![““...[L]et us implore from God the grace of a new...[L]et us implore from God the grace of a new
Pentecost for the Church in America. MayPentecost for the Church in America. May
tongues of fire, combining burning love of Godtongues of fire, combining burning love of God
and neighbor with zeal for the spread of Christ’sand neighbor with zeal for the spread of Christ’s
Kingdom, descend on all present!”Kingdom, descend on all present!”
Photo courtesy of www.uspapalvisit.org](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
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Semelhante a Catholic Social Workers' Guide to the Compendium
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Catholic Social Workers' Guide to the Compendium
- 1. A New PentecostA New Pentecost for Catholic Social Workers:for Catholic Social Workers: How the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church Illustrates the New Moral Life in the New Evangelization Mark E. Ginter, Ph.D. Catholic Social Workers National Association Inaugural Convention
- 2. ““...[L]et us implore from God the grace of a new...[L]et us implore from God the grace of a new Pentecost for the Church in America. MayPentecost for the Church in America. May tongues of fire, combining burning love of Godtongues of fire, combining burning love of God and neighbor with zeal for the spread of Christ’sand neighbor with zeal for the spread of Christ’s Kingdom, descend on all present!”Kingdom, descend on all present!” Photo courtesy of www.uspapalvisit.org
- 5. 42 They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. 43 Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one's need. 46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47 NAB).
- 6. Apostles’ Teaching I. Creed Catechesis (Parts of the Catechism) Breaking of the Bread II. Cult Communal Life III. Code The Prayers IV. Cry The Church
- 7. 42 They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. 43 Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one's need. 46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47 NAB).
- 8. Father Son Holy Spirit III. LIVE IV. PRAY II. CELEBRATE I. BELIEVE CHURCH EVA N GELIZE III. LIVE IV. PRAY II. CELEBRATE I. BELIEVE Acts 2:42 DynAmicActs 2:42 DynAmic
- 9. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council “…a new Pentecost”
- 10. “…a fresh forward impulse, capable of creating within a Church still more firmly rooted in the undying power and strength of Pentecost a new period of evangelization.”
- 11. A New Evangelization 1. New in ardor 2. New in methods 3. New in expression 4. Same in the basic Gospel message of Jesus Christ
- 12. Two meanings 1. Spiritual meaning – contrast between “old” and “new” 2. Social/historical meaning – comparison between “first” and “new” http://www.sancta.org/
- 13. New Evangelization New Moral Life Apostles’ Teaching Communal Life Word Proclaimed Word Lived Faith Morals Creed Code
- 14. Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life)
- 15. COMPENDIUM OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH (Detail from Ambrogio Lorenzetti's Allegory of Good Government, Palazzo Pubblico, Siena) Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace http://extra.shu.ac.uk/emls/01-2/l_full.jpg
- 19. See Judge Act
- 20. Introduction: An Integral and Solidary Humanism The Church moves further into the Third Millennium of the Christian era as a pilgrim people…[and] continues to speak to all people and all nations, for it is only in the name of Christ that salvation is given to men and women…Jesus came to bring integral salvation, one which embraces the whole person and all mankind, and opens up the wondrous prospect of divine filiation (CSD, 1, emphasis original).
- 21. Do not be afraid! (CSD, 4-7)
- 22. 4. Discovering that they are loved by God, people come to understand their own transcendent dignity, they learn not to be satisfied with only themselves but to encounter their neighbor in a network of relationships that are ever more authentically human. Men and women who are made “new” by the love of God are able to change the rules and the quality of relationships, transforming even social structures. They are people capable of bringing peace where there is conflict, of building and nurturing fraternal relationships where there is hatred, of seeking justice where there prevails the exploitation of man by man. Only love is capable of radically transforming the relationships that men maintain among themselves. This is the perspective that allows every person of good will to perceive the broad horizons of justice and human development in truth and goodness.
