Meaning from Liberation Theology
Liberation theology reads the Bible as
telling us to make a fair society so our
world is more like God’s kingdom.
God’s kingdom is not yet come
on earth.
Set us free from the evil that
makes our society unfair.
3 We should honour God.
1 God cares about us, he is personal.
The needs of the hungry and
poor matter.
God already reigns over the
kingdom of Heaven.
God wants justice and love, so
when his kingdom comes, that is how
society will be.
For a just society to happen, the
oppressed need to forgive the sins of
their oppressors.
When God’s kingdom comes on
earth, it will be like we are living in
Heaven already.
We need forgiveness for the sins
in our society that oppress people.
Greed tempts us to want an
unjust society where other people are
oppressed so that we can be well off.
Scripture: The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer was given by
Jesus to the Disciples when they
asked him how to pray.
1. Our Father,
2. Who art in Heaven,
3. Hallowed be Thy Name.
4. Thy Kingdom come.
5. Thy Will be done,
6. on earth as it is in Heaven.
7. Give us this day our daily bread.
8. And forgive us our trespasses,
9. as we forgive those who trespass
against us.
10. And lead us not into temptation,
11. but deliver us from evil.
Practices
How Catholics have put these teachings into
practice.
When there was no one else to care for them,
Mother Teresa (1910-1997) cared for the
starving and dying in Calcutta in India, no
matter their religion.
Oscar Romero (1917-1980) spoke up against
the army in El Salvador when they were
oppressing the poor and so was murdered.
Marie-Madeleine d'Houët (1781-1858) took
a vow of poverty so she could be nearer to the
poor. She founded FCJ schools in the poorest
parts of France to help those who needed better
education.
Magisterium’s Documents
Gaudium et Spes is a document of the
Second Vatican Council. Evangelii
Gaudium is a letter from Pope Francis.
Gaudium et Spes 1: Christians share the
joys and the hopes, the griefs and the
anxieties of the people of this age,
especially those who are poor or who
suffer in any way, with the rest of
humanity. Indeed, anything that is
genuinely human echoes in the hearts of
Christians because the Christian
community is a human community.
United in Christ, Christians are led by the
Holy Spirit in their journey to the
Kingdom of their Father and they have
already welcomed the news that every
person is supposed to be saved.
Gaudium et Spes 39: We must not mix
up progress on earth with building the
kingdom of God, but earthly progress can
make a fairer society. Building a fair
society helps to build the kingdom of
God.
Evangelii Gaudium 53: Just as the
commandment “thou shalt not kill” sets a
clear rule to protect the value of human
life, today we also have to say “thou shalt
not” to an unfair economy which
excludes people. That sort of economy
kills people… Can we continue to look
on when food is thrown away while
people are starving? This is a case of
inequality.
Evangelii Gaudium 54: wealth makes us
unable to feel compassion for the poor.
We forget to cry when other people
suffer, or to feel the need to help them.
We behave as if all this were someone
else’s responsibility and not our own.
 Meaning from liberation theology
Liberation theology reads the Bible as
telling us to make a fair society so our
world is more like God’s kingdom.
God’s kingdom is not yet come
on earth.
Set us free from the evil that
makes our society unfair.
3 We should honour God.
1 God cares about us, he is personal.
The needs of the hungry and poor
matter.
God already reigns over the
kingdom of Heaven.
God wants justice and love, so
when his kingdom comes, that is how
society will be.
For a just society to happen, the
oppressed need to forgive the sins of
their oppressors.
When God’s kingdom comes on
earth, it will be like we are living in
Heaven already
We need forgiveness for the sins
in our society that oppress people.
Greed tempts us to want an
unjust society where other people are
oppressed so that we can be well off.
Scripture: The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer was given by
