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SCL 3 / SOCIAL MISSION OF THE CHURCH
For Private Use OnlyTeacher: Susan Ong
The Churchs Social Concern
The Second Vatican Council has been a major turning point in the
life of the Catholic Church. This historic gathering of the
Catholic bishops launched changes in theology and practice that
were to dramatically affect the lives of Roman Catholics in the
decades to follow.
One of the most important contributions of Vatican II is the
emphasis it placed on the pastoral orientation of the Church
teachings. This is a notable development because it conforms with
the gospels where Christ presented himself as the Good Shepherd
(Jn. 10,11). It also stands in conformity with Church tradition,
which from the very beginning is pastoral in orientation, while
most of the ecumenical councils of the past were heavy on doctrinal
and liturgical nuances; Vatican II was primarily pastoral in tone
trying to make the Church more relevant in the present day world.
Openness and dialogue with the contemporary society is prominent
characteristic of the Council. This is our principal aim to provide
an overview of the teaching of Vatican II on the social mission of
the Church.The Social Nature of the Human Person
The human person is fundamentally relational, and the most
personal relation of all is that with other human persons. Our
relation with culture is mediated first and foremost through other
persons; we come to know our history through other persons; we
create our own personal history through relation with others; even
our relationship with the transcendent is communicated to us
through other persons as the continuing story of Gods relation with
humanity (the covenant). GS n. 12 comments that through our
innermost nature the person is a social being, and unless one
relates self to others one can neither live nor develop ones
potential, and gain in GS n. 24: humankind, who is the only
creature on earth which God willed for itself, cannot fully find
itself except through a sincere gift of itself.
Our intimate relationships, first with family, then friends,
then loved ones with whom we may create our own, then
community/society, are the source of the process of becoming human.
Since our very survival is dependent upon the response given to us
while we are still helpless infants, the more human that response
is, the more human our survival will be. The goods of culture are
first mediated through other human beings who teach us language and
an appreciation for the treasures of human knowledge and wisdom. It
is through social interaction that we develop our specifically
human potentials and achieve human fulfillment.
God, who has fatherly concern for everyone, has willed that all
men should constitute one family and treat one another in a spirit
of brotherhood. For having been created in the image of God, all
men are called to one and the same goal, namely God Himself. For
this reason, love of God and love of neighbor is the first and
greatest commandment. Sacred Scripture, however, teaches us that
the love of God cannot be separated from the love of neighbor: If
there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying:
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyselfLove therefore is the
fulfillment of the Law (Rom 13:9-10; cf. 1 Jn 4:20). To men growing
daily more dependent on one another, and to a world becoming more
unified every day, this truth proves to be of paramount
importance.
Mans social nature makes it evident that the progress of the
human person and the advance of society itself depend on one
another. From the beginning, the subject and the goal of all social
institutions is and must be the human person that for its part and
by its very nature stands completely in need of social life. Since
this social life is not something added on to man, through his
dealings or relationships with others, through reciprocal duties,
and through fraternal dialogue he develops all his gifts and is
able to rise to his destiny. (GS n. 24-25)
The main point of this teaching is that individual men and women
are necessarily the foundation, cause, and end (goal) of all social
institutions. We are referring to human beings, insofar as they are
naturally social, and raise to an order of existence that
transcends and subdues nature. (Mater et Magistra, n. 219)
Certain societies, such as the family and the state, correspond
more directly to the nature of the human person; they are necessary
for him. To promote the participation of the greatest number in the
life of a society, the creation of a voluntary associations and
institutions must be encouraged on both national and international
levels, which relate to economic and social goals, to cultural and
recreational activities, to sport, to various professions, and to
political affairs (MM n. 60). This socialization also expresses the
natural tendency for human beings to associate with one another for
the sake of attaining objectives that exceed individual capacities.