- 23. 5. Love faces a vast field of work and the Church is eager to make her contribution with her social doctrine, which concerns the whole person and is addressed to all people. So many needy brothers and sisters are waiting for help, so many who are oppressed are waiting for justice, so many who are unemployed are waiting for a job, so many people are waiting for respect. “How can it be that even today there are still people dying of hunger? Condemned to illiteracy? Lacking the most basic medical care? Without a roof over their head? The scenario of poverty can extend indefinitely, if in addition to its traditional forms we think of its newer patterns. These latter often affect financially affluent sectors and groups which are nevertheless threatened by despair at the lack of meaning in their lives, by drug addiction, by fear of abandonment in old age or sickness, by marginalization or social discrimination…And how can we remain indifferent to the prospect of an ecological crisis which is making vast areas of our planet uninhabitable and hostile to humanity? Or by the problems of peace, so often threatened by the spectre of catastrophic wars? Or by contempt for the fundamental human rights of so many people, especially children?”
- 24. 6. Christian love leads to denunciation, proposals and a commitment to cultural and social projects; it prompts positive activity that inspires all who sincerely have the good of man at heart to make their contribution. Humanity is coming to understand ever more clearly that it is linked by one sole destiny that requires joint acceptance of responsibility, a responsibility inspired by an integral and shared humanism… 7. The Christian knows that in the social doctrine of the Church can be found the principles for reflection, the criteria for judgment and the directives for action which are the starting point for the promotion of an integral and solidary humanism…
- 25. Summary: CSD
- 26. Part I: Principles for Reflection Ch. 1. God’s Plan of Love for Humanity • The new evangelization in its spiritual & social meanings. Ch. 2. The Church’s Mission & Social Doctrine • The mandate for evangelizing the new moral life in social doctrine. Ch. 3. The Human Person & Human Rights • The telos of the new moral life in social doctrine Ch. 4. Principles of the Church’s Social Doctrine • The content of the new moral life in social doctrine Kerygma of Catholic Social Doctrine
- 27. Part I: Principles for Reflection Ch. 1. God’s Plan of Love for Humanity • The new evangelization in its spiritual & social meanings. Ch. 2. The Church’s Mission & Social Doctrine • The mandate for evangelizing the new moral life in social doctrine. Ch. 3. The Human Person & Human Rights • The telos of the new moral life in social doctrine Ch. 4. Principles of the Church’s Social Doctrine • The content of the new moral life in social doctrine
- 28. III. Subsidiarity I. Human Dignity IV. Solidarity II. Common Good Permanent Principles
- 30. The Promotion of Peace Safeguarding the Environment The International Community The Political Community Economic Life Human Work The Family Part II: Criteria for Judgment
- 31. Part III: Directives for Action Ch. 12. Social Doctrine and Ecclesial Action • Pastoral Action in the Social Field • Social Doctrine and the Commitment of the Lay Faithful Conclusion. For a Civilization of Love
- 32. • See • Judge • Act 1. The Right to Life and the Dignity of the Human Person 2. Call to Family, Community, and Participation 3. Rights and Responsibilities 4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable 5. The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers 6. Solidarity 7. Care for God’s Creation
- 33. Now Peter and John were going up to the temple area for the three o'clock hour of prayer. And a man crippled from birth was carried and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. But Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, (rise and) walk.” Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong. He leaped up, stood, and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the one who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with amazement and astonishment at what had happened to him (Acts 3:1-10 NAB).
- 34. Alleluia! Praise the Lord!
Notas do Editor
- Let me begin by expressing my deep gratitude to Kathleen Neher and the Board of Directors for inviting me to give this keynote address to inaugurate this first convention of the Catholic Social Workers National Association. Quite confidently, I believe that we all feel a great excitement by this gathering.
