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The Social

Teachings of the
Church
II. DEVELOPMENT
OF CST
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the
Church
Catechism of the Catholic Church
DeBerri and Hug, et. al. Catholic Social
Teaching: Our Best Kept Secret.
Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2003
Curran, Charles E. Catholic Social Teaching,
1891-Present: A Historical,
Theological and Ethical Analysis (Washington:
Georgetown University Press, 2002).
1.BIBLE
primary source
of catholic social
ethics
O. T. CONCEPT OF THE
INDIVIDUAL:

Belongs to a
community.
Works for justice
within that
Concern for the poor:
Anawim, Widows,
Strangers, & Orphans.
OLD TESTAMENT
"Do not take advantage of a
widow or an orphan." Exodus
22:22

"During the seventh year, let the


land lie unplowed and unused.
Then the poor among your
people may get food from it, and
the wild animals may eat what
they leave. Do the same with
OLD TESTAMENT
"Do not go over your vineyard a
second time or pick up the
grapes that have fallen. Leave
them for the poor and the alien.
I am the LORD your God."
Leviticus 19:10

"If there is a poor man among


your brothers in any of the
towns of the land that the LORD
OLD TESTAMENT
"When you are harvesting in your
field and you overlook a sheaf, do
not go back to get it. Leave it for
the alien, the fatherless and the
widow, so that the LORD your God
may bless you in all the work of
your hands. When you beat the
olives from your trees, do not go
over the branches a second time.
Leave what remains for the alien,
the fatherless and the widow.
When you harvest the grapes in
OLD TESTAMENT
"There will always be poor people in
the land. Therefore I command you
to be openhanded toward your
brothers and toward the poor and
needy in your land." Deuteronomy
15:11

"Be careful not to harbor this wicked


thought: The seventh year, the year
for canceling debts, is near, so that
you do not show ill will toward your
needy brother and give him nothing.
NEW TESTAMENT
"Jesus answered, If you want to
be perfect, go, sell your
possessions and give to the
poor, and you will have treasure
in heaven. Then come, follow
me.'" Matthew 19:21

"For I was hungry and you gave


me something to eat, I was
thirsty and you gave me
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because He has anointed me to
preach good news to the poor. He
has sent me to proclaim freedom
for the prisoners and recovery of
sight for the blind, to release the
oppressed." Luke 4:18

"So he replied to the messengers,


Go back and report to John what
you have seen and heard: The
blind receive sight, the lame walk,
those who have leprosy are cured,
NEW TESTAMENT

"If anyone has material


possessions and sees his
brother in need but has no
pity on him, how can the
love of God be in him? Dear
children, let us not love
with words or tongue but
with actions and in truth."
1 John 3:17-18
The BIBLE
important source of social
ethics but:
deals with a specific teaching;
MANS SALVATION.

Not interested in
methodological and
systematic approach towards
social ethics.
Jesus = Model for
CST
= Active Social Advocate
Instances:
Interaction with the
outcasts of society
Criticism of social
injustices
2. First 1 Thousand Years

movement towards
systematic and
scientific
understanding of
relationship
between:

secular and
sacred
3. Early part of the 2nd
Millennium:

The origin of universities


more systematic and
scientific knowledge.
Saint Thomas
Provided a lasting Aquinas
orientation for CST
through:
dialogue with &
incorporation of
Aristotelian
perspectives
especially the
anthropological
basis for social
ethics.
a.MAN AS A PERSON

an individual substance endowed wit


nowledge, freedom and voluntarines
b. MAN IS SOCIAL
Exists in multiple layers of
relationships:
family, church, state, and
broader human communities
c. MAN IS POLITICAL
State is:
natural to man
basically good;towards
which man is called to be
happy and fulfilled.
The understanding of Justice is
keeping with mans social natur

Relationship between:

Individuals
Individuals and State
State and Individuals
Happy marriage
between Church
and State
But: Church
continued to
speak about
social-moral
issues
Historical
Background:
Happy
marriage
between Church
and State
Divorce
Age of
Enlightenment
4. 18TH & 19TH CENTURIES:
GROWTH OF
ENLIGHTENMENT
Emphases:
Individual &
Human Freedom

That is totally cut-


off from relationship
to God and Gods law.
Age of
Enlightenment
Reaction vs.
Church-
dominance
Anticlericalism
Faith and
Obedience used
to subjugate
and oppress
people
Age of
Enlightenment
Faith
Reason
Obedience
Autonomy
Promoted
absolute
freedom
a. RELIGIOUS LIBERALISM
By extolling conscience and
freedom of individual
believerthe individual was
separated from the important
relationship with the Church
b. PHILOSOPHICAL
LIBERALISM

stressed freedom
of individual and
power of human
reason

divorced from
any relationship
c. POLITICAL
LIBERALISM
stressed the role
of individual
citizens,
decisions made
by
majority vote

without
Age of
Enlightenment
Affected Catholic
Social teaching and
Social life

the Catholic Church


is strongly opposed
to Enlightenment:
Technological
innovations
Gave rise to
economic
questions:
Capitalism &
Exploitation of
Workers
Concern:
Mass
production,
efficiency,
surplus
Poor
working
conditions
CAPITALISM & ECONOMIC LIBERALISM

Allowed the
entrepreneur
to do
whatever
he/she wants
in pursuit of
profit with no
concern for
others
Emergence of New Ideologies

Result:
employee
dependency,
high
unemployme
nt, abuse of
employers
6. 20TH CENTURY:
CATHOLIC FASCINATION
WITH THE
MIDDLE AGES
The middle
ages
epitomized
the Christian
ideal:
The social person in
an organic society.

All Christians were


united under one
true religion.

Kings and rulers


recognized their
obligation to God.

Social solidarity
marked the
7. SOCIALISM
The modern
socialist
movement had
its origin largely
in the working
class movement
of the late 19th
century.

condemned
Emergence of New Ideologies

Socialism
Reaction vs.
negative
effects of
capitalism
Denounces
private
property
Karl Marx Helped
establish and
define the
modern
socialist
movement,

socialism
implied the
abolition of:
distribution of
wealth are
subject to social
control:

DIRECT: exercised
through popular
collectives such
as workers
councils.

INDIRECT: exercised
on behalf of the
people
community
or worker own the
Means of
production.

Means of
production:
anything necessary
for labor to produce
- machines, tools,
plant and
equipment, land,
raw materials,
money, power
Modern CST (which began with
Leo XIIIs Rerum Novarum in
1891) is a response to these
political, economic, and social
problems
Factors that Influenced
Catholic response to
Economic and Political
questions:

1. Sacred Scripture and


Tradition
2. Response to the needs of
workers and poor people.
3. Attitude towards
Enlightenment and Socialism
4. Catholic tendency to look
on the middle ages as the
ideal life.
5. Revived
interest
in the
philosophy
and teachings
of
Saint Thomas
Aquinas

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