Pope Benedict's latest encyclical (Caritas in veritate) is focused on issues of social justice in our time. In that encyclical, the pope clearly connects environmental issues to social justice. He states:
"The environment is God's gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole... In nature, the believer recognizes the wonderful result of God's creative activity, which we may use responsibly to satisfy our legitimate needs, material or otherwise, while respecting the intrinsic balance of creation. If this vision is lost, we end up either considering nature an untouchable taboo or, on the contrary, abusing it. Neither attitude is consonant with the Christian vision of nature as the fruit of God's creation. Nature expresses a design of love and truth. It is prior to us, and it has been given to us by God as the setting for our life. Nature speaks to us of the Creator (cf. Rom 1:20) and his love for humanity... Reducing nature merely to a collection of contingent data ends up doing violence to the environment and even encouraging activity that fails to respect human nature itself."*
For more information, go to www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/index.htm and click on "Encyclicals" and then on "Caritas in veritate."
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* Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in veritate, no. 48.
Copyright © 2009, Deacon Carl D. Smith. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted to parishes for use in Sunday bulletins.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Racism & Social Justice
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines racism as "unjust discrimination on the basis of a person's race." In a section entitled, "Equality and Differences among Men [and Women]," it says the following:
"The equality of men [and women] rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it:
'Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God's design...'
"There exist also sinful inequalities that affect millions of men and women. These are in open contradiction to the Gospel:
'Their equal dignity as persons demands that we strive for fairer and more humane conditions. Excessive economic and social disparity between individuals and peoples of the one human race is a source of scandal and militates against social justice, equality, human dignity, as well as social and international peace.'"
For more information, see Part 3 Chapter 2 of the Catechism, which you can read online at www.usccb.org/catechism/text/.
Copyright © 2009, Deacon Carl D. Smith. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted to parishes for use in Sunday bulletins.
"The equality of men [and women] rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it:
'Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God's design...'
"There exist also sinful inequalities that affect millions of men and women. These are in open contradiction to the Gospel:
'Their equal dignity as persons demands that we strive for fairer and more humane conditions. Excessive economic and social disparity between individuals and peoples of the one human race is a source of scandal and militates against social justice, equality, human dignity, as well as social and international peace.'"
For more information, see Part 3 Chapter 2 of the Catechism, which you can read online at www.usccb.org/catechism/text/.
Copyright © 2009, Deacon Carl D. Smith. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted to parishes for use in Sunday bulletins.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Health Insurance Reform & Social Justice
(The following is adapted from a September 11, 2009 action alert from Kathy Saile, the Director of Domestic Social Development for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.)
Now that Congress has returned to Washington and is again working on the health insurance bills, the US bishops need your advocacy more than ever. Please call your Members of Congress at 202-224-3121 and tell them to:
1. Support long-overdue health insurance reform that covers all people and protects the life, dignity, and health of all. Health insurance reform is an important national priority and moral imperative.
2. A fair and just health insurance reform bill must exclude mandated coverage for abortion, and uphold longstanding laws that restrict abortion funding and protect conscience rights. Urge Members to take whatever steps necessary in Committee or on the Floor to oppose abortion funding, abortion mandates, and weakening of conscience protections.
3. Support effective measures to safeguard the health of immigrants, their children and all of society. Maintain an adequate safety net for those who remain uncovered. Eliminate the five-year waiting period banning immigrants lawfully residing in the United States from enrolling in Medicaid. Do not place barriers to obtaining private health insurance coverage for immigrants.
You can find information on your Members of Congress at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov.
Copyright © 2009, Deacon Carl D. Smith. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted to parishes for use in Sunday bulletins.
Now that Congress has returned to Washington and is again working on the health insurance bills, the US bishops need your advocacy more than ever. Please call your Members of Congress at 202-224-3121 and tell them to:
1. Support long-overdue health insurance reform that covers all people and protects the life, dignity, and health of all. Health insurance reform is an important national priority and moral imperative.
2. A fair and just health insurance reform bill must exclude mandated coverage for abortion, and uphold longstanding laws that restrict abortion funding and protect conscience rights. Urge Members to take whatever steps necessary in Committee or on the Floor to oppose abortion funding, abortion mandates, and weakening of conscience protections.
3. Support effective measures to safeguard the health of immigrants, their children and all of society. Maintain an adequate safety net for those who remain uncovered. Eliminate the five-year waiting period banning immigrants lawfully residing in the United States from enrolling in Medicaid. Do not place barriers to obtaining private health insurance coverage for immigrants.
You can find information on your Members of Congress at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov.
Copyright © 2009, Deacon Carl D. Smith. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted to parishes for use in Sunday bulletins.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Adult Education for Social Justice
At this time of the year, students are heading back to school. For those of us with our diplomas or degrees, once we've graduated, we'd like to think that we are done. However, our religious education is never done!
