HUMAN DIGNITY IN THE SACRED
SCRIPTURES
 Biology - Humans, or human beings, are
bipedal primates belonging to the
mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin
meaning: wise man or knowing man).
 Psychology - Humans have a highly
developed brain capable of abstract
reasoning, language, and introspection.
Humans are variously said to possess
consciousness, self-awareness, and a mind,
which correspond roughly to the mental
processes of thought.
 Sociology - “Man is by nature a social
animal”. Man cannot live alone. He must
satisfy certain natural basic needs in order to
survive. He has to enter into relationships
with his fellowmen for living a life.”
ANATOMY
The cerebral cortex is nearly symmetrical, with left and
right hemispheres that are approximate mirror images of
each other. Anatomists conventionally divide each
hemisphere into four "lobes", the frontal lobe, parietal
lobe, occipital lobe and temporal lobe
Associated with reasoning, planning,
Frontal Lobe parts of speech, movements, emotions
and problem solving
Associated with movement orientation,
Parietal Lobe recognition, perception of stimuli.
Lesson 1: Human Dignity in the Scriptures
Associated with visual
Occipital Lobe processing.
Associated with perception and
Temporal Lobe recognition of auditory stimuli,
memory and speech
This statement is the basis of Christian anthropology,
because it identifies the foundation of man's dignity as
a person in his creation "in the likeness" of God. Both
are equally God's masterpiece. - St. John Paul II in his
General Audience 1999
 Lucius Annaeus Seneca
- “We are members of one great body,
planted by nature…. We must consider that
we were born for the good of the whole”
 Titus Maccius Plautus
- “Homo homini lupus est” (Man is a wolf to
his fellow man)
 St. Thomas Aquinas
- Individua substantia rationalis naturae
(Individual substance of a rational nature)
 Niccolo Machiavelli
- “Men by nature is evil. They are ungrateful,
fickle, liars, and deceivers, they shun
danger and are greedy for profit.
 Rene Descartes
- “Cogito ergo sum”. (I think, therefore I
am).
 Thomas Hobbes
- “The life of man (in a state of nature) is
solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
 Albert Camus
- “Man is the only creature who refuses to be
what he is.”
 Fyodor Dostoevsky
- “Man is a mystery. It needs to be
unravelled, and if you spend your whole life
unravelling it, don't say that you've wasted
time.”
 George Berkley
- “Esse est percipi” (To be is to be perceived)
 Jean Paul Sartre
- “Man is condemned to be free”.
 Martin Heidegger
- “Man is a being unto death”
a. Human beings as the crowning glory of God’s
creation
- Genesis 1:26-27
- God created man in his image; in the divine
image he created him; male and female he
created them
CCC 1699-1715
“The dignity of the human person is rooted in his or
her creation in the image and likeness of God.
Endowed with a spiritual and immortal soul,
intelligence and free will, the human person is
ordered to God and called in soul and in body to
eternal beatitude.”
Imago Dei
The divine image is present in every man. He is
endowed with:
1. A spiritual and immortal soul
- The human person is composed of body
and soul.
- "then the LORD God formed man of
dust from the ground, and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living being."
- Every spiritual soul is created
immediately by God and also that it is
immortal.
SOUL
- “primus actus corporis physici organici”.
- first act of a physical organic body.
- it is the principle of life
- any living being is a besouled being
HIERARCHY OF BEING
- God
- Angels
- Humans
- Animals
- Plants
- Minerals
OPERARI SQQUITUER ESSE
- Operations follows being
OPERATIONS
- Nutrition: refers to the operation by
which the creature’s life is conserved. A
vital operation which transforms food
into nutritive substances by the process
of metabolism and the ability to
assimilate these nutritive materials to the
different parts of the body.
- Growth: refers to the augmentation and
refers to the operation by which living
beings acquire by nourishment the
quantity characteristic to it (motis a
minore ad majorem quantitatem). A
result of the assimilation of food.
- Reproduction: a new organism is
generated from a previous organism
(origo viventis a principio vivente
conjuncto in similitudinem naturae)
- Sensation: manifests the capacity to
perceive accidental properties of things.
