PRINCIPLES OF THE

CATHOLIC TEACHING
Group 1
LIFE AND DIG
NITY OF THE H
UMAN PERSO
N
The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity
of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society.

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our
likeness;”
– Genesis 1:26
Scripture makes it clear that each and every person is made in the image
and likeness of God. This radical claim is the source of our belief in the
inherent and inviolable dignity of the human person. The dignity of the
human person is the cornerstone of all Catholic social teaching.
 In our society, human life is under direct atta
ck from abortion and euthanasia. The value of hu
man life is being threatened by cloning, embryonic
stem cell research, and the use of the death penal
ty. Catholic teaching also calls on us to work to av
oid war. Nations must protect the right to life by fin
ding increasingly effective ways to prevent conflict
s and resolve them by peaceful means. We believ
e that every person is precious, that people are m
ore important than things, and that the measure of
every institution is whether it threatens or enhanc
es the life and dignity of the human person.
RESPECTING HUM
AN LIFE AND DIGN
ITY
A Culture of Life vs. A Culture of Death
 A CULTURE OF DEATH
In The Gospel of Life, John Paul II identifies two contemporary causes of the
culture of death:

First, people today often adopt a distorted understanding of human freedom.

• Some people think that we should have the right to pursue our
personal goals and desires without any hindrance.
• The Church teaches that human freedom is a gift and not an absolute
right.

Second, when God is not the center of our lives, we can become preoccupied
with material things at the expense of others, which leads to suffering.
The gift of freedom comes with responsibility:
• to choose right over wrong
• to choose love over hate
• to choose solidarity over self-centeredness
• to choose life over death
PROMOTING THE CULTURE
OF LIFE
 As members of God’s family, we must serve others through
works of charity.
 Civil leaders have particular responsibility to make courageous
choices in support of life.
 Families also play a special role in building a culture of life.
 
END OF LIFE ISS
UES
• Euthanasia
• Suicide
• Death Penalty
EUTHANASIA
Euthanasia, also known as mercy killing, is a serious offense against the
Fifth Commandment. Proponents of euthanasia make it an issue of
human freedom.

God’s Law makes it clear that intentionally causing the death of a human
being is murder, regardless of the motive or circumstances.

According to the teachings of the Catholic Church, euthanasia violates

human dignity and the respect we owe to our Creator, the author of
human life.
SUICIDE
Suicide is a grave offense against the Fifth Commandment. Suicide is the
ultimate rejection of God’s gifts of hope and love. Although suicide is always
wrong, the Church recognizes that serious mental illness or suffering can
contribute to the decision to take one’s own life.

If you know someone who is thinking about suicide, it is essential that you tell
someone who can get the person the medical, psychological, or spiritual help
she or he needs, even if it breaks a promise of confidentiality.

If you know someone who has committed suicide, do not consider her or him
forever lost to the love of God or condemned to Hell. As the Church, we pray
for those who have committed suicide, placing them in God’s love and mercy.
DEATH PENALTY
Taking the life of another is an offense against the Fifth Commandment.
Pope John Paul II teaches in The Gospel of Life that the death penalty should
be “very rare, if not practically non- existent.”

The Catholic Church is generally against the death penalty for the following
reasons:
• The New Law taught by Jesus emphasized mercy and forgiveness.
• Advancements in the criminal justice system allow for imprisonment for
a lifetime as well as the capacity to ensure that prisoners in maximum -
security prisons have minimal risk for escape.
• Conversion of heart and lifestyle through rehabilitation is always
possible
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
Men and women are called to acknowledge the dignity of their own sexual identity.
Two Commandments remind us that sexual sin has social consequences:
• the Sixth Commandment: “You shall not commit adultery.”
• the Ninth Commandment: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.”
The virtue of chastity helps us to live out our sexuality with integrity. We are called to
respect ourselves and others because we are created in the image and likeness of God

Societal Exploitation of Sexuality

• The media often exploit the human dignity of sexuality. For example, the
pornography industry creates and distributes sexually explicit stories,
images, and video.
• Pornography is a serious social sin because it objectifies men and women and
disrespects the gift of sexuality. This can lead to the sins of premarital sex
and adultery.
 
SEXISM
Sexism takes many forms, including...
• not allowing one gender equal rights in society
• overlooking verbal, sexual, and physical abuse against one gender
• not allowing one gender equal work opportunities or equal pay for equal
work

RACISM
Racism is a sin committed by individuals and also by social structures that perpetuate
racist policies and practices. Once the relationship between two races is marked by
humiliation, abuse, or physical violence, the prejudice and distrust can last for years.
This is another consequence of Original Sin.

STEREOTYPING
The way we treat others is based on the way we view them. Sometimes our
assumptions about a person are based on stereotypes. The problem with stereotypes
is that they are often inaccurate or untrue, and they do not respect each individual’s
uniqueness.
PREJUDICE
Prejudice is often displayed as ignorance, fear, or hostility directed toward a specific
race or ethnicity, gender, economic class, or ability.
• Prejudice is based on a preconceived judgment without knowing all the facts.
• Negative prejudicial attitudes harm human dignity.

DISCRIMINATION
Prejudice becomes discrimination when people in power are motivated by prejudice
to deny members of a particular group their rights.
• Discrimination can apply to issues of race or ethnicity, gender, class, or ability.
• Overcoming the many faces of discrimination takes a long- term commitment
to work for justice.

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

People with physical, mental, emotional, or developmental disabilities are also the
victims of prejudice and discrimination. We should remember that Jesus showed
great concern for people with disabilities As the Body of Christ, the Church is
committed to ending discrimination against people with disabilities, both within the
Church and in society.
MIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION
Immigration is a very sensitive issue in our time, both politically and emotionally.
The Church calls for the elimination of the root causes of such migration: poverty,
injustice, lack of religious freedom, and war.