- Can't our excitement be compared to the enthusiasm felt by the nascent Church on the Solemnity of Pentecost? As a matter of fact, here we are in the liturgical season of Ordinary Time, that is, of the time in the Paschal Cycle when the whole Church is conscious of the enduring presence of the Holy Spirit who will teach us everything and remind us of all that Jesus told us during His earthly ministry (see Jn. 14:26). Furthermore, the grace of the Apostolic Journey to the United States of the Successor of St. Peter, Pope Benedict XVI, still fills the hearts and minds of Catholics throughout our country. Remember how he celebrated the Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit in Nationals Stadium in Washington, DC on April 17? Remember what he preached two days later during his homily at the Votive Mass for the Universal Church that he celebrated at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York? “...[L]et us implore from God the grace of a new Pentecost for the Church in America. May tongues of fire, combining burning love of God and neighbor with zeal for the spread of Christ’s Kingdom, descend on all present!”
- Even though we recently celebrated this Solemnity, let us return to Acts 2 to recall a few details. Notice that St. Luke says, “When the time of Pentecost is fulfilled...” (Acts 2:1a NAB). Unfortunately, most of us Christians have forgotten that Pentecost is originally a Jewish Harvest Feast (Shavu'ot). The harvest is of first fruits (see Rom. 8:23), and, by the time of Jesus, the Feast celebrated the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. This Feast completes Passover. In the same way that Passover is the liberation of the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt and Pascha is the liberation of the children of God from sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, upon the Cross, so Shavu'ot completes the covenant making between God and Israel at Mount Sinai and Pentecost completes the new covenant making between God and His People in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. Isn’t this inaugural convention something like an Upper Room experience for Catholic social workers who have come from all over to receive power to proclaim Good News to the poor, to give sight to the blind, and to free the oppressed (see Lk. 4:18-19)?
- Having recalled the typological language in Acts 2:1a, we can understand better what St. Luke writes as he continues, …they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim (Acts 2:1b-4 NAB). No doubt some of you here pray in tongues, either regularly or occasionally, because of your participation in the Charismatic Renewal. Others of you, though, might not have yet experienced that charism. However, you have all spoken in a different language, even when you did not understand what you were saying. How many of you have ever said, “Alleluia?” Of course, all of you have. It is such an important liturgical word for us Roman Catholics that we refrain from proclaiming it during Lent so that we can “resurrect” it during Easter as an expression of our joy at the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. How many of you, though, know what language it is, and what it means? “Alleluia” is Hebrew, and it most literally means, “Praise Yah (weh)!” We may commonly render it, “Praise the Lord!” So, whenever you hear, “Alleluia!” feel free to reply with, “Praise the Lord!”
- We will return to other themes from Acts 2 later, but I would like to jump to the end of the chapter now. The description of the life of the early Church is particularly instructive for us here. Let's recall the details again,
- The first sentence in this paragraph is the key to understanding the rest of it. St. Luke actually gives us a pair of pairs. The first pair is the teaching of the apostles and the fellowship. The second pair is the breaking of the bread and the prayers. From this dyad of dyads, I detect in vs. 42 the four pillars of catechesis with which we have been refamiliarized through the Catchism of the Catholic Church. Previously, these four pillars appeared in the Roman Catechism, promulgated after the Council of Trent. If we follow St. Luke’s coupling, a logical symmetry of the four parts of the Catechism comes into relief: Part I: the Profession of Faith - “the teaching of the apostles” pairs with Part III: Life in Christ - “the communal life” while Part II: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery - “the breaking of the bread” pairs with Part IV: Christian Prayer - “the prayers.”
- Furthermore, St. Luke repeats these four characteristics of the newborn Church in vv. 44-47a, with some added details. Interestingly, vv. 43 and 47b appear to be summary and transition statements.