It develops the qualities of the person, especially the sense of
initiative and responsibility and helps guarantee his rights. (GS
n. 25; CA n. 12; CCC n. 1882)
But each member is a member of society. He is a part of
humankind. It is not just certain individuals, but all men and
women who are called to his fullness of development. Civilizations
are born, develop, and die. But humanity is advancing along the
path of history like the waves of a rising tide encroaching
gradually the shore. We have inherited from past generations, and
we have benefited from the work of our contemporaries: for this
reason we have obligations toward all, and we cannot refuse to be
interested in those who will come after us. The reality of human
solidarity, is a benefit for us, also imposes a duty. (Populorum
Progressio, n 17)
In the entire social teachings of the church, the social nature
of the human person is not completely fulfilled in the State, but
is realized in the various intermediary groups, beginning with
family and including economic, social, political and cultural
groups which stem from human nature itself, always with a view to
the common good. (Centesimus Annus n. 13)
A. The Social Dimension of Faith
The concrete reality of faith in the world today is diverse in
form. Faith according to Vatican II must direct the mind of the
person to solutions which are freely human (GS 11). Paul VI
likewise stated that propagation of faith has to be proclaimed in
an actual situation, with its implication for the reordering of
society (EN 29). A failure to accept the social implication of the
Gospel would be lack of responsiveness to the Gospel itself, and
hence a defect of faith.During the medieval and early modern
period, faith is often defined in terms of the spiritual faculties
of the intellect and will. Faith was too often cerebral in
approach. Developments in modern theology have painted out that
faith is not merely cognitive in scope but must include the
concrete reality. It necessarily involves certain social attitudes
and commitment. Some contemporary theologians define faith as:
1. Paul Tillich defines faith as free, centered act of the whole
personality, having ramifications (or effects) in all the
dimensions of our human existence, including the cognitive,
volitional (making choices), and emotional.2. Ian T. Ramsey
contended that faith involves a discernment of the total meaning
and a call to total commitment.
3. Avery Dulles added that faith includes three elements: a) a
firm conviction regarding what is supremely important; b) a
trustful reliance on the power and goodness of that to which one
stands committed; and c) dedication or commitment to that which one
believes.
In the classical tradition, the elements of conviction and trust
have been given strong emphasis with Catholics concentrating on the
former and the Protestants on the latter. Commitment, the third
component is less prominent in tradition, but is gaining grounds in
the past decades.ConvictionThe element of conviction that sees
faith as a kind of knowing has deep roots in the Patristic and
Scholastic traditions. For St. Augustine and many of the Church
Fathers, faith is an illumination towards the beatific vision. This
concept predominated in the Middle Ages and modern period because
of the strong influence of St. Thomas who described faith as being
essentially constituted by an inner light of the soul. Even up to
the present, this understanding persists. Karl Rahner, one of the
most influential theologians of the 20th century, contends that
faith consists primarily in an supernatural elevation of the
transcendence of the human spirit through Gods self-communication
of grace. Bernard Lonergan likewise identifies faith with the
Scholastics infused wisdom. In this understanding, the primary
focus of attention is the immediate relationship of the soul with
God in a contemplative union that can best be achieved through
relative detachment to the world. Preoccupation with worldly
affairs id considered a distraction to Christian life. Likewise
this view also sees faith as a firm assent (belief) to what the
Church teaches authoritatively in the name of God. Faith is an act
of religious submission and obedience of the intellect. This
understanding is strong in the teaching of Vatican I. But this form
of belief is without any clear implications for commitment and
action.The truth of this concept of faith as conviction and assent
is undeniably valid. Nonetheless, sole emphasis on this element of
faith as illumination and conviction causes a separation between
faith and daily life, which Gaudium et Spes describes as one of the
most errors of our age (GS 43). Any contemplation and conviction
that would result in the indifference to suffering and injustice
would not be anything but unchristian.
Personal Trust
The second element of faith is personal trust. It highlights the
personal relationship of the believer with God and is directed in
the expectation towards the future. It is mainly based upon St.
Pauls notion of justification by faith alone (Rom 4,18; Gal 3,6-9).
Understandably, emphasis on this element is strong among Protestant
churches particularly the Lutherans. It has also become predominant
today among the ecumenical and Catholic charismatic movements.
Again the element of trust is an important part of Christian
faith. It is necessary for the believer to entrust his life, his
whole being and his future to God who loves the world so much that
He gave his only begotten Son (John 3, 16). However, overemphasis
on the element of trust in God can easily obscure the importance of
human initiative and undermine the sense of human responsibility
for the present situation and the future of the world.
