Transcript Document
Social Justice
Institute for Leadership in Ministry 2011
February 23: FOUNDATIONS
March 2: PRINCIPLES
March 16: APPLICATIONS
Kristin Heyer
Associate Professor, Religious Studies
Santa Clara University
Social Justice:
FOUNDATIONS
Ecclesiology:
What is the relationship of the church
to the wider world according to a Catholic
understanding?
Anthropology:
What vision of the person grounds the Catholic social
tradition?
Frameworks:
Catholic understandings of justice and rights
Charity and Justice
When I feed the poor they call me a saint; when I
ask why the poor have no food, they call me a
Communist.
-Brazilian Archbishop Dom Helder Cámara
While the words and example of Jesus on earth require
individual works of mercy and acts of charity, they also
require wider-scale action in pursuit of peace and
justice.
We are called to be both “Moses” and “the Good
Samaritan.”
What has Jerusalem to say to Athens?
Contemporary Catholic Social Thought (CST) charts
course between “nothing” (sectarian withdrawal) and
“everything” (cooptation, theocracy)
Delicate balance of “depoliticized engagement”
“in the world but not of the world”
How did we get here?
Impact of Second Vatican Council 1962-1965
Significant legacy for church’s social mission
Gaudium et spes
Dignitatis humanae
Gaudium et spes
“Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World”
(Joy and Hope)
The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the
men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way
afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and
anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing
genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts. For
theirs is a community composed of men. United in Christ,
they are led by the Holy Spirit in their journey to the
Kingdom of their Father and they have welcomed the news
of salvation which is meant for every man. That is why this
community realizes that it is truly linked with mankind and its
history by the deepest of bonds. (no. 1)
Shift away from
Sacred-Secular Split
Gaudium et spes exemplifies this shift
Shift to perceiving element of sacred within the
secular/temporal and political realms
The Council can provide no more eloquent proof of its
solidarity with the entire human family with which it is
bound up, as well as its respect and love for that family,
than by engaging with it in conversation about these
various problems. (no. 3)
Church-World Stance Shifts
Shift from church’s previous defensive, reactionary to
open stance toward the world that takes serious the
struggles of the marginalized and addresses structural
change
“social question” becomes universalized
Church’s Social Mission
GS presents the human person as the bond between
the church and the world, and the task of the church as
safeguarding the dignity of the person (no. 76).
church’s social teaching was bolstered with
“ecclesiological grounding” - its social teaching no
longer a narrow category within moral theology, but
rather a means of fulfilling the church’s very mission.
“Citizens of Two Cities”
Disciples and citizens: “in the world but not of the
world”
Between cooptation and withdrawal
Rejects partisanship and “otherworldliess”
delicate balance: church is called to political
engagement to protect the human dignity without
conflating the Catholic faith with particular or partisan
political systems
Depoliticized Engagement
indirect role for the church’s engagement in the political
order
the alternatives are equally unacceptable:
a politicized church erodes the transcendence of the gospel
a church in retreat from human affairs betrays the
incarnational dimension of Christian faith
Method: “confident modesty,” church as teacher and learner,
interpreting “signs of the times,” (1891-2009)
Dignitatis humanae (DH)
“Declaration on Religious Liberty” 1965
landmark development in church teaching on religious
liberty and in terms of the differentiation and proper
relation of church and state
First Amendment
(U.S. Constitution)
Church/state institutional separation and free exercise
Religious bodies receive neither favoritism nor
discrimination
1st A: protects public theology as “politics of
persuasion,” not coercion
1st A = political, therefore neutral on value of different
religious doctrines
Implications of church’s affirmation of
Religious Liberty
Implicitly rejected here is the outmoded notion that
“religion is a purely private affair” or that “the Church
belongs in the sacristy.” Religion is relevant to the life
and action of society. Therefore religious freedom
includes the right to point out this social relevance of
religious belief.