- Locomotion: manifests the capacity to
move from one place to another.
- Intellection: immaterial operation
because its object is the idea which is an
immaterial presentation of reality
- Volition: immaterial operation because
its object is the idea which is an
immaterial presentation of reality
PLANTS – Vegitative Soul
ANIMALS – Sensient Soul
HUMANS – Rational Soul
INTELLECT - God gave us the ability to
learn about things and understand them by
the use of our intellect. Through our senses,
we gain knowledge of things around us.
FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY
- God created man a rational being,
conferring on him the dignity of a person
who can initiate and control his own
actions.
- but the exercise of freedom does not
entail the putative right to say or do
anything.
True freedom is the power and right to do
that which is right and good. It is rooted in
reason and will, to act or not; to act to do
this or that, and so to perform deliberate
actions on one's own responsibility.
The more one does what is good, the freer one
becomes. There is no true freedom except in the
service of what is good and just. The choice to
disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and one
becomes a slave to sin.
Man is FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY
made, equipped with everything necessary to
navigate the goods on offer.
Human beings and the Redemptive Act of Christ
Authentic Freedom
ORIGINAL JUSTICE
- Freedom is not absolute, therefore it is
limited! Do Good and Avoid Evil
Philippine Constitution, Article 2 Section 11
-“The State values the dignity of every
human person and guarantees full
respect for human rights.”
2. Human beings and Sexuality
- The Lord God then built the rib that he
had taken from the man into a woman.
When he brought her to the man, the
man said: “This one, at last, is bone of
my bones and flesh of my flesh; This
one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of
man this one has been taken.” (Genesis
2:22-23)
- man discovers woman as another "I",
PRENATURAL GIFTS
sharing the same humanity
The Nature and Purpose of Sexuality:
a. To be human is to exist either as male or as
female.
b. We are sexual beings by nature, existing in
one of these two modes.
c. Sexuality urges us out of isolation into the
PROTOEVANGELIUM
company of others.
3. Sexuality urges us out of isolation into the
company of others.
- Being an image of God also implies our
responsibility to His creation
(Stewardship)
- Laudato Si presents current ecological
problems our world is facing such as the
variety of forms of pollution, increasing
TYPOLOGY
deforestation, a disturbing warming of
the climate, depletion of natural
resources (especially quality drinking
water), loss of biodiversity, the decline
of quality of human life and
relationships, and the global inequality
gap between the poor and the rich.
- “throwaway culture” that ruthlessly
consumes, exploits, and discards human
life and our natural resources as one of
the root causes
- the doctrine which teaches that the state
of Adam and Eve before they sinned was
one of holiness and justice.
- It states that our first parents received
grace, and preternatural gifts (Genesis
1:26-27; 2:3). These sanctifying grace,
with its right to enter heaven, and the
preternatural gifts would have been
transferred to all descendants of Adam
and Eve if not for the original sin
- The loss of original justice, both for
them and for all their descendants as a
result of the Fall, was later recovered
through the atoning death of Jesus
Christ
- They include three great privileges to
which human beings have no title--
infused knowledge, absence of
concupiscence, and bodily
immortality. Adam and Eve possessed
these gifts before the Fall.
- “I will put enmity between you and the
woman, and between your offspring and
hers; He will strike at your head, while
you strike at his heel.”
- The promise of salvation brought about
by sins of our ancestors is fulfilled in
Jesus Christ.
- a method of biblical interpretation
whereby an element found in the Old
 Testament is seen to prefigure one found
in the New Testament. The initial one is
called the type and the fulfillment is
designated the antitype.
Redemption comes to us above all through the
blood of his cross, but this mystery is at work
throughout Christ's entire life:
1. In His Incarnation – “Word made flesh”
2. In His Hidden Life – Obedience
3. In His Word through Teachings, Parables,
Beatitudes, Prayers and Proclamation of the
Kingdom of God;
4. In His Healings and Exorcisms
5. And in His Resurrection.
Jesus‘ words, deeds and suffering had for its aim
restoring fallen man to his original vocation.