Commitment
The third element of faith is commitment. It is the performative
dimension of faith that leads the person to act in accordance with
and in response to the conviction one has received from God and his
trust in him. It is the active element of faith that strives to
participate in the work of God in the present. In this
understanding, faith is not a passive writing upon Gods own
decision to act, but an active grasping of initiative and reshaping
of the world by its God-given power. This dynamic view of faith has
more solid biblical basis than pure assent or doctrine and trust.
In this element, Christian faith is mediated by concrete historical
experiences. It harmonizes excellently with the growing sense of
power of the human initiative to shape ones life and everyone on
this earth. It is an active engagement in the service of the
kingdom. Thus, it is fully tunes with the increased sense of humans
responsibility for the future of the world.
This element is essential for an integral understanding of faith
but caution is necessary because overemphasis on this element can
also undermine the necessity of personal relations with, and filial
trust in the Father. Extreme emphasis on this element has led the
so-called activists. Christians who proclaim the notorious dictum
my work is my prayer are totally unmindful of the need for personal
intimacy with God.
Insofar as conviction, trust, and commitment as elements of
faith, all these are vital for the complete understanding of faith.
An overemphasis of one element to the neglect of any of the other
two would render faith incomplete, unbalanced, and ultimately
untrue, meaning, not in accordance with the design of God as
revealed in Christ Jesus. Overemphasis on conviction leads to
intellectualism, on trust to passivity, and on commitment to
activism.
B. The Social Mission of the Church
The rightful emphasis given by Vatican II on the social aspect
of the Christians faith necessarily affected the self-understanding
of the Church and its missionary activities. Right after the
Council, it was realized that social concerns are important part of
the missionary activity of the church. The following are the
reasons for this realization or statement:1. The primary basis to
justify this assumption is the reality that the Church, by its very
nature is social. It is a society in itself it binds people
together as a society and it is concerned with the welfare of
society, that is, of human beings in their social relations.
According to Alec Vidler, the Church has always been social in a
sense that it had articulated doctrines/teachings about the persons
social nature and his social obligations about the family, civil
government, relations between church and state, and the duty of
compassion for the poor as well as about purely religious or
ecclesiastical duties of members of the Church such as attendance
at public worship. She has in the course of time, spoken on most of
the important questions of social ethics, laying down the basic
principles and giving many decisions on particular questions.
To clarify the meaning of the Churchs social mission, it is
important to note that the changes in the self-understanding of the
Church affect the understanding of the Churchs mission. The social
mission of the Church has become directly related to the Churchs
identity and purpose. Recent Churchs statements dealing with the
meaning of the Churchs social mission reflects significant shifts
within contemporary theology. The opening statement of Gaudium et
Spes (The Pastoral Constitution of the Church) sates the concept
that best captures the dynamic nature of the Catholic social
thought:The joys and hopes, the grief and anxieties of people of
this age especially those who are poor or in any way affected,
these are the joys and hopes, the grief and anxieties of the
followers of Christ. Nothing that is genuinely human fails to find
an echo in their hearts. (GS 1)
As the Church placed greater emphasis on the pastoral nature of
the Church, the Churchs social mission acquires a new meaning. The
social mission is no longer one of the specific tasks that the
institution of the Church performs. It becomes a dynamic Church,
expressing itself in practice. The social mission of the church as
an essential action of the church constitutes the very being of the
Church.
The Church is not truly such without a social mission. The
Gospels join together the love of God and love of neighbor in an
indissoluble union (Mt 22,37-39; Mk 12, 30-31). The love of
neighbor becomes the criterion pointing to the existence of our
love for God. The daily life of persons in this world is guided by
the Gospel and directed towards the kingdom. The social implication
in the mission of the Church is at least implicit in the teaching
of Jesus and has rightly been developed by the Church through the
centuries.2. The increased awareness of the changing nature of
society is the second significant component that has accentuated
the social mission of the Church. What is becoming more apparent
today is the increased gap between the rich and the poor, not only
in the third world but also in developed countries and in the
entire world. The awareness of the political, social and economic
causes of hunger, poverty, and diseases makes clear that the
Churchs mission is more than dole-outs in charitable institutions
or engaging in works of mercy. It must involve a mission to social,
political, economic, cultural life. The problem of social ethics or
more specifically, how the Church should speak about current social
issues and problems, arises within the context of the demand for
the Church to be more responsive to the problems of modern
society.