Social Justice Principles on Migration and Immigration

The United States bishops teach the following principles related to migration
and immigration.
1. People have the right to find opportunities in their homeland.
2. People have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families
3. Sovereign nations have the right to control their borders.
4. Refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection.
5. The human dignity and human rights of undocumented migrants and
immigrants should be respected.
Respecting all human life and dignity is our responsibility
and our duty as disciples of Christ.

Catholic social teaching can serve as the guidepost that helps us to enter
into relationships that respect human dignity. Solidarity, the option for the
poor, care for creation, economic justice, and the common good are
examples of values that are vital to any society built upon the dignity of the
human person.
RESPECT FOR
LIFE
Human life at every stage of development and decline is precious and
therefore worthy of protection and respect. It is always wrong directly to
attack innocent human life.
The Catholic tradition sees the sacredness of human life as part of any
moral vision
for a just and good society.
HEALTHY SELF LOVE
We should love ourselves because …
•We are made in God’s image & likeness
• We are loved by Jesus Christ, who forgives our sins and died for us on the cross
• We have inherent dignity!
• Your value in God’s eyes does not come from anything you’ve done or not done. It is
unconditional.

Who deserves our Love

• We must love each person as a unique individual, a person with dignity and worth
because that is how God loves us.
• We need to love ourselves in order to love God and others.

Why can’t so many of us love ourselves as God loves us?

• Because we listen to voices other than God
• Voices that don’t know who we are on the inside
THE VIRTUE OF SELF-ESTEEM
• ‘Esteem’ (Lt.) = value – how we value ourselves
• Self-esteem is a virtue (a ‘habit of good’). A sense of happiness and contentment about
who you are as a human being.
• We are challenged to accept ourselves as God accepts us - apart from achievements,
talents, the opinions of others.
Growing in the Virtue of Self-Esteem
• Pray for the gift of faith to know and believe that God loves you unconditionally.
• Look to the crucifix. Imagine Jesus whispering, “I love you.”
• Repeat these words from the Gospel of John: “As the Father loves me, so also I love
you. Remain in my love.”
• List all of the people who accept you as you are.
• Ask God to forgive your sins.
• Learn from mistakes and let them go.
• Laugh at yourself.
• Practice humility.
• Praise and thank God.
THE FOURTH
COMANDME
NT
Honor your father and mother
• Self-love begins with knowing where we came from
• Care for aging parents varies by culture
• Ageism – age discrimination. Prejudice against old
people.
• Euthanasia – an assisted suicide. Any “action or
omission which of itself and by intention causes
death, with the purpose of eliminating suffering “
(Gospel of
Life, 65).
Importance of Religious
Family Values Liberty
• The family is the society’s foundation
• The fundamental right of life
al unit.
• The right to express faith freely
• Family • Basic human rights:
- Love between parents - Employment
- Procreation - Housing
- Pass on the faith - Nutrition
• Catholic understanding: - Health Care
- Education
- ‘The Domestic Church’
• Religious liberty
 To Honor… Honoring
Parents…
• Esteem, value, privilege, respect,
and admiration • Greatest relationship of honor
• Recognition of another’s dignity • First teachers
• Honor structures by role, title (parent, • Honor is a two-way street – parents
adult, child, military, law enforcement, responsible for honoring their
etc. children
• Honor goes two-ways – it must be • Church extends this honor to the
both given and returned ‘spiritual’ family
THE FIFTH CO
MANDMENT
You shall not kill. - Exodus 20:
13
• Human life comes from and returns to God.
• This commandment teaches respect for human
life and condemns as gravely sinful any direct,
intentional killing.
 CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Criminals do merit punishment for their crimes.
Purpose of punishment:
• To set right the disorder caused by criminal offenses
• To preserve public order and personal safety
• To correct the offender
• Revenge can never be the motive for our actions.

Bishops oppose capital punishment …

Special
• Not necessary to protect society
• Violates respect for human dignity
• Diminishes all of us
Examples • Deeply flawed, irreversibly wrong,
prone to errors

of Killing
• Biased by outside factors (e.g. race)
• Other ways to punish criminals,
protect society
 WAR
• The Catholic Church is against war, always promoting a peaceful
settlement of disputes.
• The Catholic Church recognizes that governments have the right and
responsibility to pass laws to enlist citizens to help defend the nation.
The moral law holds in times of warfare. There must be no
attacks on innocent noncombatants; genocide; terrorism; or use of
nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons – all of which indiscriminately
destroy persons and property.

SUICIDE
Special • Taking of one’s own life
• We should not judge. We should
Examples pray.
• Suffering of grave psychological

of Killing problems
 ABORTION
• Deliberate killing of unborn human life by means of medical or
surgical procedures
• A grave and unjustified attack on innocent human life
• It is human life from the moment of conception
• All human life is sacred
• Made in God’s image
• Possessing worth and dignity
• A violation of natural law

EUTHANASIA
Special • Allowing one who is suffering from
incurable illness to die by painless
measures, by withholding ‘aggressive
Examples medical treatment’
• When natural death is imminent

of Killing • Ordinary means of care must be used

on those who are not in process of
natural death
Respecting Personal Health
The Fifth Commandment requires us to exercise the virtue of prudence to
take care of our health, one of God’s precious gifts to us. However, we
should not make our bodies our god.

Cardinal virtues
• Prudence
• Justice
• Fortitude
• Temperance
Thank you f
or Listening
!
Members:
GROUP 1

ALONTO, Justin Kurt T.

AMIHAN, Roxanne Jade
ANGELES, Jenny Ann S.
ARAOJO, Abegail O.
ARGUELLES, Menchie D.
ARRO, Jhonnel E.
SAJULGA, Joel A.