Clases Doctrina Social de la Iglesia

1. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church

2. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
THE DIGNITY OF HUMAN LIFE
• Most fundamental theme in Catholic social doctrine
• Various non-Christian thinkers differ on what the unique
quality is that gives human beings their special dignity, and
thus their unique rights
• The Catholic faith teaches the true reason for human dignity
– Human dignity is based on the doctrine of Creation, implicit in the first
pages of the Bible
– Book of Genesis: human beings alone are created in God’s image
– All of Adam and Eve’s offspring have an equal status
– Christ shed his blood for all human beings

3. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
THE DIGNITY OF HUMAN LIFE (continued)
• Throughout history, various rulers
argued that human rights should be
assigned, based on class, race, or
physical or mental ability
• Right to life is fundamental and
should be protected and defended
at every stage
• When human beings are denied this
fundamental right—the right to
life—then no rights are secure

4. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
THE CALL TO FAMILY, COMMUNITY,
AND PARTICIPATION
• Family is “the first and vital cell of society”
• Family is built upon marriage and grows through the children
of the couple
• Family’s form is evident in nature but is vulnerable to
misunderstanding
– God established marriage as a lifelong and exclusive bond
– Divorce, abandonment, adultery, and polygamy all contradict the divine
plan

5. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
THE CALL TO FAMILY, COMMUNITY,
AND PARTICIPATION (continued)
• Family is the fundamental unit of
society
– Human beings have their first experience
of society and first instruction in the social
virtues
• Families do not live in isolation but
alongside other families and individuals
in the neighborhood
– Through their behavior and outreach, they
improve their local community, influence
other families, and exercise stewardship

6. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
THE CALL TO FAMILY, COMMUNITY,
AND PARTICIPATION (continued)
• In today’s society, there is increasing confusion about the
meaning and constitution of the family
– This has had negative effects on society and especially in the lives of
children
• Family is where participation in society begins
• When families are healthy, society benefits from a better
economy, a more motivated workforce, gains in education, and
reductions in street crime

7. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
THE CALL TO FAMILY, COMMUNITY,
AND PARTICIPATION (continued)
• Society should protect the dignity
and the flourishing of the
traditional family
• The Catholic Church has stood for
the rights of the family and
children more than any other
institution
• Key Church documents addressing
this are:
– Pope Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae
– Saint John Paul II’s Familiaris
Consortio and Letter to Families

8. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS
• Human rights are discernable
through the natural law
– All civilizations instinctively forbid
crimes such as murder and theft as
people have an innate sense of
justice
• Natural law can serve to unite
people who are divided by
language and culture
– Provides basic common moral
standards

9. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS (continued)
• Many social upheavals and revolutions have risen from a
concern for human rights
• We are given rights and are expected to fulfill the duties that
come with them
– We must recognize, respect, and defend the rights of others
– The rich must recognize and address the needs of the destitute
– Those who own property must manage it well for the sovereign Creator

10. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
PREFERENTIAL OPTION FOR THE POOR
• Christ showed a special love
for the poor and oppressed
– Touched those that were
considered “unclean” and
marginalized by society
– Defined His earthly life as a
mission to the poor
– Called the poor “blessed”

11. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
PREFERENTIAL OPTION FOR THE POOR (continued)
• Jesus did not condemn wealth,
but rather the hoarding of
wealth and neglect of the poor
• The attention to the poor has
always been a distinguishing
mark of Christianity
– This predilection became known
as a “preferential option for the
poor”

12. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
PREFERENTIAL OPTION FOR THE POOR (continued)
• The preferential option for the poor has been defined as
– “… a special form of primacy in the exercise of Christian charity … it
affects the life of each Christian inasmuch as he or she seeks to imitate
the life of Christ”
– Applies to one’s entire manner of living, one’s ownership, and use of
goods
• People today in “developed” nations of the West have a better
quality of life than the wealthy of Christ’s time
• Many others, especially in third-world countries, live in squalor
– It is the duty of those who enjoy the benefits of a global economy to
share the duty of relieving global poverty

13. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
PRIVATE PROPERTY AND THE
UNIVERSAL DESTINATION OF GOODS
• All persons have an inherent right to life and
its necessities; therefore, the created goods
of the earth should benefit everyone
• This concept is referred to as the “universal
destination of goods”
• Ownership of created goods is attached to
the moral obligation to help those in need
• How does the Church reconcile these
rights?
– The right to own property
– The right to a fair distribution of goods

14. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
PRIVATE PROPERTY AND THE
UNIVERSAL DESTINATION OF GOODS (continued)
• The Church affirms the natural right to private property but
emphasizes that this right is subordinate to the universal
destination of goods
• If there is a dispute over the destination of private property,
the social principle prevails over the private
• If a person lacks basic needs such as shelter, clothing, and
nourishment, it is difficult to function like a free being
• The Church recognizes the duty of the state to intervene to
ensure that private property does not oppose the common
good, but rather, makes a positive contribution to society

15. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
PRIVATE PROPERTY AND THE
UNIVERSAL DESTINATION OF GOODS (continued)
• The state can impose taxes in order to fund
programs that will benefit the less
fortunate
• The state can also exercise eminent domain
to claim private property—with just
payment to owner—due to a legitimate
public concern that will benefit the
common good
• The preferential option for the poor is an
antidote to laissez-faire capitalism’s neglect
of the poor, but also a peaceful alternative
to Marxism’s doctrine of class struggle

16. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
THE DIGNITY OF WORK
• Work is also part of human nature, like society
– This truth is found in the book of Genesis
• In the Old Testament, people were often identified by the work that
they did
• The Book of Proverbs is famous for its praise of the work of women:
in the home, in the fields, and in the marketplace
• Jesus worked as a carpenter
– In his parables, he drew lessons from the work of others
• Jesus' disciples were involved in various trades, and they often wrote
about work

17. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
THE DIGNITY OF WORK (continued)
• Work is as old as human society itself
– Conditions for some people have
changed due to the Industrial Revolution
– Many trades have been automated
• In work, people can fulfill their human
nature and participate in God’s
creation
• The challenge for Catholic social
teaching is to advocate for working
conditions that respect human dignity

18. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
UNIVERSAL SOLIDARITY
• Society is not just a gathering of individuals
– All human beings are united by needs, skills, and strivings toward common
goals
• God created people with differences in order to come together
through the need for one another
• Solidarity is the integration of people formed by common interests,
goals, and standards
• For Christians, this bond comes from our common humanity before
God
• Unlike some groups or leaders that attempt to divide society by
class, caste, or generation, the Catholic notion of solidarity unites all
people in their common humanity

19. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
UNIVERSAL SOLIDARITY (continued)
• Saint John Paul II used the term
universal solidarity often and was
called “the Pope of Solidarity”
• Saint John Paul II invited people:
– To recognize their interdependence
– To commit themselves to mutual
self-giving, so that more can be
achieved

20. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
UNIVERSAL SOLIDARITY (continued)
• Solidarity is a sensible approach
for world peace, both for
believers and nonbelievers
• Solidarity is the acknowledgment
of mutual rights and duties
– Leads people to look out for one
another, identifying needs and
defending and protecting one
another

21. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
UNIVERSAL SOLIDARITY (continued)
• A globalized economy has the potential to help poorer nations
– Can also result in the poor nation being vulnerable to exploitation of
resources and labor forces without proper care for stewardship and
human rights
• Solidarity affects the way a Christian will approach issues like
immigration
• The Catechism recognizes the complexity of the issue:
– Affirming a nation’s right to limit immigration
– Also requiring compassion and generosity for those fleeing their
homelands in search of security and a means of livelihood

22. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
Stewardship of God’s Creation
• God delegated the responsibility not simply for the use of
creation, but for its care and custody
– The environment is the world common to all people and should be
respected
• Recent popes expressed concern for the situation they call an
“ecological crisis”
– Concern for future generations and for those who share our ecosystem
– What one nation does to common resources—water and air—affects
other nations’ ability to use them

23. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
Stewardship of God’s Creation (continued)
• Pope Benedict said in a statement for the World Day of Peace,
“If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation”
– He presented stewardship over creation not merely as obedience to a
divine command, but as a requirement of human solidarity

24. CHAPTER 5 – The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
CONCLUSION
• Catholic social doctrine is founded on the
principle of the inherent dignity of the
person
• Those critical of social doctrine often attack
such aspects as private ownership of
property without balancing other aspects
such as the universal destination of goods,
the preferential option for the poor, and
stewardship of the earth
• Catholic social doctrine represents a
comprehensive system that supports justice
and celebrates the dignity of the human
person