Catholic

Social
Teachings
 I. CST as
Understanding
The accurate formulation
of the results of a
careful
reflection on the
complex
realities of human
existence, in society and
in the international order
in the light of faith &
church’s
tradition.
 Its aim is to interpret these
realities, determining their
conformity with or divergence from
the lines of the gospel teaching
on man and his vocation, a vocation
which is at once earthly and
transcendent;…
… its aim is thus to guide
Christian Behavior.
It therefore belongs to the field,
not of the ideology, but of
theology and particularly of
moral theology.
 Catholic Social Teaching is an
encounter of the gospel with
the problem of societal life.
Specific contribution of CST to social
life:
 1. Evangelization (i.e.
bringing Good News to all the strata
of human life)
2. Venue of our Dialogue with
the world.
 3. Instrument of the
interpretation of realities
as we see it.
4. Guidelines for pastoral and
social action of the church.
 II.
Methodology
CST uses the Signs of the
Times methodology.
We scrutinize the signs of the
times in the light of the
gospel.
 Signs of
Gospel
the
Values times
See
Judge
Act
Signs of the times = the
social
concerns,
issues, &
problems of the
present time on
the Economic, Political,
and Cultural Level.
 In the light of the gospel
values, we look at the situation,
judge and act accordingly.
III. Biblical Basis of
CST
 1. The Mission :
Is. 42: 1-7; 61: 1-3;
Lk 4: 16-21
2. What God hates
and what God
loves:
Jer. 22: 13-17;
Is. 10: 1-4; 61: 8
Amos 5: 7-15; 5:21-
24
3. The Law and the
Man’s Welfare:
Mk. 2: 23-28;
Lk. 6:6-11; 11:1-6
4. True Fasting:
Is. 58: 3-12
 5.God the
Liberator:
Ex. 1: 1-16; 3:
1-12; Deut. 8:
1-10
 Our Good
6.

Neighbors:
Lk. 10: 25-37
7. Our Neighbors: the
Least Important
Ones:
Mt. 25: 31-46
IV. Characteristics:
Permanent and
Changing
Permanent – because of the
Gospel Values, the CST has a
permanent character because values
are permanent or valid at all times,
for all places.
 Changing – because of the
social situation , the social
teaching is evolving. Example:
Private Property
 For R.N. it is
inviolable it is
sacred.
Subordinates this right to the common good, to
the fact that the good of this earth is meant for
all.
V. Tension: Doctrine
and Teaching
Others would want to call the whole
social stand of the church as
social doctrine, others as
social teaching.
 Others do not want to call it a doctrine because it implies
close system, something that is permanent, that does
not change, thus they would prefer to call it teaching, because
of its changing character or evolutionary
character.
Is it a doctrine, or a teaching?
It is both!
 They have permanent
truths. Therefore, may be called
doctrine but they can evolve
therefore may be called
teaching.
As a doctrine, therefore we need to
preserve and uphold these
permanent truths.
 As a teaching, we need to
develop, update, and at
times supersede.
Only that we must try to
avoid going to one side,
thus taking an
extreme
position.
We are advise to hold unto the tension. The
tension of its being permanent and the same
time contingent or changing, through that we
become open.
VI. Elements of Social
Teachings
 1. Permanent
Principles/
Announcement
– Directly flowing out from the Gospel
Values
2. ConcreteJudgement/
Denouncement
- Makes concrete judgement on a
concrete situation
– the church cannot be neutral vis-à-
vis injustices
3. Directives for Action/ Pastoral
Action – Church contribution for real human
progress in the society
N.B. The church is making judgement
is more authoritative when
it proscribes than when it
prescribes.
Proscribes – denounce/ condemn
Prescribes - to recommend
We should not see the judgement and directives for action as
precepts, but precedents, looking at it as a
precedent, one can have a sense of how the principle is being
applied.
Finally, the judgement and direction
gives us orientation.
VII. Survey of CST
A. According to CSDC
1. Rerum Novarum 9.
2. Quadragesimo Anno 10.
3. Non Abbiamo Bisogno 11.
4. Mit Brennender Sorge 12.
5. Divini Redemptoris
6. Christmas Radio 13.
Messages of Pius XII 14.