John Courtney Murray, S.J.
on Dignitatis humanae
(Post-Vatican II): Action for Justice:
Central to Gospel and Church’s Mission
Action on behalf of justice and participation in the
transformation of the world fully appear to us as a
constitutive dimension of preaching the gospel, or, in
other words, of the church’s mission for the redemption
of the human race and its liberation from every
oppressive structure.
-1971 Synod of Bishops, Justitia in mundo, no. 6
The mission of preaching the Gospel dictates at the
present time that we should dedicate ourselves to the
liberation of people even in their present existence in this
world. For unless the Christian message of love and
justice shows its effectiveness through action in the
cause of justice in the world, it will only with difficulty gain
credibility with the people of our times. (no. 35)
Catholic Vision of the Human
Person
Genesis 1:1-31
“in God’s image God created them, male and female
God created them.”
Humans as created in imago Dei (image of God)
Inherently sacred, worthy
Inherently social
Created in image of Trinitarian God
- to be a person is to be in relationship
Human Dignity Human
Rights
Human rights give shape & substance to the idea of
human dignity
Human dignity grounds human rights : reciprocal
relationship
Human rights provide societal framework
Range of Rights in CST
civil and political rights (political-legal)
social and economic rights (socio-economic)
“These fundamental personal rights—civil and political as
well as social and economic—state the minimum
conditions for social institutions that respect human
dignity, social solidarity, and justice.”
- “Economic Justice for All,” (no. 80)
United Nations Declaration on
Human Rights
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
Examples: article 12, 25, 23, 18
Justice in Western Context
(U.S.)
Images and understandings of western justice
Biblical Justice
Creative
Liberating, vindicating
Relational
Care for Anawim
shalom
Justice in
Catholic Social Teaching
contributive/legal; commutative; distributive; social
“Basic justice demands the establishment of minimal
levels of participation in the life of the human
community for all persons. The ultimate injustice is for
a person or group to be treated actively or abandoned
passively as if they were nonmembers of the human
race. To treat people this way is effectively to say that
they simply do not count as human beings.”
(U.S. Bishops, “Economic Justice for All,”no. 77)
Catholic Social Teaching: Encyclicals
1891 Rerum novarum
1931
1961
1963
1965
1967
1971
1971
1979
1981
1988
1991
1995
Quadragesimo anno
Mater et magistra
Peace on Earth
Church in the Modern World
The Development of Peoples
A Call to Action
Justice in the World
Redeemer of Humanity
On Human Work
On Social Concern
The One Hundredth Year
The Gospel of Life
Leo XIII
Pius XI
John XXIII
John XXIII
Vatican II
Paul VI
Paul VI
Synod of Bishops
John Paul II
John Paul II
John Paul II
John Paul II
John Paul II
2005 God is Love
Benedict XVI
2009 Charity in Truth
Benedict XVI
Social Justice: PRINCIPLES
Recall foundation of Catholic anthropology:
Vision of person as sacred and social
Yields CST themes
Life and dignity of human person
Common good
Option for poor
Dignity of work/rights of workers
Solidarity
Care for God’s Creation
Catholic Social Teaching: key
themes
Life and Dignity of the Human Person
Every human being is created in the image of God and
therefore is invaluable and worthy of respect as a
member of the human family
Common Good
Call to family, community and participation
Common good: those conditions necessary for the
flourishing of all members of a given community
Not the same as a utilitarian “greatest good for the
greatest number”
Option for the Poor and
Vulnerable
Matthew 25: 31-46
Biblical justice is measured by a society’s treatment
of the most vulnerable: the widow, the orphan, the
sojourner.
The prime purpose of a preferential option for poor is
to enable them to become active participants in the
life of society—to enable all persons to share in the
common good.
Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers
Matthew 20:1-16
The economy must serve people, and not the other
way around.
If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic
rights of workers must be respected—rights to
productive work, to decent and fair wages, to
organize and join unions, to private property, and to
economic initiative. -U.S. Catholic Bishops
Solidarity
A firm and persevering commitment to commit
ourselves to the common good on every level.
“We really all are responsible for all.”
Pope John Paul II
Greg Boyle, S.J.