- despite of the Fall and sinful nature, God
affirms, transcends the elevated nature of
humanity.
The Ultimate Destination of our Human
Pilgrimage: To Return to the Father
A. Israelites in the Promised Land
- In the Old Testament, the Israelites
journeyed to the Promised Land led by
Moses. This pilgrimage of faith from
deliverance from Egyptian slavery to the
land given to them by God so that He
can establish Himself a relationship that
was lost due to sin of Adam.
B. Parable of the Prodigal Son by Pope Francis
- Pope Francis described the father, with
patience, love, hope, and mercy had
never for a second stopped thinking
about his lost.
- The Pope reminded us that God is
always waiting for us; he never grows
tired.
- Restoration of those who sinned and
became slave of sin finds its foundation
in the dignity of the human person and
redemption by Christ through the
programs of the Church, government and
other groups.
Restorative Justice
- the criminal justice system is a way of
responding to ending the effects of crime
that makes the people affected.
- seeks to repair harm, to appropriate
responsibility for the harm and to
involve those who have been affected by
the harm, including the community, in
the resolution
The Philippine government adheres and believes
that all persons have dignity whether one is a
criminal or not.
Bureau of Corrections functions are:
1. Safe keep prisoners convicted by courts,
2. Prevent prisoners from committing crimes,
3. Provide inmates basic needs,
4. Ensure rehabilitation programs are made
available to the inmates for their physical,
intellectual and spiritual development
5. Develop livelihood programs to assist
inmates earn a living and develop their skills
while in prison.
The Bureau of Corrections' logo or seal also
summarizes its goal featuring a rehabilitated
inmate (white) while in custody of the seven (7)
prisons and penal farms (bars) thru educational,
therapeutic, productive approaches and
restorative justice. He looks forward to a brighter
future (rays of the sun), but would need the
assistance of his family and loved ones, the society
and the church, for him to completely undergo
transformation and re-integrates successfully in the
community.
Punishment cannot be reduced to mere retribution,
much less take the form of social retaliation or a
sort of institutional vengeance.
Punishment and imprisonment have meaning if,
while maintaining the demands of justice and
discouraging crime, they serve the rehabilitation of
the individual by offering those who have made a
mistake an opportunity to reflect and to change their
lives in order to be fully reintegrated into society.” -
St. John Paul II
Introductory Concepts on Man and Society
SOCIETY
 - “socius” which means companion, or
ally; “societas” fellowship, association,
alliance, union, community.
- “socius” which means companion, or
ally; “societas” fellowship, association,
alliance, union, community.
- An organized association of persons
New Testament
united for the promotion of some
common purpose or object, whether
religious, benevolent, literary, scientific,
political, convivial, or other.
The human person is by nature a social being
They are relational beings, who are free and
responsible, recognizes the necessity of integrating
themselves in cooperation with fellow human
beings, and who is capable of communion with
them.
They belong to various societies such as family,
civil and religious communities, and are bound
together by a principle of unity and common good
Gerhard Emmanuel "Gerry" Lenski, Jr.
- Technology is defined as 'information
about how to use the material resources
of a given society or culture to meet
human needs and satisfy human desires.
- viewed that through technology,
societies will evolve, change and
survive.
- When looking at the technology of a
society, Lenski focused on information -
the amount of information a society has
and how it uses that information. The
more information (or knowledge) a
society has, the more advanced it will
become
CHURCH
- Latin word meaning ecclesia
- The Septuagint used ekklesia to translate
the Hebrew word qâhâl, meaning a
congregation, assembly, company or
other organized body
Old Testament
- The community of Israel foreshadows
the Church. Just as God chooses us to be
saved as part of the Church, so too did
God call Israel as a nation to be his
chosen people as part of his larger plan
of salvation.
- the Church designates the community of
Christian disciples who gathered at least
weekly for common liturgy and prayer.
The word "church" is used 114 times in
the NT, but only three times in the
Gospels (once in Matt 16:18 and twice in
Matt 18:17).