Likewise, the Church today is giving greater emphasis on her
prophetic mission. This could be alluded or referred to the fact
that today, more than ever, Church leaders are being asked to make
statements about particular problems confronting our society
ecology, nuclear problems, population, ethnic wars, amnesty, human
rights, and many more. These questions concern many Catholics and
thus have occasioned the need for serious theological reflections
on the methodology and competency of the Church to speak about
problems of society. Christian ethics and the Church obviously
posses a competency in this area.3. The development of the Catholic
social teaching during the nineteenth century took place in the
wake of political revolutions and the resulting separation of the
Church and the state. Political sovereignty became increasingly
secularized and society became more pluralistic. To deal with this
situation, the Church sought to ground its social teachings
primarily on the basis of natural law. A social teaching based on a
natural law ethics could deal with pluralism and secularism because
in principle, a natural law is open to rational discussion with
persons of diverse beliefs.
With the focus of Vatican II on the Church as a sacrament of
salvation for all, a transformation took place not just in
ecclesiology but also within social ethics. The question arose
about the distinctively Christian contribution to social and
political life. This position or stance on the distinctively
Christian contribution led in turn to a further concentration on
the social mission of the Church as heralding the distinctive
contribution of the Christian gospel and practice to social,
political, economic, cultural reality.
The social mission of the Church was later affirmed by Justice
in the World, the document released by the Synod of Bishops in 1971
when it declared that:Action on behalf of justice and participation
in the transformation of the world fully appear to us a
constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel, or in other
words, of the Churchs mission for the redemption of the human race
and its liberation from every
oppressive situation (JW, Introducttion).
With this statement, the social mission of the Church has been
recognized as a constitutive dimension of the Church. The challenge
remains to make this a living reality on the pastoral level in the
life of the Church. It requires pastoral creativity and imagination
to make this statement come true. Without a social mission the
Church is not truly church, for it is missing a constitutive
element. This is true of the Church on all levels of its existence
but especially on the level of the local church. The parish
community must be not only a worshipping community but also a
serving community. How to bring this about in practice is perhaps
the primary problem facing the church at the present time.C.
Announcing A Message of Liberation
It is from the perspective of Gods gift of life in the fullness
of the kingdom that we view the Church evangelizing mission in the
world today. She has to be servant of the kingdom which Jesus
announced to be a leaven in the world as Jesus required (Mt 13,33;
Lk 13, 21).
Our socio-economic and political problems here in the
Philippines prevent the living of a life reflective of the kingdom
and thus cause the greatest anguish. Because action on behalf of
justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully
appears to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the
Gospel (JW 6), social concerns are inextricably linked with our
evangelizing mission.
As Church we need to respond not only individually but more so
collectively to our countrys social problems since they are deeply
rooted in the social system.
D. Evangelization and Liberation
Before we can do all these things, we need clearly to understand
the realities of evangelization, salvation and liberation.The
Churchs essential mission, following that of Christ is a mission of
evangelization and salvation (GS 37). She draws her zeal from the
divine love. Evangelization is the proclamation of salvation which
is a gift of God. Through the word of God and the sacraments, men
and women are freed in the first place from the power of sin and
the power of the Evil one which oppress them; and they are brought
into communion with God. Following her Lord who came into the world
to save sinners (1 Tim 1,15), the Church desires the salvation of
all people (CL 63/ Chrsitifidelis Laice, 1988).
Given the above understanding, evangelization and salvation
evidently cannot be identified with nor be reduced to a task of
temporal liberation. But since the human person who is to be
evangelized does not lived in a vacuum but is constantly barraged
by social, economic, and political problems, since redemption much
touch the very concrete situation of injustice to be combated and
of justice to be restored (EV 50/ Evangeli Nuntiandi), since the
new commandment of love cannot be proclaimed without promoting in
justice and in peace the true authentic development of the human
person, evangelization is not complete without temporal
liberation.
