Some may have heard the term "social justice" used derisively by TV pundits. In the Catholic Church, however, social justice, as defined in Catholic social teaching (CST), is an extension of the Eucharistic liturgy. Per the United Stated Conference of Catholic Bishops, "The Eucharist, celebrated as a community, teaches us about human dignity, calls us to right relationship with God, ourselves and others, invites us to community and solidarity, and sends us on mission to help transform our communities, neighborhoods and world." Catholic social teaching guides us in our attempt to share the Eucharistic celebration in a transformative manner. CST is not a political ideology. It is a basis for making political, social, and economic decisions grounded in Catholic morality and beliefs. The foundations were established in Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 papal encyclical Rerum Novarum. Pope Leo XIII addressed the moral dimensions of market forces, asserting the need for labor unions to protect the rights of workers and ensure fair wages and safe working conditions. At its heart, Catholic social teaching rests on a firm belief in the sanctity of human life and the dignity of all human beings. Seven key themes of CST flow from these basic principles: life and dignity of the human person; call to family, community, and participation; rights and responsibilities; preferential option for the poor and vulnerable; dignity of the worker and rights of workers; solidarity and care for God’s creation. Each of these themes encompasses multiple topics. Life and dignity of the human person includes not only the Catholic Church’s pro-life position, but also prohibitions against the death penalty, euthanasia, and unjust wars. Further, CST requires that all life be protected and valued from birth to death. This means that policies or economic decisions that jeopardize life or human dignity must be opposed. Budget cuts for humanitarian aid, for example, would violate Catholic beliefs regarding protection of life. The call to family, community, and participation recognizes our belief that family is the basic unit of society, and we are all part of the human family. As we organize families into communities and governments, Catholics have a responsibility to participate in family and community life and ensure that the community, including its government, acts consistent with CST. CST espouses certain fundamental rights and responsibilities for all people as well. Every person has a right to life and to those things required to live a full life – employment, health care, education, clean water, etc. CST also supports private property. As stated in Rerum Novarum, "Every man has by nature the right to possess property of his own." That right, however, comes with certain responsibilities. Private property owners must use their property for moral purposes, must not obtain it or maintain it through unjust means, and must use it in a manner which protects the common good – no dumping toxic waste from your property into public waterways. Overriding each of the themes is the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable. This theme is grounded in Jesus’ promise that, "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." Whatever we do in our families or communities, through public policy or private action, we must ask what effect it will have on the poor. CST is clear – the success of any society must be judged on how it treats the poor and vulnerable. As first articulated in Rerum Novarum, CST also recognizes the dignity of work and the rights of workers. Employers are charged with providing living wages, productive work, and safe working conditions. Workers also have the right to form collective bargaining units to protect their rights and provide equal representation at the bargaining table. Workers are expected to perform their job duties in good faith and to the best of their ability. The focus on family in CST extends to the global community. Solidarity recognizes that all humanity belongs to one family. What we do in our neighborhood or country must not have a negative impact on our fellow family members in another community or country. Further, we are obligated not only to provide charity to our poorer neighbors here and abroad, we must also actively work to stop the injustices that lead to poverty or degradation of human dignity. Finally, CST reminds us that humanity is responsible to care for all of God’s creation. As members of the human community, we have a duty to ensure that God’s creation is used for the benefit of all and is protected from destruction.
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