- Taken altogether, I think we may speak of an “Acts 2:42 dynamic” that reveals not only the four essential elements of incorporation into the Body of Christ but also reveals that when they flow properly in the lives of Christians, they give the power to evangelize the world. With an evangelizing frame of mind, these pillars are the same but ordered somewhat differently: (Step 1) what we believe {Part I} must necessarily express itself in (Step 2) what we celebrate {Part II} which teaches us (Step 3) how we pray {Part IV}which transforms (Step 4) how we live {Part III} so that we can witness to others by deeds and words (Step 1) what we believe {Part I}, etc. This dynamic is confirmed by “the wonders and signs” that follow the presentation of the Gospel message, called the kerygma, and by the number of those who are being saved.
- Having looked at some of the text of Acts 2 briefly, let’s return now to that most exhilarating statement by Pope Benedict, “...[L]et us implore from God the grace of a new Pentecost for the Church in America.” Upon hearing it for the first time, I hoped that the idea of a new Pentecost would make all Catholics logically think of the first Pentecost of the Church nearly 2000 years ago in Jerusalem. However, if I may be so bold as to suggest it, I think Pope Benedict might have also had in mind the more recent popularization of this phrase by Blessed John XXIII when he asked the entire Church in 1961 to pray to the Holy Spirit for a new Pentecost in preparation for the Second Vatican Council. As we all know, Pope Benedict as Fr. Joseph Ratzinger served as a peritus (expert) for Cardinal Joseph Frings, Archbishop of Cologne, during the Council.
- After John XXIII died on Pentecost Sunday, June 3, 1963, the Servant of God Pope Paul VI completed the work begun by Pope John by adjourning the Council after it had promulgated 16 extraordinary documents. Those documents continue to guide the whole Church. While this year we commemorate the 40th anniversary of Paul VI's most prophetic and last encyclical letter, Humanae Vitae (On Human Life), July 25, 1968, it is in his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Nuntiandi (On Evangelization in the Modern World), December 8, 1975, that he began “…a fresh forward impulse, capable of creating within a Church still more firmly rooted in the undying power and strength of Pentecost a new period of evangelization” (E.N. #2).
- Then, that great pope, the Servant of God John Paul II came from Poland to sit on the Chair of Peter. As his name revealed, he took the ideas of both Popes John XXIII and Paul VI to create a grand synthesis. Thus, for the first time in March 1983, he called the Universal Church to “a new evangelization.” Pope John Paul’s phrase is his synthesis of John XXIII’s “new Pentecost” and Paul VI’s “new period of evangelization.” John Paul goes further and identifies this new evangelization as having four characteristics: it is (1) new in ardor, (2) new in methods, (3) new in expression, but (4) the same in the basic Gospel message of Jesus Christ.
- While he continued to deepen his reflection upon the new evangelization throughout his pontificate, what became clear by the time of his monumental encyclicals, Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth), Aug. 6, 1993, and Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), March 25, 1995, is that this poetic pope usually intended two meanings to the phrase “new evangelization.” The one meaning is the spiritual meaning. The other meaning is the social/historical meaning. With the spiritual meaning, the new evangelization implies a contrast. That contrast is the old way of sin and death versus the new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17; Rev. 21:5). In the spiritual meaning, every evangelization since the first proclamation of the Good News nearly 2000 years ago is “a new evangelization.” With the social/historical meaning, the new evangelization implies a comparison. That comparison is the first evangelization of a particular people in a particular culture at a particular time in history compared to a new evangelization of that same people at a later time in their history in a possibly different culture than the first evangelization. So, with this double entendre Pope John Paul II applied the phrase “the new evangelization” to missionary activity among peoples who have never heard of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as well as to activity to fan into flame (see 2 Tim. 1:6) the gift of faith among peoples who once had a living and vibrant faith. With the mobility of contemporary life, both groups of people now often live in the same society, such as in the United States. So, the genius of this dual meaning is that every Particular Church and the entire Universal Church must engage in the new evangelization because there is no time or people or place where God's message of faith, hope, and love is old news.