Thus, the Church takes great care to maintain clearly and firmly
both the unity and the distinction between evangelization and human
promotion: unity because she seeks the good of the whole person;
distinction, because these two tasks enter in different ways into
her mission. The unity of the two tasks of evangelization and
temporal liberation is what we usually refer to as integral
evangelization or integral liberation or integral salvation. Our
concern here is with human liberation in the temporal world or in
this concrete community in relation to other communities.E. The
Response of the Church to Social Concerns
Based on the social teachings of the Church let us look at the
three ways with which she tries to respond to the present social
problems and concerns: the primacy of charity, social
transformation and option for the poor.1. The Primacy of
Charity
One common response of the Church to social responsibility is
the patronage of charity. From the beginning of Christianity, an
organized approach to extend charity to the less fortunate is
practiced. We read in Acts of the Apostles how they strive to
collect funds for the purpose of supplementing the needs of the
less fortunate members of their church or Christian community. Such
was the order of fraternal love among the earliest Christians that
those who were better off deprived themselves of their possessions
in order to relieve their brethren; hence neither was there any one
needy among them (Rom 8,17). The order of deacons instituted for
that very purpose was commissioned by the apostles the task of the
daily distributions. And the apostle Paul, though burdened with the
solicitude of all the churches, hesitated not to undertake
laborious journeys in order to carry the alms of the faithful to
the poor Christians. Paul likewise exhorted the churches of Rome,
Macedonian and Achaia to be pleased to share their resources with
the poor among the saints at Jerusalem(Rom 15,26).
The Fathers of the Church likewise have innumerable exhortations
on the practice of charity. Tertullian calls these contributions,
given voluntarily in their assemblies, deposits of piety because
they were used in feeding the needy, in burying them, in the
support of boys and girls impoverished of means and deprived of
their parents, in the care of the aged, and in the relief of the
shipwrecked. Thomas Aquinas based on Aristotle, referred to the
love that exists among members of the community as the basis of the
common good. He described the virtue of charity as determinate,
supernatural, habitual power, added to the natural power of the
soul, which inclines the will to act with ease and delight in the
exercise of loving friendship with God. For him, it is the most
excellent of all virtues.
The first of the papal social encyclical, Rerum Novarum, also
recommended this traditional approach of charity towards the poor
as a response to their need. Moreover, the Church in her capacity
strives to intervene directly in the interest of the poor and to be
efficacious in the relief of poverty. The Church has exerted
herself to gather together funds for the support of the needy. The
Church has stirred up every where the heroism of charity and has
established congregations of religious and many other useful
institutions (like Caritas) for help and mercy, so that there might
be hardly any kind of suffering which was not attended to. Charity,
as a virtue belongs to the Church; for it is no virtue unless drawn
from the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and he who turns his back on the
church cannot be near to Jesus (RN 24).
St. Thomas said that charity is the summit of all virtues.
Charity thus, assumes the same vital function it has in the
everyday life of Christians.
This understanding of the social mission of the Church in the
form of charitable apostolate, although still valid and laudable,
is far from being sufficient. This understanding rested heavily on
an ecclesiology that understood the Church as a perfect society and
historical affinities to an older notion of Christendom. As a
perfect society the Church, has within itself everything necessary
to achieve its purpose. The Church provides for its faithful much
as the state provides for its citizens. However, this understanding
is no longer adequate. From a practical viewpoint, increasing costs
indicate lack of resources on the part of the Church to continue
these programs. And this problem of limited resources is now
calling into question the older understanding of the social mission
of the Church.
This charitable approach had some consequences. The ghetto
mentality restricted the social mission of the church primarily to
our own and especially to those in trouble. The mission of the
Church to the poor and the oppressed does not mean just catholic
poor and oppressed but all those who are truly poor and
oppressed.