7. Mater et Magistra 15.
8. Pacem in Terris 16.
Gaudium et Spes
Dignitatis Humanae
Populorum Progressio
World Day of Peace
Messages
Octogessima Adveniens
Laborem Exercens
Solicitudo Rei Socialis
Laudato Si
B. According to Social Theologians
1. Rerum Novarum 11. Laborem Exercens
2. Quadragesimo Anno 12. Solicitudo Rei Socialis
3. Mater et Magistra 13. Centissimus Annus
4. Pacem in Terris 14. Deus Caritas Est
5. Gaudium et Spes 15. Laudato Si
6. Populorum Progressio
7. Octogessima Adveniens
8. Justice in the World
9. Evangelii Nuntiandi
10. Redemptor Hominis
 VIII. Principles of the Church’s
Social Doctrine According to CSDC
1. Principle of the Common Good
2. Universal Destination of Good
3. The Principle of Subsidiarity
4. Participation
5. The Principle of Solidarity
6. The Fundamental Values of Social Life: Truth, Freedom,
Justice
7. The Way of Love
Principal Teachings of CST according
to PCP II:
1. Integral Development based on Human Dignity and
Solidarity
2. Universal Purpose of Earthly Goods and Private
Property
3. Social Justice and Love
4. Peace and Active Non-Violence
5. Love of Preference for the Poor
6. The Value of Human Work
7. Integrity of Creation
8. People Empowerment
IX . CST Viewed from the perspective of
Centissimus Annus
A. Centrality of the Human Person
It is the only creature on earth which
is willed by God for its own
sake.
 It was directly created by God
with dignity and
unique destiny (Image
and likeness of God and to whom
Christ has united Himself)
 The Real Concrete
Historical Man – any man
for that matter but especially the
poor.
Preferential Option
for the Poor – (a special
form of primacy in the exercise of
Christian Charity)
endowed with eights that springs
from his dignity.
Right to Life (right of the unborn)
Right to live in a harmonic
family
Right to Association
Right to work (value of work) and
a just wage for work
Freedom of man is acknowledged but
in relation to truth. (True freedom
consist in responding to the call of
objective moral truth
and a man becomes more a man in
his free choice to respond to
this call of truth.
 B. In Community =
“communitas” living
together for each other
What limits your right is the right
of others in the community.
Concept of Common
Good – the good of all and of
each individual
Peace and order
Efficient economy
Healthy Environment
Universal Destiny of Created
Goods is respected. (Primary Function / role of
created goods)
- Moral questions are involved when goods are controlled
only by a few detriment of the many.
1. Question of Moral Debt
2. Social Mortgage
 All property is under a social
mortgage i.e. society has
rights over all property for the good
of all.
The only valid title to goods is that it
be used for the good of all.
Ecology
C. The state and its
responsibility
 Solidarity – a firm and
preserving determination to
commit oneself to the
common good.
Subsidiarity – if it taken
cared of locally, it must be taken
cared of, the state will come in only
when the local
community cannot make it.
D. Democracy
Yes! But against “elite democracy” i.e.
wherein only the elite sits in the position of power.
F. Role of Conflict
Positive Role of Conflict as at this time the
only way towards social change.
X. CST Spirituality
Here are the constant truths about
spirituality:
1. Relationship between God
and person
2. Out of the relationship flows out a
way of life as a consequence.
 Even rest and recreation are modes
of this way of life, thus, we can say
that watching basketball is essentially
part of this spirituality as an hour of
prayer.
 Deep concern and
respect for the
human person who can
never simply be a means to an end.
Faith in people and their
ability to change (no
stereotyping i.e. not seeing them as
exploited and exploiters, etc. )
 Preferential but not
exclusive (option for man) option for
the poor: solidarity in the
pursuit of justice.
Struggle entails
suffering.
Evangelical option
for Non-Violence
(see Gandi)
 A hope that is not based on human
calculation or ideological certainties
(an active hope in a God
of history, of justice
and love.
 Patience – change takes
time, hence no time to lose, in God’s
own time and his way of ours.