THEOLOGY 3:

CHRISTIAN VISION OF THE CHURCH IN SOCIETY:

1. Introductory Concept on Man and Society
2. Human Dignity as Inviolable and Inalienable
• How should we understand the concept of the human
person in relation to human rights?
• In what way do human rights conform to values related to
human dignity?
Thought Analysis:
INSTRUCTIONS:

Using the Discussion Board,

write your thoughts about
this part of the president’s
SONA. You may also browse
the net to search the full
details of the speech.

Click the link inside the

Study Folder for you to
access the Discussion Board
Thread for this part of the
lesson.

Limit your answer to 5

sentences.
 INSTRUCTIONS:
Watch this video to prepare you for the ANALYSIS PART of the session.
After watching this video, proceed to the next slide for processing.
 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a
milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by
representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds
from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by
the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December
1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common
standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets
out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be
universally protected and it has been translated into over 500
languages. The UDHR is widely recognized as having inspired,
and paved the way for, the adoption of more than seventy
human rights treaties, applied today on a permanent basis at
global and regional levels (all containing references to it in their
preambles).

Sources:
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-
human-rightshttps://www.un.org/en/udhrbook/#6
 Preamble
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights
of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace
in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts
which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which
human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and
want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last
resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be
protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between
nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith
in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in
the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social
progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with
the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of
human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest
importance for the full realization of this pledge,
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
Essential Questions:
• How should we understand the concept of
the human person in relation to human
rights?
• In what way do human rights conform to
values related to human dignity?
Introductory Concepts on Man and Society
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.
 The human person is an
image of God and
resembles the
communion of the divine
persons in the Trinity, he
must therefore establish
himself a community
with other persons in
order to live in a society.
A society is a group of persons
bound together organically by
a principle of unity that goes
beyond each one of them. As
an assembly that is at once
visible and spiritual, a society
endures through time... He
rightly owes loyalty to the
communities of which he is
part and respect to those in
authority who have charge of
the common good. - CCC 1880
Society is a requirement of man‘s nature through exchange,
mutual service and dialogue with others. By this he develops and
responds to his vocation – love for neighbor and love for God.
Each community is defined by its purpose and consequently obeys
specific rules; but “the human person . . . is and ought to be the
principle, the subject and the end of all social institutions.” (CCC 1881)
“Socialization" also expresses
the natural tendency for human
beings to associate with one
another for the sake of
attaining objectives that exceed
individual capacities. It
develops the qualities of the
person, especially the sense of
initiative and responsibility, and
helps guarantee his rights. (CCC
1882)
 Principle of
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." (CCC 1883)
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 Civil Code of the Philippines
Article XIII. Section 23. Article 32
• The State shall encourage non- • The right to become a member of
governmental, community-based, associations or societies for
or sectoral organizations that purposes not contrary to law;
promote the welfare of the nation.
Both the Church and the State recognize family as the most
important unit of the society.

The family is the original cell of social

life. A natural society in which
husband and wife are called to give
themselves in love and in the gift of
life… The family is the community in
which, from childhood, one can learn
moral values, begin to honor God, and
make good use of freedom. Family life
is an initiation into life in society. (CCC
2207)
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.

Where families cannot fulfill their

responsibilities, other social
bodies have the duty of helping
them and of supporting the
institution of the family. Following
the principle of subsidiarity, larger
communities should take care not
to usurp the family's prerogatives
or interfere in its life. (CCC 2209)
For example, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
has a mandate to take custody of abandoned children:

“In response to inquiries on cases of child abandonment, the

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
stressed that its primary mandate is to intervene on behalf of
abandoned children to ensure their welfare and protection.
This came at the heels of cases of children being abandoned in
public places…
"DSWD can take custody of abandoned
children, foundlings." Department of Social
Welfare and Development website. March 28,
2018
 The dignity of the human person is the
primary principle and the heart and soul of
the social teaching of the Catholic Church.
This teaching rests on one basic
principle: individual human beings
are the foundation, the cause and
the end of every social institution.
That is necessarily so, for men are by
nature social beings... On this basic
principle, which guarantees the
sacred dignity of the individual, the
Church constructs her social
teaching.
(Mater et Magistra 218-220)
 Being in the image of God the
human individual possesses the
dignity of a person, who is not just
something, but someone.
(CCC 357)
For the Christian faith, the life, ministry, death
and resurrection of Jesus Christ demonstrate
that God has a special purpose for human
beings. This remnant of the divine image and
purpose conferred by God carry the implication
that people are to be honored and treated as
sacred.
 Human life is seen to be
essentially social because human
beings have been created in the
image of God who is Trinity and
who combines both unity and
relationship in self.
Persons sometimes exercise
power in a way which
dehumanizes other persons. For
this reason Christian ethical
reflection has arrived at the
category of human rights.
Human rights are a mechanism
to control the exercise of power
so that it does not become
dehumanizing of persons.
 Human rights may be defined as those
fundamental rights of human beings which
are essential to the exercise of human
dignity.