Synagogue
- synagoge = "assembly, congregation";
derived from the preposition sun =
"with, together" and the verb αγω = "to
lead, gather"
- In Septuagint (the Old Testament in
Greek), it usually refers to a local
assembly of Jews. The word is used 56
times in the NT, mostly in the Gospels
and Acts, but also in James 2:24 and Rev
2:9; 3:9.
Temple / Sanctuary
- hieron = "temple area, holy grounds"
- Whereas hieron designates the totality of
the holy space or "temple precincts",
naos refers more specifically to the
"sanctuary building" within the temple
area, in which the deity resides. In the
NT, "temple" normally refers to the
sacred precincts of Jerusalem.
- Paul uses "Temple of God" as a
metaphor for the Christian community,
in that the community is the "sanctuary"
where the Spirit dwells
People of God
- God's Chosen or Elect - In the OT, the
Hebrews are "chosen" by God to belong
to him
- thus the descendants of Israel are called
the "people of God"
 - Luke uses the term to identify Israel
Community / Communion
- koinonia = "placed in common"
- Koinonia refers to a relationship of
fellowship among believers based on
participation in Christ
- Paul's ministry to support the poor
financially in the Jerusalem church is a
sign of this communion
Saints
- (hagioi = "holy ones, those set apart")
- Paul commonly addresses the Christian
community as "saints"
- Paul commonly addresses the Christian
community as "saints"
Body of Christ
- The "Body of Christ" is a prominent
Pauline metaphor for the church
The Way
- literally "road, path, journey," it
sometimes specifically refers to
individuals following Jesus
Bride of Christ
- The Church is the bride of Christ, and
just as a husband and wife are one flesh,
so is the Church holy because of the
bridegroom. This is seen in paragraph
824 of the Catechism which states,
“United with Christ, the Church is
sanctified by him; through him and with
him she becomes sanctifying.
Children of Abraham / New Israel / New
Jerusalem
- Traditional Jewish interpretation, and
that of most Christian commentators,
define Abraham's descendants as
Abraham's seed only through his son
Isaac and his grandson Jacob, to the
exclusion of Ishmael and Esau. This may
however reflect an eisegesis or
reconstruction of primary verses based
on the later biblical emphasis of Jacob's
descendants. The promises given to
Abraham happened prior to the birth of
Isaac and were given to all his offspring
signified through the rite of circumcision
- the descent and promise is reinterpreted
along religious lines. In the Epistle to the
Galatians, Paul the Apostle draws
attention to the formulation of the
promise, avoiding the term "seeds" in
plural (meaning many people), choosing
instead "seed," meaning one person,
who, he understands to be Jesus (and
those united with him
MYSTERIUM LUNAE
Saint Ambrose expresses this nicely by presenting
the moon as a metaphor for the Church:
The moon is in fact the Church… [she] shines not
with her own light, but with the light of Christ. She
draws her brightness from the Sun of Justice, and so
she can say: ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ
who lives in me
PRINCIPLES TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE
SOCIETY OR IN FORMING A GROUP OR
COMMUNITY
1. Socialization - expresses the natural
tendency for human beings to associate with
one another for the sake of attaining
objectives that exceed individual capacities.
2. Subsidiarity - a community of a higher order
should not interfere in the internal life of a
community of a lower order, depriving the
latter of its functions, but rather should
support it in case of need and help to
coordinate its activity with the activities of
the rest of society, always with a view to the
common good.
3. Common Good
Three Essential Elements of Common
Good
1st - Respect for the person as such.
- Fundamental and inalienable rights of
the human person.
 2nd - Social well-being and development of
the group itself.
- Development is the epitome of all social
duties.
3rd – Peace
- The stability and security of a just order.
Our laws also support the formation of
these organizations:
1987 Philippine Constitution Article XIII.
Section 23.
- The State shall encourage non-
governmental, community-based, or
sectoral organizations that promote the
welfare of the nation. (Civil Code of the
Philippines Article 32)
- The right to become a member of
associations or societies for purposes not
contrary to law
Both the Church and the State recognizes the family
as the most important unit of the society.
FAMILY
- Original cell of social life
- Natural society in which husband and
wife are called to give themselves in
love and in the gift of life.
- The family must be helped and defended
by appropriate social measures
Article XV. The Family of the 1987 Philippine
Constitution
Section 1. The State recognizes the Filipino family
as the foundation of the nation. Accordingly, it shall
strengthen its solidarity and actively promote its
total development.
Section 2. Marriage, as an inviolable social
institution, is the foundation of the family and shall
be protected by the State.
Human Dignity as Inviolable and Inalienable
The dignity of the human person is the primary
principle and the heart and soul of the social
teaching of the Catholic Church.
Being in the image of God the human individual
possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just
something, but someone.
Being in the image of God the human individual
possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just
something, but someone.
This teaching rests on one basic principle:
1. individual human beings are the foundation,
the cause and the end of every social
institution.
2. On this basic principle, which guarantees the
sacred dignity of the individual, the Church
constructs her social teaching
The dignity of human person is:
1. Innate: we were born with it
2. Inviolable: cannot be violated
3. Inalienable: cannot be taken away from us
4. Universal: encompasses all humanity
Human rights may be defined as those fundamental
rights of human beings which are essential to the
exercise of human dignity.
1. These rights are possessed by human beings
by the mere fact of their being human.
2. They are inherent in their nature, and far
from being concessions by society or by the
state, instead society and the state have the
duty to defend and promote them.
A Brief Development of Understanding
Human Dignity in Relation to Human Rights
1. Dignitas by the early Romans & Cicero
- Early Romans used the term dignitas
referring to people appointed to
public offices and with higher status in
the society. Then Cicero redefined
dignitas referring to all humans by
making distinction against animals
where the former are governed by
reason while the laXer by bodily
pleasures and instinct. To him, dignity
encompasses not only of those who were
 persons of authority and wealth but
includes all humanity.
2. Imago Dei by St Leo the Great
- St. Leo the Great and St. Thomas
Aquinas also used the term dignitas
referring to dignity of human person. To
St Leo, persons have dignity due to the
fact that man is raised up among other
beings and made in God’s image (Imago
Dei).
3. Great Chain of Beings by St Thomas
Aquinas
- St. Thomas Aquinas adopted this
elevated beings of St Leo to his concept
of great chain of beings which means
the higher the status of a being, the
more dignity one possess.
4. Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR) by the United Nations
- The United Nations was established
(1945) on accounts of horrors
experienced from World War 2
particularly from Nazi Germany and
Imperial Japan. It recognizes the dignity
of every person in Universal Declaration
of Human Rights (1948). The Preamble
and first three articles of the declaration
serve as its foundation of other rights.
PREAMBLE
- The United Nations was established
(1945) on accounts of horrors
experienced from World War 2
particularly from Nazi Germany and
Imperial Japan. It recognizes the dignity
of every person in Universal Declaration
of Human Rights (1948). The Preamble
and first three articles of the declaration
serve as its foundation of other rights.
- that human rights should be protected by
the rule of law.
Article 1
- All human beings are born free and
equal in dignity and rights. They are
endowed with reason and conscience and
should act towards one another in a spirit
of brotherhood.
Article 2
- Everyone is entitled to all the rights and
freedoms set forth in this Declaration,
without distinction of any kind, such as
race, color, sex, language, religion,
political or other opinion, national or
social origin, property, birth or other
status. Furthermore, no distinction shall
be made on the basis of the political,
jurisdictional or international status of
the country or territory to which a person
belongs, whether it be independent, trust,
non-self-governing or under any other
limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3
- Everyone has the right to life, liberty and
security of person.