The social mission of the Church seeks to serve all the poor and
those in need. Effective help could not be in terms of providing
band-aids for the wounded but must call for a transformation of the
structures of society. The Church has a greater responsibility of
not only giving temporary relief, but more so, of liberating the
poor from the manifold bonds keeping them in their condition of
poverty and powerlessness. There is a Chinese saying: if you give a
fish to a poor, you help for a day; but if you teach him how to
fish, you have helped him for the rest of his life. In the parallel
view, the practice of charity is the giving of fish, teaching how
to fish is liberating them from the condition of poverty.2. Social
TransformationAfter Vatican II, it became clear that the Churchs
response to social responsibility should be more than acts of
charity and giving aid to the needy. In Octogesima Adveniens, Paul
VI states that the Church has a double function in society:1. to
enlighten people in order to assist them to discern the truth and
find the right path to follow;
2. since the proclamation of principles and the prophetic
denunciation of injustices are not enough to change society, the
Church also strives to be actively and effectively involved in the
transformation of the peoples world.
In Evangelii Nunciandi , he added the question, How in fact can
one proclaim the new commandment (i.e. evangelization) without
promoting in justice and in peace the true, authentic, advancement
of the human person? In other words, the Church performs a twofold
role: 1) education for justice which includes both conscience
formation and conscientization, and 2) effective positive action in
the creation of a human and just moral order. Justice in the world
further emphasized the assertion in its much quoted text: Action on
behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the
world fully appears to us as a constitutive dimension of the
preaching of the gospel.
From these and other Church pronouncements, it became clear that
the Churchs social ministry call for the development of cooperative
structures and the focus of its social ministry is precisely to
bring about social change. Prophetic denunciation of injustice is
necessary but not enough because the main the problem is not simply
the liberation from injustice and poverty but the creation of
justice, overcoming poverty, and bringing about well-being in
society. To simply speak about these matters is definitely wanting.
For the Church to be true to its mission, she must also act. The
Church must not simply give statements of general principles for
reflections. There must be a practical dimension to what the Church
teaches.
In the simplest sense, social change implies altering of any of
the elements of the social experience: rules, ideology, sanctions,
role strata, and systems. It takes place in many levels of social
reality in diverse ways: change in power structures, in social
patterns and rules, in values and ideologies, in symbolic
presentations of reality, and in persons and their social life.
These are essentially two models of how to bring this about.1.
First, is the change of hearts or behavior in a positive to attain
social objectives that the people themselves envision in common. It
calls for the Church to engage in the conversion of hearts because
effective change in society can only come about if individuals who
make up society are converted towards the ideals proposed by
Christ.The urgent need for social reforms of the structures which
conceal poverty and which are themselves forms of violence should
not let us lose sight of the fact the source of injustice is in the
hearts of men and women. Therefore, it is only in making an appeal
to moral potential of the person and to the constant need for
interior conversion, that social change will be brought about and
which will truly be in the service of the human person and the
community.
2. The second element is the change of external structures that
cause poverty, oppression and injustice. Indeed, a change of heart
is necessary, but not sufficient for creating a more just society.
The goals of this component are the elimination of poverty and the
advancement of justice, for which a transformation of society, for
more radical than which Catholic action proponents call for, is
seen as necessary. Understandably, one of the strongest proponents
of this element is the Latin American Liberation theologians. They
take a prophetic position toward unjust social systems and urges
widespread institutional change. Undeniably, this method or
response is in accordance with the social teachings of the
Church.Social Sins / Sinful Social Structures
PCP II carefully explains how sins like pride, selfishness,
greed, and hatred come to infect habitual patterns of human
interaction. This produces sinful social structures which can
harden into institutions. Some terrible effects of these sinful
structures are seen in the uncared for, malnourished street
children, the wretchedness of the jobless and the homeless, the
crimes, graft and corruption, continued widespread violation of
basic human rights (PCP II 82). Vatican II laid the groundwork for
this new recognition of social sin when ir recognized that:
We are often diverted from doing good and spurred toward evil by
the social circumstances in which we live disturbances at the
deeper level flow from human pride and selfishness, which
contaminate even social sphere. When the structures of affairs is
flawed by the consequences of sin, we, already born with a bent
toward evil, will find new enticements to sin which cannot be
overcome without much efforts and the assistance of grace (GS
25).