Jesus to the Disciples when they
asked him how to pray.
1. Our Father,
2. Who art in Heaven,
3. Hallowed be Thy Name.
4. Thy Kingdom come.
5. Thy Will be done,
6. on earth as it is in Heaven.
7. Give us this day our daily bread.
8. And forgive us our trespasses,
9. as we forgive those who trespass
against us.
10. And lead us not into temptation,
11. but deliver us from evil.
Practices
How Catholics have put these teachings into
practice.
When there was no one else to care for them,
Mother Teresa (1910-1997) cared for the
starving and dying in Calcutta in India, no
matter their religion.
Oscar Romero (1917-1980) spoke up against
the army in El Salvador when they were
oppressing the poor and so was murdered.
Marie-Madeleine d'Houët (1781-1858) took
a vow of poverty so she could be nearer to the
poor. She founded FCJ schools in the poorest
parts of France to help those who needed better
education.
Magisterium’s Documents
Gaudium et Spes is a document of the
Second Vatican Council. Evangelii
Gaudium is a letter from Pope Francis.
Gaudium et Spes 1:
Summary: Christians have a special
responsibility to care for the poor.
Quotation: “United in Christ, Christians
are led by the Holy Spirit in their journey
to the Kingdom of their Father and they
have already welcomed the news that
every person is supposed to be saved.”
Gaudium et Spes 39:
Summary: Building a fair society helps to
build the kingdom of God.
Quotation: “Fairer organisation of society
is vital to building the Kingdom of God.”
Evangelii Gaudium 53:
Summary: An unjust economy kills.
Quotation: “Can we continue to stand by
when food is thrown away while people
are starving? This is a case of inequality.”
Evangelii Gaudium 54:
Summary: Wealth makes us selfish.
Quotation: “we end up being incapable of
feeling compassion at the outcry of the
poor, as though it’s someone else’s
responsibility.”
 Meaning from liberation theology
Liberation theology reads the Bible as
telling us to make a fair society so our
world is more like God’s kingdom.
God’s Kingdom is in Heaven, it
isn’t yet on earth.
We should worship (“hallow”) God.
Society should work the way God
wants (“wills”) it to.
Scripture: The Lord’s
Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer was given
by Jesus to the Disciples
when they asked him how to
pray.
1. Our Father,
2. Who art in Heaven,
3. Hallowed be Thy Name.
Practices Magisterium’s Documents
How Catholics have put these teachings into Gaudium et Spes is a document of the
practice. Second Vatican Council. Evangelii
Gaudium is a letter from Pope Francis.
When there was no one else to care for them,
Mother Teresa (1910-1997) cared for the
starving and dying in Calcutta in India, no matter
their religion.
Gaudium et Spes 1:
Summary: Christians have a special
responsibility to care for the poor.

1 God loves us like a good parent loves

4. Thy Kingdom come.
their children.

4 We want the world to be more like
God’s kingdom, where there is no evil or
suffering.
We ask God to give the hungry
enough food (“bread”) to eat.
Oscar Romero (1917-1980) spoke up against the Gaudium et Spes 39:
5. Thy Will be done, army in El Salvador when they were oppressing Summary: Building a fair society helps to
the poor and so was murdered. build the kingdom of God.
6. on earth as it is in Heaven.

We should make the earth so good
that it’s like living in Heaven.
If we’re not willing to forgive
others, we shouldn’t be forgiven either.
We ask forgiveness for when
we’ve oppressed people by our sins
(“trespasses”).
When evil happens, protect us.
Protect us from wanting (“being
tempted”) to sin.
7. Give us this day our daily
bread.
Evangelii Gaudium 53:
Summary: An unjust economy kills.
8. And forgive us our
trespasses, Marie-Madeleine d'Houët (1781-1858) took a
vow of poverty so she could be nearer to the poor. Evangelii Gaudium 54:
9. as we forgive those who She founded FCJ schools in the poorest parts of Summary: Wealth makes us selfish.
trespass against us. France to help those who needed better education.
10. And lead us not into
temptation
11. but deliver us from evil.