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Nature and Historical Dimension
of Social Doctrine - history of the social
teachings of the Church
- Social Teaching of the Church (STC) is not a very
popular teaching of the Church. There are even
theologians who call it the “best-kept secret of the
Church.”
- STC which for some are too radical and will
demand changes in the social structure. That’s
why until now, STC remains unpopular and
unknown to many Catholics. Many of those who
know it do not want to preach it because they do
not want to “rock the boat” and be branded as
rebellious, subversive, or anti-government.
- The call to justice and peace has always been an
essential part of the life of the Christian. Our
sacred texts offer a constant reminder of the
centrality of this call. In the Old Testament, the
prophet Micah tells us: “This is what Yahweh asks
of you: only this, to act justly, to love tenderly, and
to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
- The writings of all the prophets provide
reminders of the sort of life Yahweh wishes from
the people of the Covenant: a life of justice,
mercy, compassion and loving-kindness. The
prophets denounce the hypocrisy of their society.
To be a hypocrite is to wear a “false face”, pretend
to be someone or something that you are not.
What the prophets lamented was a society that
neglected the most vulnerable within it.
- For Amos, worship of God is meaningless unless
it is also put into daily action. “I hate, I despise
your feasts, I take no delight in your solemn
assemblies … but let justice roll down like waters
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream”
- The Gospel challenges us not to be indifferent or
hostile to the world we inhabit but to take it
seriously and to take responsibility for it. As
women and men of faith, who strive to shape our
lives around the Gospel, our presence in the world
is meant to be a dynamic, engaging presence that
contributes to the transformation of the world.”
- Social Teaching of the Church is a more recent
development. This refers to the body of official
teaching on social, political, and economic affairs
that has been compiled incrementally over more
than a century. This is founded on the recognition
that Jesus Christ wills the salvation of every
human person whose dignity is rooted in having
been created as the image and likeness of God.
His promised salvation is not only spiritual but
also concrete.
- The Encyclical Letters of the Magisterium focused
the attention of the teaching office of the Church
to social and practical issues facing mankind.
= Pope Leo XIII kick-started this style of reflection
in 1891, letter titled: ‘Rerum Novarum’. -
injustices imposed by the ruling classes and
property owners upon the working classes
- The underlying insight is that everyone has the
right and responsibility to live in our world
constructively, not destructively, and to ensure
that we leave it in a better state than when we
entered it. At the core of Catholic Social Teaching
are a number of key concepts and principles. Chief
among these is justice, human dignity, the
common good, the principles of participation,
solidarity, and subsidiarity, the universal
destination of the world’s goods, and the option
for the poor.
- John Paul makes the human person, his rights
and dignity central in every discussion around the
theme of human work
- It may be concluded that this kind of
salvation is not only salvation or liberation
from something, but also it is a salvation
for something new- a human life that is
open to God
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The Dignity of the Human
Person as the Core and
Foundation of Catholic Social
Teaching – Nature of Human Dignity
- God’s gift by virtue of creation
- strive to be open, hospitable and caring to
others.
- imitate the example of Christ through
promoting human dignity in whatever cost.
Human Dignity - is derived by virtue of his
creation as God’s ultimate masterpiece.
Understanding that human dignity is the first
and foremost social principle means that we
owe each and every human being respect and
recognition of his or her personhood.
- Christians hold the belief that human beings
are made in God’s image and likeness (imago
Dei), and therefore the human person has an
innate dignity that must be honored. This way
of looking at the person is enhanced by the
Christian understanding of God as Trinity.
- The qualities of the interrelationships of
Father, Son and Holy Spirit are mutuality,
respect, equality (none is subordinate to any
other Person) and uniqueness. Even within the
close relations of the Three, as ancient Christian
writers envisaged the life of God, each divine
Person has the space and opportunity to ensure
that his uniqueness emerges.
- twentieth century witnessed a remarkable
movement toward a worldwide consensus
regarding human rights.
- Pacem in Terris in 1963, the documents of
Catholic social teaching also use the language of
human rights as one way of expressing what is
owed to all human beings by virtue of their
innate dignity.
- Saint John XXIII included in the papal
encyclical Pacem in Terris a full listing of the
many types of human rights, calling these rights