Thus, besides the personal sins of individuals (such as thoughts
and desires of lust and jealousy) and interpersonal sins corrupting
relationships (e.g. gossip, adultery, concubinage), there are
societal sins located in social structures, situations and groups
which oppress persons, violate their human dignity, stifle freedom,
and foster unjust inequality.
This idea of social sin or group stealing is difficult for
average Filipino Catholic. We normally think of sin in terms of
personal, concrete individual acts against a particular law of God
or the Church. But such a restricted idea of sin must be broadened
today in view of our social responsibilities as Christians. John
Paul II explains different meanings of social sins:
To speak of social sin means:
1) to recognize that by virtue of human solidarity, each
individuals sin in some way affects others.
2) some sins by their very nature constitute a direct attack on
ones neighbor social sins against love of neighbor, against justice
in interpersonal relationships, against the rights of human person,
against others freedom, against the common good.
3) Sinful relationships between various human communities, in
class struggle and confrontation between blocs of nations (RP
16).
Social sin therefore is 1) a conscious and willful participation
in sinful social situations thus maintaining and perpetuating these
sinful structures; 2) failing to do something to change them even
when this is already possible.
Social sinful structures give rise to structural injustices. A
sinful social structure refers to institutional realities that
create unjust distribution of wealth, power, and recognition thus
pushing a sector or some sectors to the margin of society.
Structural injustices refer to when one nation, race, or group is
given undue and unchecked power.
Modern Social Sins
On March 9, 2008, the Vatican newspaper published a list of
seven modern social sins. The list was included in an interview
Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti, who suggested they are new sins which
have appeared on the horizon of humanity as consequence of
unstoppable process of globalization. The modern social sins
are:
1. destroying the environment
2. obscene wealth
3. creating poverty
4. drug trafficking
5. genetic manipulation
6. immoral scientific experimentation
7. violation of the fundamental rights of human nature
Social sins according to Mohandas Karamachand Gandhi, one of the
most famous figures of our time, had elaborated his own version of
the sins most especially perilous to humanity:
1. wealth without work
2. pleasure without conscience
3. science without humanity
4. knowledge without character
5. politics without principles
6. commerce without morality
7. worship without sacrifice
Both lists can be useful to judge the times we are living in and
above all, the elites who are leading us. On the other hand, we can
use them as a photo negative, and certainly we will find some
positive ways in dealing more virtuously with reality. Because
society is not just the others it starts with any and each one of
us.
3. Option for the Poor
The social teachings of the Church have been, to a great extent,
a defense of the poor and an encouragement to struggle for justice.
The idea of an option for the poor developed in Latin America as
Church leaders there began to implement the renewal institutes by
Vatican II. At the heart of this option are the three basic
elements.1. A commitment by Church leaders not to conspire with
oppressive regimes but to campaign actively for structural justice
in society; to take the risk of throwing the authority of the
official Church behind efforts to resist or oppose oppression and
exploitation. This is indeed, a challenge against upholding the
status quo.2. A belief that the key agents in bringing about such
change must be the poor and the oppressed themselves. It is a
commitment to work from below for and with these groups, actively
supporting and empowering them. This belief is in contrast with the
patronage system of the strong (the rich) aiding the weak (the
poor), resulting to the dependence of the latter.3. A commitment to
make the Church itself more just and participative. In this way,
the poor and oppressed groups and individuals would have their
dignity recognized by being listened to and could have a practical
experience of being empowered by participating in decision making.
This process of empowerment of the poor is to enable them to help
themselves and maintain their human dignity.Some people reject the
idea of option for the poor on the grounds that it implies a
rejection of the rich and is therefore incompatible with the
Christian message that is intended for all. But as Albert Nolan (a
Dominican South African theologian) points out: The option for the
poor is not a choice about the recipients of the Gospel message, to
whom we must preach the Gospel; it is a matter of what Gospel we
preach to any one. It is concerned with the content of the Gospel
message.