- What also became clear in these encyclicals is that John Paul proposed a companion phrase to the new evangelization. In Veritatis Splendor, #107, Pope John Paul begins with a forthright assertion which he masterfully proves by example in his later encyclical The Gospel of Life. He writes, “Evangelization – and therefore the ‘new evangelization’ – also involves the proclamation and presentation of morality” (emphasis original). The kerygmatic examples of the Lord (see Mk. 1:15) and the Apostles (see Acts 2:37-41; 3:17-20) present both that which is to be believed (“new” evangelization) and that which is to be lived (“new” life). The proclamation and presentation of morality also happens through the presentation to the world of the hagioi, the sancti, the holy ones, the saints, especially the Virgin Mother of God. The Pope waited to issue The Splendor of Truth until the Catechism could be promulgated (see V.S. #5) to take advantage of the symmetry talked about earlier with the four pillars of catechesis between, on the one hand, faith and morals and, on the other hand, worship and prayer. “…[T]he new evangelization will show its authenticity and unleash all its missionary force when it is carried out through the gift not only of the word proclaimed but also of the word lived” (V.S., #107). This word proclaimed and lived is the same one taken up again and again in every age by adopted daughters and sons of God. Who among us in evangelical America has not heard, “All you need is faith?” Who among us in secular America does not suffer from the privatization of faith and the compartmentalization of morality? Who among us in post-modern America has not been smitten at times with subjectivism, utilitarianism, and relativism? The presciption for these ills is written in a most astounding phrase from John Paul. He writes at the beginning of V.S., #108, “At the heart of the new evangelization and of the new moral life which it proposes and awakens by its fruits of holiness and missionary zeal, there is the Spirit of Christ, the principle and strength of the fruitfulness of Holy Mother Church (emphasis original).” Notice that the Holy Spirit proposes and awakens together “the new evangelization” and “the new moral life.” While most of the attention has been given to the term “the new evangelization,” little has been given to the term “the new moral life.” If, however, those two pillars – the apostles’ teaching and the communal life, the word proclaimed and the word lived, faith and morals, creed and code – are inseparable fruits of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, then the new moral life needs to be proclaimed as broadly as the new evangelization. While all Catholics have the obligation to evangelize, the mission of Catholic social workers is especially to proclaim the new moral life.
- After Veritatis Splendor, two other documents came from the Magisterium of the Catholic Church to shed light on the content of the new moral life. The clearest example of the new moral life in the new evangelization is Pope John Paul’s exquisite encyclical letter Evangelium Vitae. After realizing that the pope has two meanings in mind with the phrase “the new evangelization,” and, by association, “the new moral life,” one can see more clearly in the encyclical the two meanings of the new moral life: the spiritual meaning and the social/historical meaning. Also, one can see the four characteristics of the new evangelization and the new moral life: new ardor, new methods, new expression, same Gospel message. Now that you know a little bit more what to look for, I invite those of you who have already read it once to re-read it, and I invite those of you who have never read it to, “pick up and read,” to borrow a line from St. Augustine.
- While I suspect that other presentations at this conference might reference Evangelium Vitae, for our general purposes as the Catholic Social Workers National Association, I will turn now to the other document from the Magisterium that illustrates the new moral life. It is the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, which is dedicated to John Paul II but was not promulgated by him. It appears in the twilight of his life. Let me begin with some preliminary remarks about it, especially for those of you who are completely unfamiliar with it. First of all, it is not to be confused with two other compendia which have also recently been issued by the universal Magisterium. The first is the Enchiridion on the Family: a Compendium of Church Teaching on Family and Life Issues from Vatican II to the Present by the Pontifical Council for the Family. It appeared in Italian in 2000 and in English in 2004. The second is the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It was promulgated by Pope Benedict within two months after his election in June 2005, the English translation of which appeared in March 2006.
- First of all, it is not to be confused with two other compendia which have also recently been issued by the universal Magisterium. The first is the Enchiridion on the Family: a Compendium of Church Teaching on Family and Life Issues from Vatican II to the Present by the Pontifical Council for the Family. It appeared in Italian in 2000 and in English in 2004. The second is the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It was promulgated by Pope Benedict within two months after his election in June 2005, the English translation of which appeared in March 2006. Although there have been critics of the CSD and very few commentaries have appeared in print so far, I want to take this occasion to spotlight the connections between the new evangelization and the Church’s social doctrine. Specifically, I offer to you an outline of the CSD in light of the two meanings of the new moral life, the spiritual meaning and the social/historical meaning. I hope that this gesture will be received positively by the PCJP because, in fact, Cardinal Martino has indicated that the CSD will be revised and updated as time goes on because its content, unlike the content of the Catechism, deals with issues that continue to change.
- The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (hereafter CSD) was promulgated by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (hereafter PCJP) and presented at the Council’s first convocation of justice and peace groups from throughout the world in Oct. 2004. Although Cardinal Martino was the President of the Council at the time of its issuance, Pope John Paul II heard the bishops of America and called for a catechism or compendium of social doctrine in his Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in America, Jan. 22, 1999, #54. The Pontifical Council began work on this project under the leadership of the Servant of God Cardinal François-Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân. Although Cardinal Nguyên Van Thuân completed his earthly vocation before the CSD was finished, Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi was the secretary of the PCJP and main editor of the CSD. Although addressed to bishops, first of all, to make it known and to interpret it correctly, the lay faithful are the ones expected to implement the CSD. So, I think the Catholic Social Workers National Association has a very unique and important role to play in the implementation of the CSD.
- As a compendium, it is a very helpful tool which has not only put into one place many of the official teachings of the Church on social matters, but it has done so in a systematic and learnable way. Still, it does not have any more authority than the authority of the documents which it quotes. As a matter of fact, since it was not promulgated directly from the pope’s authority, technically speaking, Catholics are not obliged to adhere to it’s conclusions. However, how could anyone involved in the social ministry of the Church, especially social workers, not help themselves greatly by studying what the CSD presents? Why not let the collective wisdom of a pontifical council help you in your service to humanity and to the Church? Although there have been critics of the CSD and very few commentaries have appeared in print so far, I want to take this occasion to spotlight the connections between the new evangelization and the Church’s social doctrine. Specifically, I offer to you an outline of the CSD in light of the two meanings of the new moral life, the spiritual meaning and the social/historical meaning. I hope that this gesture will be received positively by the PCJP because, in fact, Cardinal Martino has indicated that the CSD will be revised and updated as time goes on because its content, unlike the content of the Catechism, deals with issues that continue to change.
- Whereas the Catechism uses the Tridentine four pillars of catechesis, the CSD uses what I call the three cords of the rope that the Church presents to the world either like the whip the Lord Jesus fashioned from cords to drive out from the Temple the sellers of oxen and sheep along with the money-changers (Jn. 2:15) or like the imprisoned St. Paul who pleads with his readers to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bonded rope of peace (Eph. 4:3). Sometimes the world needs conviction, at other times the world needs compassion, but at all times the world needs conversion. The three Parts of the CSD probably have their basis in the very famous dictum of the founder of the Young Christian Workers Movement, Cardinal Joseph Cardijn (1882-1967): “see, judge, act.” Pastorally speaking, it is an exceedingly helpful methodology for tackling numerous issues. In papal teaching, this triumvirate appears for the first time in Pope Paul VI's Apostolic Letter Octogesima Adveniens (On the Occasion of the Eightieth Anniversary of the Encyclical "Rerum Novarum"), May 14, 1971, #4, but with more explanation than this catch phrase. Although the CSD does not explicitly call the three parts “see, judge, and act,” they mention in CSD, 7 and 11 “principles for reflection, criteria for judgment and directives for action.” It would be beneficial in any future updating to name each part explicitly according to these three headings.