1987 Philippine Constitution
Article XIII: Social Justice and Human
Rights
Section 1: Congress shall give highest
priority to the enactment of measures that
protect and enhance the right of all the
people to human dignity
Section 17: Commission on Human Rights
(Note: the first CHR in the country was
established during Marcos Gme two days
before the start of People Power 1)
Section 18: The Commission on Human
Rights shall have the following powers and
functions:
1. Investigate, on its own or on complaint
by any party, all forms of human rights
violations involving civil and political
rights;
2. Adopt its operational guidelines and
rules of procedure, and cite for contempt
for violations thereof in accordance with
the Rules of Court;
3. Provide appropriate legal measures for
the protection of human rights of all
persons within the Philippines, as well as
Filipinos residing abroad, and provide
 for preventive measures and legal aid
services to the underprivileged whose
human rights have been violated or need
protection;
4. Exercise visitorial powers over jails,
prisons, or detention facilities;
5. Establish a continuing program of
research, education, and information to
enhance respect for the primacy of
human rights;
6. Recommend to the Congress effective
measures to promote human rights and
to provide for compensation to victims
of violations of human rights, or their
families;
7. Monitor the Philippine Government’s
compliance with international treaty
obligations on human rights;
8. Grant immunity from prosecution to any
person whose testimony or whose
possession of documents or other
evidence is necessary or convenient to
determine the truth in any investigation
conducted by it or under its authority;
5. Pacem in Terris by St John XXIII & other
Church documents on human rights
- St John XXIII's encyclical Pacem in
Terris (1963) was a landmark in the
acceptance by the Catholic Christian
Church of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights. For the first time, the
Papal magisterium presents a relatively
complete and systematic catalogue of
human rights, comparable to those in
contemporary declarations of human
rights promulgated by national or
international entities.
BIBLICAL ROOTS OF THE SOCIAL
TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH
SHALOM
- Yahweh is a righteous God in the Old
Testament so He encourages His people
as well to become just and righteous in
order to realize peace or shalom (over-all
harmony) in His Kingdom.
JUSTICE
- the virtue which inclines us to give to
God and to man what is due to them.
Social justice is central to the Pentateuch
- To be the people of God meant to
practice justice. A just system was
required for all people, aside from their
ethnic origin or social justice.
The Judeo-Christian Tradition Expressions of
Justice are:
1. Sedakah
- It means right relationship.
- It is manifested by Yahweh in His
relationship with Israel and with all
things He has made, and by Israel, in her
response of obedience, reverence and
faithfulness to God.
- It is manifested by Yahweh in His
relationship with Israel and with all
things He has made, and by Israel, in her
response of obedience, reverence and
faithfulness to God.
- The word sedakah also corresponds to
Yahweh‘s righteousness.
- Some terms related to Yahweh‘s sedakah
are mercy, compassion and salvation
- It is identical with deliverance and
salvation, describing it as associated to a
norm established by God.
2. Mishpat
- It depicts the forensic nature of justice.
- It is justice based on the context of the
failure of the right relationship.
- This is where Yahweh refuses injustice
because the right relationship is being
violated.
- It is also a court of law wherein the
accused is punished and the victim is
vindicated.
- Yahweh is a judge who punishes the
wicked one and rewards the righteous
one. Thus, He corrects wrongdoings in
order to restore right relationship.
 -The arbiter, the King -God, secures order
in the community by applying the
mishpat. It implies deliverance for those
who are just and innocent, but harsh for
the wicked and sinful.
3. Hesed
- It is often translated as loving kindness.
Other translations are steadfast love,
mercy and compassion.
- Hesed is the expression of loving
kindness in the Kingdom of Yahweh.
- Yahweh‘s hesed is manifested in His
everlasting love for Israel.
- Yahweh is the epitome and example of
doing hesed to others.
4. Dikaiosune
- Jesus’ invitation to strive first for the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness
(Mt. 6: 33) is basically relational.
- The Greek word dikaiosune can be
rendered righteousness or justice.
- The metaphor of the Kingdom of God
embodies the way God relates with
people and sheds light on the word
dikaiosune as the manner by which God
wants to be ―king or as to be the divine
will is followed.
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ proclaims
that the Kingdom of God is already at hand and
the Beatitudes are the ways to attain its fullness.
OLD TESTAMENT – external actions we need to
follow
NEW TESTAMENT – Internal dispositions we
need to have
The Beatitudes of Jesus are also considered as
expressions and ways to realize the right
relationship in the Kingdom of God.