To make an option for the poor is simply to commit oneself to
justice and thus, take up the cause of the poor in their struggle
for justice. An option for the poor is a commitment by individual
Christians and the Christian community at every level to engage
actively in a struggle to overcome the social injustice. To be
genuine it must come from a real experience of solidarity with the
victims of our society. This means that aspect of an option for the
poor has to do with sharing in some degree in the lives, sorrow,
joys, hopes and fears of those who are on the margins of society.
Without this, the attempt to serve the interests of the poor will
be patronizing i.e. it will make them feel more powerless and
dependent than ever. But an option for the poor is not primarily
the choice of a less affluent lifestyle by individuals or groups.
The person who makes such an option is undertaking to work to
change the unjust economic, social, and political structures which
determine how power and resources are shared out in the world and
also in the Church. The aim is to bring about a more just
society.
The word option suggests a personal choice. While continuing to
put emphasis on this personal aspect, the choice in question is not
essentially an act of private asceticism or even of face to face
compassion for a poor person. It is specifically a response to the
unjust ordering of society. It makes sense only in the context of
an awareness of how society is in moral response based on the
Gospel and according to the social teaching of the Church.
A Vision of a People and Nation Renewed
To be a city or kingdom of God requires envisioning. We need to
envision what we as Filipino Christians have to be and what all
Filipinos as a nation should be for our discipleship to be
transformative. What we envision will provide direction for our
transformative task.
What then must we be? We can only provide a basic direction
towards a comprehensive answer.
In cultural terms and in the light of our national situation we
as citizens of this earthly city need to be maka-tao, maka-bayan,
and maka-Diyos. We need to exercise a healthy nationalism which
would require the living of such values as : pagsasarili,
pagkakaisa, pakikipagkapwa, and pagkakabayani. These values have
remained mere platitudes (or remarks or clich). But if seriously
taken as the direction for all educational, economic, political,
cultural and religious efforts the impact would be profound and
radical. And what kind of a Filipino nation should we be? This is
our vision. That all may have life (mabigyan ng buhay)
We have to create a free nation;
where human dignity and solidarity
are respected and promoted;
where moral principles prevail in socio-economic
life and structures;
where justice, love, and solidarity are the inner
driving forces of development.
We shall have to build a sovereign nation:
where every tribe and faith is respected;
where diverse tongues and traditions work
together for the good of all;
where membership is a call
to participation and involvement
and leadership is a summon to generous service.
Ours will have to be a people:
in harmony with one another
through unity in diversity;
in harmony with creation,
and in harmony with God.
Ours shall be a civilization of life and love.
Guide Questions:1. What is faith? What are the three elements of
faith? Explain each element.
2. What do you mean by social dimension of faith?
3. What do you mean by social mission of the church?
4. What is/are the basis of the social mission of the
Church?
5. What is the social mission of the Church?
6. What are the three ways in which the Church is trying to
fulfill her social mission?
7. As a Thomasian, in what concrete way/s can I contribute to
the transformation of our society today?
8. Read and understand the Filipino vision of a society. Be able
to explain the meaning of each stanza. What are the necessary
attitudes and values that we should develop in order to attain this
vision? Lagarejos, Arnel F. 1999. The Church of the Poor. Pasig
City, Educational Resources Development Center. Pp. 9-31.
Selling, Joseph. The Human Person in the book Christian Ethics:
An Introduction. Bernard Hoose ed. Collegeville, Minnesota: The
Liturgical Press. 1998. p.104
Taken from The Social Agenda of the Catholic Church nos. 60-63.
Pontifical Commission on Justice and Peace.
London: Burns and Oates. 2000.
Sth 11ae, q.1.1-3
PCP II 238-245
Evangelization is the act of propagating the gospel. Salvation
we interpret it as the total well-being of persons in
community.
Lagarejos p. 19-22
Sth 1a 11ae 23,8
Sth 1a 11ae 23, 6
A Call to Action, 1971 Paul VI; 50th Anniversary of Rerum
Novarum
OA 48
EN 29
JW Introduction
LN 28 ( Libertasis Nuntis (Instruction on Certain Aspects of the
Theology of Liberation, 1988)
CFC nos. 1166-1173
World Mission Magazine, October 2009. p.25.
Nolan, Albert. Poor in South Africa in Cross Currents, 1986;
17
PCP 250-255