- As I mentioned earlier, the CSD begins with a letter from the then Secretary of State, Cardinal Sodano. He commends this Compendium as a demonstration of “the value of Catholic social doctrine as an instrument of evangelization,” to quote Pope John Paul’s Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus (On the One Hundredth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum), May 1, 1991, #54. The “Presentation” by Cardinal Martino follows Cardinal Sodano’s letter and charges Christian laity to make the whole of their lives “a work of evangelization that produces fruit.” The Introduction of the CSD is titled “An Integral and Solidary Humanism,” and it opens in a boldly evangelizing way, beginning with the social/historical meaning of the new evangelization and moving fluidly between it and the spiritual meaning: The Church moves further into the Third Millennium of the Christian era as a pilgrim people…[and] continues to speak to all people and all nations, for it is only in the name of Christ that salvation is given to men and women…Jesus came to bring integral salvation, one which embraces the whole person and all mankind, and opens up the wondrous prospect of divine filiation (CSD, 1, emphasis original). This phrase, “integral salvation,” is the term the CSD uses repeatedly when speaking of the offer of eternal life in Christ Jesus “capable of creating a new social, economic and political order, founded on the dignity and freedom of every human person, to be brought about in peace, justice, and solidarity” (CSD, 19). Ultimately and only with the help of divine grace - for this is no Pelegian program – “there will arise a generation of new men, the moulders of a new humanity” (CSD, 19).
- There are a few paragraphs from this Introduction, though, that speak quite directly to Catholic social workers, it seems to me. While many of you have been schooled and trained in psychoanalytic, family-systems, behavioral, cognitive, short-term, and existential therapies and techniques, or ecosystems, social justice and human rights, evidence based practice and shared power, you all know that, sometimes, persons recover, couples heal, families reunite, communities cooperate, lives are transformed, and it happened despite your best interventions. You say to yourself silently, “Thank you, God, for your grace in this situation.” Sometimes, you are so excited by what you have just observed that you would like to tell your co-workers; in evangelical jargon, this is called a witness. However, you feel stifled from doing so because some spirit of fear has enslaved your mind, even if you work in a Catholic school, hospital, nursing home, or social service agency. You know that Catholic social workers are supposed to be sharing the Good News with each other as well as with their clients, but the pussing litiginous ghost of anti-Catholic civil libertarianism douses the wee flickers of a flame to evangelize you sometimes feel after a particularly personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ at Sunday Mass. Take courage now as I read for you these words, some of which come directly from that great Catholic evangelizer, John Paul II, who himself quoted the words of the Lord Jesus over and over again, “Do not be afraid!”… (CSD, 4-7, emphasis original).
- Having heard a sort of clarion call for Catholic social workers, let’s turn now to a brief overview of the three Parts of the CSD to see what these principles for reflection, criteria for judgment and directives for action are.
- Part I is divided into four chapters, but Chapters One and Two actually form one piece. Then, Chapters Three and Four form the other piece. “Chapter One – God’s Plan of Love for Humanity” presents the new evangelization in its spiritual and social/historical meanings while “Chapter Two – The Church’s Mission and Social Doctrine” provides the mandate for evangelizing the new moral life in social doctrine. The first piece is the presentation of the basic Gospel message writ in the language of contemporary Catholic social teaching. It is like the kerygma of St. Peter on Pentecost in Acts 2.
- The second piece of Part I is the content of the new moral life with the presentation of what are called the Principles of the Church’s Social Doctrine and the Fundamental Values of Social Life.
- The four Principles of the Church’s social doctrine are: (I) human dignity, (II) the common good, (III) subsidiarity, and (IV) solidarity. A whole chapter is dedicated to (I) human dignity. “Chapter Three – The Human Person and Human Rights” presents the telos (Greek for “goal”) of the new moral life in social doctrine. It also begins with the kerygma, but with a specific orientation towards explaining the human person as imago Dei (image of God), the mystery of the twofold wound of personal and social sin, the multi-dimensional aspects of the human person, the freedom of the person, and the equal dignity of all persons. Also included is a list of universal, inviolable, and inalienable human rights, beginning with the right to life. The source and synthesis of these rights is the right to religious freedom. “Chapter Four – Principles of the Church’s Social Doctrine” provides the rest of the criteria for reflection in the new moral life in social doctrine, beginning with the other three Principles. (II) The common good includes the universal destination of goods, private property, and the preferential option for the poor. (III) The presentation on subsidiarity includes discussion of participation and democracy. (IV) Solidarity is presented as both a social principle and a moral virtue; it recognizes the common growth of humanity, following the self-emptying example of Jesus of Nazareth.