Our faith is one that calls us to continuing renewal and conversion. Thus, our religious education should continue through our entire lives. All of us can learn even more than we already know about Scripture, Tradition, and the teachings of the Church. One very excellent and enjoyable way of doing this is the JustFaith program. JustFaith began in one parish 15 years ago and is now a part of the program in over 600 parishes across the country. It is a program of prayer and study that leads to action. Its emphasis is Catholic Social Teaching, running the full spectrum from issues surrounding the right to life, poverty, non-violence, racism, global solidarity, and human development. It's not for everyone, but if you've been wanting to know more about the Catholic faith or wanting to know how the Bible speaks to us in today's world, this is a program for you to consider.
Our faith is one that calls us to continuing renewal and conversion. Thus, our religious education should continue through our entire lives. All of us can learn even more than we already know about Scripture, Tradition, and the teachings of the Church. One very excellent and enjoyable way of doing this is the JustFaith program. JustFaith began in one parish 15 years ago and is now a part of the program in over 600 parishes across the country. It is a program of prayer and study that leads to action. Its emphasis is Catholic Social Teaching, running the full spectrum from issues surrounding the right to life, poverty, non-violence, racism, global solidarity, and human development. It's not for everyone, but if you've been wanting to know more about the Catholic faith or wanting to know how the Bible speaks to us in today's world, this is a program for you to consider.
For more information, go to www.justfaith.org or ask your parish's or diocese's social justice director for details.
Copyright © 2009, Deacon Carl D. Smith. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted to parishes for use in Sunday bulletins.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Labor Day & Social Justice
This coming Monday, we celebrate the Labor Day national holiday. It's a time to reflect on our Catholic social teaching regarding the dignity of human labor.
Last year, the US Bishops stated in Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, "Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation." That's a very powerful statement, and one that succinctly frames all the Church's teaching on the dignity of human labor. From this flow many specific rights and responsibilities, which the Church has also commented on over the years.
This year, in the recent encyclical Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict called for a new model for the business enterprise that moves beyond the model that is "... almost exclusively answerable to their investors, thereby limiting their social value." He goes on to say, "Even if the ethical considerations that currently inform debate on the social responsibility of the corporate world are not all acceptable from the perspective of the Church's social doctrine, there is nevertheless a growing conviction that business management cannot concern itself only with the interests of the proprietors, but must also assume responsibility for all the other stakeholders who contribute to the life of the business: the workers, the clients, the suppliers of various elements of production, the community of reference." In other words, the pope is saying that workers should have some participation in the methods of production and the distribution of profits, which is fitting only in light of the overall teaching that workers are co-creators with God and are thus imbued with that dignity.
Last year, the US Bishops stated in Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, "Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation." That's a very powerful statement, and one that succinctly frames all the Church's teaching on the dignity of human labor. From this flow many specific rights and responsibilities, which the Church has also commented on over the years.
This year, in the recent encyclical Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict called for a new model for the business enterprise that moves beyond the model that is "... almost exclusively answerable to their investors, thereby limiting their social value." He goes on to say, "Even if the ethical considerations that currently inform debate on the social responsibility of the corporate world are not all acceptable from the perspective of the Church's social doctrine, there is nevertheless a growing conviction that business management cannot concern itself only with the interests of the proprietors, but must also assume responsibility for all the other stakeholders who contribute to the life of the business: the workers, the clients, the suppliers of various elements of production, the community of reference." In other words, the pope is saying that workers should have some participation in the methods of production and the distribution of profits, which is fitting only in light of the overall teaching that workers are co-creators with God and are thus imbued with that dignity.
The chair of the US Bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development releases a Labor Day statement each year commenting on current developments and issues. To read that statement online after Monday, go to www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/labor.shtml.
Copyright © 2009, Deacon Carl D. Smith. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted to parishes for use in Sunday bulletins.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Civil Discourse & Social Justice
In recent days, we have heard many stories about rancor and unruliness at "town hall" meetings that have been held by members of Congress on the subject of health insurance reform. In some cases, the basis of the shouting was in an actual experience with a system that didn't work; in other cases, there were misunderstandings of facts. For sure, there is a good deal to get emotional about -- health care and health insurance are very costly, and one's quality of life is at stake if one must live with a debilitating or chronic illness.
Nonetheless, we are reminded in St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians (4:15) that we are to speak the truth in love in order to build a unity in our society and within the Body of Christ. As a Church and as a society, we won't get very far if we are not unified in our understanding of one another or are not committed to seeing the other person with whom we disagree as a beloved child of God just like us. In short, justice cannot succeed in an environment where civil discourse, born of a concern for the common good, does not prevail.
We will always agree on some things and disagree on others, but in everything, we should approach one another in charity and civility.
Copyright © 2009, Deacon Carl D. Smith. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted to parishes for use in Sunday bulletins.
Nonetheless, we are reminded in St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians (4:15) that we are to speak the truth in love in order to build a unity in our society and within the Body of Christ. As a Church and as a society, we won't get very far if we are not unified in our understanding of one another or are not committed to seeing the other person with whom we disagree as a beloved child of God just like us. In short, justice cannot succeed in an environment where civil discourse, born of a concern for the common good, does not prevail.
We will always agree on some things and disagree on others, but in everything, we should approach one another in charity and civility.
Copyright © 2009, Deacon Carl D. Smith. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted to parishes for use in Sunday bulletins.
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