the dignity of the human person is dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral the foundation of a moral vision for society. vision for society.

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

- People motivated by People motivated by selfishness, fear or hate, have selfishness, fear or hate, have always found reasons not to always found reasons not to respect the dignity of others: respect the dignity of others: race, gender, nationality, race, gender, nationality, disability, age, historydisability, age, history

•

Life and Dignity of the Life and Dignity of the Human Person Human Person CONTINUED…CONTINUED…

• Called to be for ALL life from conception to natural deathCalled to be for ALL life from conception to natural death

• Respect for life is basis for Church’s opposition to abortion, Respect for life is basis for Church’s opposition to abortion, euthanasia, death penalty euthanasia, death penalty

• Respecting human life means allowing others to live BUT Respecting human life means allowing others to live BUT helping them live to their fullest potential (and experience helping them live to their fullest potential (and experience goodness intended for ALL – physically, socially, emotionally, goodness intended for ALL – physically, socially, emotionally, spiritually etc)spiritually etc)

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

Participation: The Call to Participation: The Call to Family and CommunityFamily and Community

• The right and responsibility of all people The right and responsibility of all people to participate in all aspects of human to participate in all aspects of human society – educational, political, cultural, society – educational, political, cultural, religious, economic, etc.religious, economic, etc.

• Those not able to fully participate are Those not able to fully participate are marginalized (pushed outside main marginalized (pushed outside main group)group)

• Marriage and the family are the central Marriage and the family are the central building blocks in society that must be building blocks in society that must be supported and strengthened, not supported and strengthened, not undermined. undermined.

• We need to seek the common good and We need to seek the common good and well being of all, especially the poor and well being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.vulnerable.

•

Rights and Rights and ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities •   people need to have their human rights protected to people need to have their human rights protected to

be fully what God created them to bebe fully what God created them to be

• Survival Rights:Survival Rights: water, food, shelter, and basic health water, food, shelter, and basic health care care Thrival Rights:Thrival Rights: education, employment, safe education, employment, safe environment, enough material goods to support a environment, enough material goods to support a family, right to practice religion, right to immigrate, family, right to practice religion, right to immigrate, right to live without discriminationright to live without discrimination

• Corresponding to these rights are responsibilities—an Corresponding to these rights are responsibilities—an individual’s rights are limited by his/her individual’s rights are limited by his/her responsibilities for the food of others, as well as for responsibilities for the food of others, as well as for the common good of societythe common good of society

Option for the Poor Option for the Poor

and Vulnerableand Vulnerable • This calls us to put the needs of society’s most poor This calls us to put the needs of society’s most poor

and vulnerable members firstand vulnerable members first

• Not only poor in terms of money but also those who Not only poor in terms of money but also those who are deprived of their rights or of equal participation are deprived of their rights or of equal participation in societyin society

• Call comes from Jesus who continually asked us to Call comes from Jesus who continually asked us to put the needs of the poor first (Matthew 5: 1-12)put the needs of the poor first (Matthew 5: 1-12)

Dignity of Work and the Dignity of Work and the Rights of WorkersRights of Workers

• Work promotes dignity because it Work promotes dignity because it provides family with things they provides family with things they need to live and flourish. Good work need to live and flourish. Good work also promotes human dignity also promotes human dignity because it is a reflection of God’s because it is a reflection of God’s work of creation.work of creation.

• Good work puts people firstGood work puts people first

• The basic rights of workers must be The basic rights of workers must be respected for us to have dignified respected for us to have dignified work. These rights include: the right work. These rights include: the right to productive work, to decent and to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.property, and to economic initiative.

SolidaritySolidarity • The spirit of friendship between The spirit of friendship between individuals, groups, nations is individuals, groups, nations is the basis for a just worldthe basis for a just world

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

• We are our brothers’ and sisters’ We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keeperkeeper

• Loving our neighbor has global Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. dimensions in a shrinking world.

• We are all children of God and We are all children of God and have responsibilities toward have responsibilities toward each other that any family each other that any family members havemembers have

Caring for God’s CreationCaring for God’s Creation• We show our respect for the We show our respect for the

Creator by our stewardship of Creator by our stewardship of creation (the environment). creation (the environment).

• Care for the earth is a Care for the earth is a requirement of our faith requirement of our faith (dominion NOT dominate; it’s (dominion NOT dominate; it’s a gift and reflection of the a gift and reflection of the beauty of Creator)beauty of Creator)

• We are called to protect We are called to protect people and the planet, living people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation.all of God’s creation.

APPLICATION: We need to be able to identify HOW APPLICATION: We need to be able to identify HOW these 7 themes are being upheld and violated in these 7 themes are being upheld and violated in the world we live in. THE THEMES ARE ALL the world we live in. THE THEMES ARE ALL AROUND US – in the news, on tv, in songs, art, AROUND US – in the news, on tv, in songs, art, books, EVERYWHERE!books, EVERYWHERE!

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