- The four Fundamental Values are: (a) truth, (b) freedom, (c) justice, and (d) love. CSD, 197 provides the interpretive key to explain this relationship between principles and values as a reciprocity. Thus, Part I gives a particular Christian set of lenses by which to view all social questions and issues. While many other philosophical, economic, political, cultural, social, legal, and recreational perspectives want to make their outlook on life supreme, the Church presents a realistic picture because she considers all dimensions of the human person and all persons (= integral) when addressing society’s concerns.
- Part II is divided into seven chapters. These chapters give absolute moral norms or prudential judgments on particular issues. The order of these issues implies a hierarchy as it moves from the smallest social unit to the largest: “Chapter Five - The Family,” “Chapter Six – Human Work,” “Chapter Seven – Economic Life,” “Chapter Eight – The Political Community,” “Chapter Nine – The International Community,” “Chapter Ten – Safeguarding the Environment,” and “Chapter Eleven – The Promotion of Peace.”
- <number> Part III is divided into two chapters. For Catholic social workers, the most helpful is “Chapter Twelve – Social Doctrine and Ecclesial Action.” This chapter is broken down into “Pastoral Action in the Social Field” and “Social Doctrine and the Commitment of the Lay Faithful.” While I strongly encourage you to get a copy of the CSD for your own study and use, this chapter could be the focus of a worthwhile presentation at the next CSWNA convention. “The Conclusion – For a Civilization of Love” is short and very compatible with Pope Benedict’s first encyclical letter Deus Caritas Est (God is Love), Dec. 25, 2005. It might be that the CSD will undergo revision soon because of Pope Benedict’s amazing encyclicals, including Spe Salvi (On Christian Hope), Nov. 30, 2007, and the soon-to-be-released Caritas in Veritate (Love in Truth).
- Although there have been several proposals from the U.S. Bishops on how to prioritize social issues, there does not yet seem to be a uniform approach. What would certainly help is if there was agreement on categories because right now the U.S. Bishops have been operating for at least ten years with a list of themes (1. The Right to Life and the Dignity of the Human Person, 2. Call to Family, Community, and Participation, 3. Rights and Responsibilities, 4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable, 5. The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers, 6. Solidarity, 7. Care for God’s Creation) while the documents from the Vatican seem to prefer the “see, judge, act” model. What would a synthesis look like between the three Parts of the CSD and the U.S. Bishops recent document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship? Would this synthesis help resolve what appears sometimes as incompatibilities between the U.S. perspective and the Roman perspective, mutually enriching both of them?
- Let me conclude with a Scriptural passage that, I imagine, makes the service oriented helper in each social worker want to walk right into the scene to fix. Instead, I’m going to ask you to quiet that natural tendency so that you can hear a new call. Let’s turn to Acts 3. St. Luke provides a most asounding testimony to the power of Jesus’ name and to the courage of the Apostles to offer integral salvation to a person in need. We read… (Acts 3:1-10 NAB).
- Look upon Jesus Christ, Catholic social workers! He will make your timid minds and hearts strong! Rise up and return to your families, your vocations, your ministries, your occupations, your work! For the Lord has bestowed upon you His Holy Spirit! Let your co-workers be amazed and astonished at what has happened to you at this convention! Invite them to join CSWNA! Do not be afraid! It is the new Pentecost of the Catholic Social Workers National Association! Alleluia! Praise the Lord!