Founder/Director, Homeboy Industries
Create a community of kinship such that God might
recognize it.
Jesus wasn’t a man for others, he was one with others.
“Our problem is that we've forgotten that we belong to
each other.”
Mother Theresa
Care for God’s Creation
Stewardship: the earth, created by God, has been
entrusted to us for our care not just our own benefit.
Humans are part and parcel of the created order, not
suspended over and above it.
CST affirms the “universal purpose of created goods”–
God’s creation is intended for good of all humans.
Solidarity in TIME not just solidarity in space.
Sin in Christian thought
Sin: fact
act
orientation
Sins of omission: Failure to bother to Love.
biblical examples
Walter Rauschenbusch, social gospel movement
Social Sin
Social sin: embodiment of multiple sinful choices,
structures of evil that surround us and in which we
take part
1 both ways in which our personal sins become
embodied in unjust social structures (our complicity in
sweatshop conditions as consumers)
2 and the ways those same structures make it harder to
resist the temptation to sin (air we breathe tainted by
acceptable injustices—racism, sexism, homophobia)
Engaging the Signs of Our Times
Social Justice initiatives via
-Catholic charities and direct aid
-Catholic political advocacy (USCCB, NEWTORK Catholic
Social Justice Lobby, Pax Christi USA, others)
-CCHD-funded/Catholic-based community organizing
-private sector: socially responsible investing and shareholder
advocacy (religious orders)
CST and Signs of our Times
Small Group Discussions:
1. death penalty/capital punishment
2. environmental racism
3. liturgical practice and CST: marriage
4. scripture, justice and international trade
5. the working poor
6. 21st century slavery
Assignment
Note: You may select one essay question from among
the following options. Responses should be 3-5 pages,
double-spaced, 12-point font, 1” margins minimum. I
prefer hard copies; please submit your completed
assignments to ILM staff who can then send them to
me as a set. Thank you for the conversation, and
blessings upon your ministries and journeys. KEH
1.
Pierce Hunsinger has been caught, for the third time, selling narcotics and is
facing time in prison. He argues that selling drugs is his best chance at a better
life for his family. With only a high school education as well as ex-felon status, he
has had difficulty finding a job that keeps his wife and two children above the
poverty line. He awaits his sentencing hearing. What would different responses to
Pierce’s situation look like from the perspectives of western and biblical justice?
2.
Discuss the proper role of religion in public life according to post-Vatican II
Catholic social thought and Massaro’s Living Justice. What changes took place at
the Second Vatican Council, and how would you characterize the balance
Catholicism seeks to strike? What is your own impression of the relationship of
the Church to political issues today in light of this ideal?
3.
What might it mean to reimagine a ministry in which you are currently
involved (or have been involved) in light of Catholic social teaching? (baptism,
confirmation, anointing of the sick, marriage preparation, reconciliation, youth
ministry) Be sure to concretely identify several changes and how they reflect
different principles or commitments of Catholic social thought. (E.g., describe how
you might transform a youth group food drive to incorporate both charity and
justice dimensions, more fully affirm human dignity, and attend to sustainability).
4.
Your pastor has asked you to write a column for a special extended edition of
the parish newsletter on why issues of social justice should matter to faithful
Catholics. Pick one among the following topics and write your essay with
parishioners as your audience:
a.) Why should Catholics be concerned about environmental issues (our energy
consumption/“carbon footprint,” where our waste is stored, the environmental
impact of industries, where our food comes from)?
b.) Why is the Catholic Church actively involved in immigration reform efforts?
c.) In what ways are we called to celebrate and promote life amid our broken
world? To what concrete ministries of charity and justice does this commitment
call our community?
Justice and Peace Prayer
By: Jane Deren
God of Justice and Peace,
Mold our consciences
according to justice,
And shape our hearts
according to peace,
That we may recognize the talents
that you have given us
To secure the rights of the poor,
the oppressed, the sick
and the marginalized.
God, we are Your children.
Grant us the courage and strength
To work for justice,
And in this way,
Live out our call
to be peacemakers.