This past week, I participated in a diocesan committee meeting,
whose task is to come up with ways to help people in our parishes
know and live out Catholic social teaching. This teaching is derived
from the Gospels and the teaching of Jesus Christ, as well as papal
encyclicals and bishops' pastoral letters.
How do any of us come to learn these teachings? Perhaps the most
common way is through homilies, but that's not sufficient for most
of us. We come to learn these teachings also through what we read,
what is presented to us, and what we discuss with one another. All
these Catholic social teachings can be summarized in seven core
themes, which I describe very briefly here.
The life and dignity of the human person: we believe that the
measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the
life and dignity of the human person.
The call to family, community and participation: The human person
is not only sacred, but social. Every person has a right to participate,
and a corresponding duty to work for the common good.
Solidarity: We are one human family. This has global dimensions,
and involves the pursuit of justice and peace.
The dignity of work: The economy must serve people, not the other
way around.
Rights and responsibilities: Every person has fundamental right to
life – the right that makes all other rights possible.
Option for the poor and vulnerable: Scripture teaches that God has a
special concern for the poor and vulnerable. A fundamental measure
of our society is how we care for and stand with our poor and
vulnerable brothers and sisters.
Care for God's creation: The world that God created has been
entrusted to all of us. We show our respect for the Creator by our
care for creation, and by providing for generations to come.
All this is not just food for thought. It's the measure of our lives, of
how we love God with our whole being, and our neighbors as
ourselves.
Fr. Greg Poser, OSC