These rights are possessed by human beings

by the mere fact of their being human.

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.
 Innate: we were born
The dignity of human person is: with it

Inviolable: cannot be
violated

Inalienable: cannot be
taken away from us

Universal: encompasses
all humanity
 A Brief Development of Human Dignity
in Relation to Human Rights

Pacem in Terris
by St John XXIII
Universal & other Church
Declaration of documents on
Great Chain of Human Rights human rights
Beings by St (UDHR) by the
Imago dei by St Thomas United Nations
Leo the Great Aquinas
Dignitas by the
early Romans &
Cicero
 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
latter by bodily pleasures and instinct. To him,
dignity encompasses not only of those who
were persons of authority and wealth but
includes all humanity.
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).

St 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.
 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

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
Whereas recognition of the inherent
dignity and of the equal and inalienable
… that human rights should be protected
rights of all members of the human family
by the rule of law.
is the foundation of freedom, justice and
peace in the world…

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.
 Since the Philippines is one of the signatories of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, our 1987 Philippine Constitution
adheres to these freedoms through the creation of Commission
of Human Rights and by directing the government to value the
dignity of all human persons through ensuring full respect for
human rights such as:

1987 Philippine Constitution

•Article XIII: Social Justice and Human
Rights
 Section 1.
The Congress shall give highest priority to the
enactment of measures that protect and enhance
the right of all the people to human dignity, reduce
social, economic, and political inequalities, and
remove cultural inequities by equitably diffusing
wealth and political power for the common good.
 SECTION 17. SECTION 18.

(Note: the first

(1) There is hereby The Commission on Human Rights shall
CHR in the country
created an have the following powers and functions:
was established
independent office
during Marcos
called the
time two days
Commission on
before the start of
Human Rights. (1) Investigate, on (2) Adopt its
People Power 1)
its own or on operational
complaint by any guidelines and rules
party, all forms of of procedure, and
human rights cite for contempt for
violations involving violations thereof in
civil and political accordance with the
rights; 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;
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.
 During the 60th anniversary of the Declaration, the Vatican
reaffirmed its support to the goals of United Nations.
Then, it has promoted events, educational
“The Holy See celebrates the 60th programs, assistance initiatives worldwide,
Anniversary of the UDHR, first, by recalling in particular for children, women and
the great sense of unity, solidarity and vulnerable groups, so that God, as His
responsibility that led the United Nations Holiness Pope Benedict XVI said on
to proclaim universal human rights as a December 10, 2008, "may allow us to build
response to all persons and peoples a world where every human being will feel
weighed down by the violation of their accepted in his/her full dignity, and where
dignity, a task that even today challenges relations among persons and among
us. peoples are based on respect, dialogue and
solidarity.”
“The promotion of human
rights remains the most
effective strategy for
eliminating inequalities
between countries and
social groups, and for
increasing security”
Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the United Nations,
April 2008
The chart depicts the levels of
rights and the relationships
between them according to the
rights theory found in the
encyclical, Pacem in Terris.
Rights theory in the social
tradition recognizes the
importance of the social nature
of the person and role that
context plays in the promotion
and guarantee of rights.
Source of Diagram: Hollenbach, David. Claims in
Conflict. Paulist Press, 1974, p. 98
List of Human Rights cited from Church documents
Persons sometimes exercise power in a way
which dehumanizes other persons. For this
reason Christian ethical reflection has arrived
at the category of human rights. Human
rights are a mechanism to control the
exercise of power so that it does not become
dehumanizing of persons.
• How should we understand the concept of the human
person in relation to human rights?
• In what way do human rights conform to values related to
human dignity?
THE POWER OF WORDS:
If you are given the chance to deliver an advocacy speech to all people of
goodwill on the issue of human rights, what would be the last 5
lines/sentences of your speech that would highlight your main
point/advocacy, considering that these last lines are powerful enough for
the world to be inspired?

After composing your last 5 lines, submit it to the Discussion Board

Thread for this part of the lesson. assignment section of the BB course
site.
Note:
This formative assessment covers UNIT 1 of our course outline.

Deadline of Submission: