What is Catholic Social Thought and Practice?

What is Catholic Social Thought and Practice? Some Background, Themes and Perspectives

PART I. What is Catholic Social Thought? • Catholic Moral Tradition is a collective undertaking from the outset – by the community, for the community • A Community of Shared Values - of Collective Resources and Collective Responsibility • Church’s Open Relation to the Wider World • A rich tradition of writings, reflections, teachings and, above all, practical activities relating to social life across the history of the church.

Shared with all Christians for much of the history of Christianity – values and virtues shared with many other non-Christian traditions also • Develops in distinctive Catholic forms esp. in Modern Period 0shaped by various sources, including human experiences • In modern era, ‘social teaching’ came to refer, also, to certain key papal and official church texts relating to human social life. • This embraces questions about the nature, shape and form of human communities, political questions, economic matters, questions about war and peace, justice and international relations, distribution of resources and a host of other matters, as well.

Above all, the church believes that all of its members are called to take part in building and enhancing human communities – in other words, to join in the ‘social mission’ of the church. It is often said that the church does not simply have a social mission, rather the church is a social mission. • Human communities should be founded upon fundamental principles (‘social ethics’) which respect the dignity and rights of all members, whilst upholding certain norms and structures which safeguard the ‘common good’ of all members.

Part II. Roman Catholic Social Teachingin The Modern Era • But we can today talk about there being certain core principles of Catholic social teaching, each of which emerges from the long tradition of social thinking and practice throughout history of church. • Various forms of official documents dealing with matters of social ethics • Notuniform in character – different decades call for differences in emphasis to deal with different problem

Seven Key Themes ofCatholic Social Teaching • Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers • Solidarity with the Human Family • Care for God's Creation • from Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions (Washington, DC: USCCB, 1998) • Life and Dignity of the Human Person • Participation: Call to Family, Community, and Participation • Rights and Responsibilities • Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

Part III: USD CST Theme for Fall 2011 Solidarity

Solidarity Puts CST into action….

Soldarity with… • Collective stand against persecution, inequality, intolerance, discrimination • Sharing of resources • Active Support • Courage on behalf of those in need • The poor, oppressed, marginalized, vulnerable • Those within and without our communities • ‘Who is my Neighbor?’

Call to create ‘a new social, economic and political order, founded on the dignity and freedom of every human person, to be brought about in peace, justice and solidarity’ Compendium on the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 19

THE PRINCIPLE OF SOLIDARITY 192. Solidarity highlights in a particular way the intrinsic social nature of the human person, the equality of all in dignity and rights and the common path of individuals and peoples towards an ever more committed unity. Never before has there been such a widespread awareness of the bond of interdependence between individuals and peoples, which is found at every level.

Solidarity as a social principle and a moral virtue 193. Solidarity must be seen above all in its value as a moral virtue that determines the order of institutions. On the basis of this principle the “structures of sin” that dominate relationships between individuals and peoples must be overcome. They must be purified and transformed intostructures of solidarity….

So, Soldarity involves… • Realization and expression of our unbreakable ties to the entire human family • A Call to Justice in Social, Economic and Political Terms • A Call to Justice in terms of Able-bodiedness, Gender, Race, and Religious belief and practice

4. Solidarity with all Creation 5. Solidarity in our homes, our workplaces, our local communities – love, collegiality, cooperation, support 6. The courage to challenge unjust structures, policies, practices

Solidarity …. • Affirms and expresses our fundamental social nature • Our call to form and live in community, just as God’s own being is a community of persons, the Holy Trinity • Affirms and makes possible, dialogue, diversity and plurality

So Solidarity is Local, National and Global

What is Catholic Social Thought and Practice?