“universal, inviolable, and inalienable.”
- When Jesus equates himself with the least of
his brothers and sisters, He elevates everyone
including slaves, prisoners, and the poorest of
the poor to His own inestimable Divine dignity.
1. Because all humans marvelously
reflect the image of God, they are all
entitled to be treated with the
greatest respect and dignity.
2. Because we are intelligent, rational,
and free beings, God intends us to
be immune from all forms of slavery,
manipulation, or exploitation. At all
stages of our lives—from the
moment of conception through the
vulnerable years of childhood and
old age to the very moment of
natural death—we deserve the care
and attention that belong to beings
of inestimable worth.
3. This insistence on the sanctity and
immeasurable value of each human
life has led the Catholic Church to
uncompromising opposition to all
threats to human dignity, including
elective abortion, euthanasia, and
capital punishment.
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Private Property, Universal
Distribution of Goods, and
Common Good
- Civil society or the political community is not a
mere collection of men but is a true society, an
organic unity. Like every society, the political
community has the fundamental principle of its
existence the end toward which all must work
together.
Universal destination of goods - God wills that
His creation of the earth (and its fruitfulness)
sustains all people.
The Compendium describes it as follows: The
universal right to use the goods of the earth is
based on the principle of the universal
destination of goods. Each person must have
access to the level of well-being necessary for
his full development.
- Namely the advocacy of the universal right to
share in the earth’s goods as well as the right
to private property and the right to participate
in the free market.
Private property - This means that the right to
private property must be regulated so that the
accumulation of wealth by some individuals will
not lead to the deprivation of the earth’s goods
from other individuals or groups of individuals.
Second Vatican Council goes on to explain “the
social and community dimension of the
moral good.” - To fulfill the principle of the
common good, every individual, societal
group and the governmental body must
commit themselves to certain ends and
objectives
- It encompasses much more than just
the material commodities, services, and
utilities that perhaps we tend to think of
first. Christian notion of the common
good also makes much of those social
relationships that are vital to both
individual and societal flourishing.
Principles of Subsidiarity and
Solidarity
- Human beings are social beings by nature.
Every person needs another person. By
ourselves, we cannot establish a fully human
condition of life. Because of this, we see the
need for a wider community which we may call
the political community, or more commonly, the
State, in which each individual is expected to
make his specific contribution and collaborate
with others for a broader implementation of the
common good.
- The mission, of the state is to encourage,
assist, and supplement the initiatives of its
citizens when necessary. The social doctrine of
the Church calls this the principle of subsidiarity.
- the State should help (subsidium) local
groups and not try to control or replace their
decision-making abilities.
- Though solidarity is ideal for all social and
civil structures, it is first and foremost a
moral virtue in every individual.
- The principle of solidarity applies not only to
social structures of a particular community,
state, and nation but also to social and market
structures among nations throughout the world.
This means that citizens must be vigilant about
assuring that international market forces and
global political structures are oriented toward
justice, and the common good—that is, that
they do not exploit or oppress less wealthy and
less influential peoples and nations.
- Education and the introduction of inexpensive
new technologies that will advance
communication, agriculture, energy
production, and banking/financing
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Fundamental Values of Social

Life
- The attainment of a society that respects and
promotes human rights necessitates the
promotion of social values.

- A society can never become humane and

respectful of human rights unless it is founded
on truth.

- Christian teaching tells us that God is

the source of our freedom.

- He explained that true justice is

manifested in a true concern for the
neighbor’s welfare rather than with an
external, legalistic fulfillment of the
words of the law.

- Love is the most creative power in the world. It

is also a great human need- to love and be
loved. Love opens up the human being to
another and to the world.

- It is necessary that economic undertakings be

governed by justice and charity as the principal
laws of social life (Mater et magistra, 39). An
economic system that is governed by something
else, like, profit, selfishness, and greed, is an
economic system that surely, after short time,
will eventually go against the laws of charity and
justice and dehumanize not only its victims but
even those who benefit from it.