1. About People & Blessings
2. Kingdom is About Newness.
3. The Kingdom is Still to Come
4. The Kingdom is a Person
5. Not a monarchy or a military might
6. Not violent
God reigns where the divine will is done
The Gospel shows in an abundance of texts that
Jesus was not indifferent or extraneous to the
problem of the dignity and rights of the human
person, nor to the needs of the weakest, the
neediest, and the victims of injustice.
Jesus‘ concern was not limited to the forgiveness
of sins: At all times He stressed a real solidarity
with the poorest and lowliest
Just like the mission of Jesus Christ, the mission of
the Church to the society is threefold:
1. Kingly
- One‘s commitment to serve others
through active participation to integral
human development.
2. Priestly
- Our capacity to pray for one another and
our ability to establish a deeper
relationship with God through prayer
and worship.
3. Prophetic
- Proclaiming peace founded on truth,
built according to justice, integrated by
charity and practiced in freedom.
The Church in the Philippines has been known as
the forerunner of truth and justice among the
Filipinos regardless of ethnicity, gender and
religion.
It is not to be identified with any political partisan
in order to become a credible herald of peace,
justice and truth; and proponent of unawa
(understanding), awa (mercy) and gawa (deeds)
among people particularly the marginalized.
The Church in the Philippines is expected to be the
advocate of impartiality that shuns any form of
discrimination, conflict and political animosity.
The Church is also called to promote respect for
races, genders, religions and point of views so
that national unity and healing are attainable.
Discrimination and neglect are obstacles to the full
development of persons and of society as a whole.
Duc in Altum (“Put out into the deep”)
- Each Catholic is a missionary.
 - He/she is immersed and conscious of the - All men and women are called by God to
signs of the times making him/her faith and baptism in Jesus Christ
capable of bringing people closer to the b. Truthful Tolerance
Kingdom of God. - The Declaration on Religious Freedom
- Like the apostles of Jesus Christ, we are of Vatican II, Dignitatis Humanae, cast a
also fishers of men by witnessing to our new light.
faith. - The human person has a right to
religious freedom. This freedom means
SHALOM – GOAL
that:
JUSTICE – WAY  All men are to be immune from
coercion on the part of
SEDAKAH, MISHPAT, HESED, DIKAIOSUNE
individuals or social groups and
– EXPRESSIONS (AGENTS OF
of any human power
TRANSFORMATION)
 No one is to be forced to act in a
As Agent of Hope and Transformation manner contrary to his own
beliefs
- It is through baptism that members of
 Not to be restrained from acting
the Christian community ―are called to
in accordance with his own
a holiness of life in the world befitting
beliefs, whether privately or
disciples of Jesus.
publicly, whether alone or in
- Discipleship is the fundamental vocation
association with others, within
in which the Church's mission and
due limits.
ministry find full meaning.
c. Fidelity to Proclaim the Kingdom of God
- As disciples of Jesus, we are called into
- The Church, endowed with the gifts of
communion with both God and others
her founder and faithfully observing his
and are sent in mission to proclaim
precepts of charity, humility and self-
the Good News of the Kingdom.
denial, received the mission of
- The Synod of Bishops spoke about the
proclaiming and establishing among all
relation between the Gospel and justice:
peoples the Kingdom of Christ and of
―Action on behalf of justice and
God, and she is, on earth, the seed and
participation in the transformation of the
the beginning of that Kingdom
world fully appear to us as a constitutive
- The Church‘s mission is the same as it
dimension of the preaching of the
was yesterday, today, and tomorrow: to
Gospel.
evangelize the whole world. ―It is the
- The Church fulfills her mission of
duty of the Church, therefore, in her
preaching the Gospel when it teaches the
preaching to proclaim the Cross of
demands of justice.
Christ as the sign of God‘s universal
The Church fulfills her mission of preaching the love and the source of all grace.
Gospel when it teaches the demands of justice
a. The Fact of Religious Pluralism
- The Church recognizes and defends the
fundamental dignity of man to be free
from coercion in matters religious.
- The Church recognizes and defends the
fundamental dignity of man to be free
from coercion in matters religious.