Principles and Values of Social Teachings of the Church PDF

THEOLOGY 3: CHRISTIAN VISION OF THE CHURCH IN SOCIETY: Principles and Values of the Social Teachings of the Church  Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas Lord, true source of light and wisdom, Give us a keen sense of understanding, A retentive memory And a capacity to...

THEOLOGY 3: CHRISTIAN VISION OF THE CHURCH IN SOCIETY: Principles and Values of the Social Teachings of the Church  Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas Lord, true source of light and wisdom, Give us a keen sense of understanding, A retentive memory And a capacity to grasp things correctly. Grant us the grace To be accurate in our expositions And the skill to express ourselves With thoroughness and clarity. Be with us at the start of our work and study, Guide its progress And bring it to completion. Grant this through Christ our Lord, Amen. St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us. VIDEO ANALYSIS: LET’S WATCH! Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjWyOnp4LCs Guide Questions for Critique: Based on the informa/on that was presented vis-a-vis your observa/ons on present reali/es, do you think the Development Plan of the government in view of the SDGs has been fully concre/zed in our country especially that we are now looking forward to the advent of 2022? Cite examples of strengths and weaknesses(successes or failures) that you have observed from on the ongoing implementa/on of this Development Plan. Cite 1-2 examples each.  Dignity of the Human Person This principle is Belief in the Human life is grounded in the inherent dignity sacred, and the idea that the of the human dignity of the person is made person is the human person is in the image of foundation of all the star9ng point God. The person Catholic social for a moral vision is the clearest teaching. for society. reflection of God among us.  Common Good and Community Human beings grow The human person is and achieve fulfillment both sacred and social. in community. Human We realize our dignity dignity can only be and rights in realized and protected relationship with in the context of others, in community. rela/onships with the wider society.  How we organize our society -- in economics and politics, in law and policy --directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. The obliga9on to "love our neighbor" has an individual dimension, but it also requires a broader social commitment. Everyone has a responsibility to contribute to the good of the whole society, to the common good. Universal Destination of Goods This principle calls to facilitate the conditions that will be necessary for integral human development so that everyone can contribute to making a more humane world. The principle is rooted in our understanding of a common humanity. If we are all equal in dignity as human persons, then the wide gap among us should be a scandal against our common humanity. Op#on for the Poor The moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. The poor have the most urgent moral claim on the conscience of the nation. We are called to look at public policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor. The "option for the poor," is not an adversarial slogan that pits one group or class against another. Rather it states that the deprivation and powerlessness of the poor wounds the whole community. The option for the poor is an essential part of society's effort to achieve the common good. A healthy community can be achieved only if its members give special attention to those with special needs, to those who are poor and on the margins of society.  Rights and Responsibili0es Every person has a fundamental right to life Human dignity can be Corresponding to these and a right to those protected and a healthy rights are du>es and things required for community can be responsibili>es -- to one human decency – achieved only if human another, to our families, starting with food, rights are protected and and to the larger shelter and clothing, responsibilities are met. society. employment, health care, and education. Role of Government and Subsidiarity The state has a positive moral function. It is an instrument to promote human dignity, protect human rights, and build the common good. All people have a right and a responsibility to participate in political institutions so that government can achieve its proper goals. Economic Jus+ce The economy must serve people, not the other way around. All workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, and to safe working conditions. The priority of labour over capital is a key principle in Catholic social thought. Humanity comes before profit. Man is more important than the products he makes. Man is the subject of work, and all work is in the service of man. he is not a mere instrument, a cog in the machine. The whole purpose of the economy is to provide him with the essentials of life.  Stewardship of God's Creation There is a "social mortgage" that guides How we treat the The goods of the earth our use of the world's environment is a are gifts from God, and goods, and we have a measure of our they are intended by responsibility to care for stewardship, a sign of God for the benefit of these goods as stewards our respect for the everyone. and trustees, not as Creator. mere consumers and users.  Promotion of Peace and Disarmament Catholic teaching promotes peace as a positive, action-oriented concept. In the words of St. John Paul II, "Peace is not just the absence of war. It involves mutual respect and confidence between peoples and nations. It involves collaboration and binding agreements.” There is a close relationship in Catholic teaching between peace and justice. Peace is the fruit of justice and is dependent upon right order among human beings.  Par$cipa$on It is a fundamental demand of justice It is wrong for a All people have a and a requirement person or a group right to par.cipate for human dignity to be excluded in the economic, that all people be unfairly or to be poli.cal, and assured a unable to cultural life of minimum level of participate in society. participation in society. the community.  Global Solidarity and Development We are one human family. Our responsibili>es to each other cross na>onal, racial, economic and ideological differences. We are called to work globally for jus>ce. Authen>c development must be full human development. It must respect and promote personal, social, economic, and poli>cal rights, including the rights of na>ons and of peoples.  The Fundamental Values of Social Life  Truth Caritas in Veritate (26) warns us against the danger of eclecticism (relativism) and leveling (loss of identity). Instead, we are called to give witness to the reality of our Christian vocation.  Part of our Christian vocation is to speak the truth even during those moments when being truthful is inconvenient and difficult. We are called to proclaim the message of Christ within a culture of openness and dialogue that remain faithful to the demands of justice and truth. Freedom The Compendium (199) teaches us that ‘freedom is the highest sign in man of his being made in the divine image and, consequently, is a sign of the sublime dignity of every human person’.  The social teaching of the Church believes that human freedom requires that we should be allowed to exercise our autonomy. At the same time, however, Christian freedom is aware of its limitations and responsibility.  Justice and Love The Christian tradition opposes the tendency to oppose justice from love. In the Christian perspective, there is no authentic justice without love.  Christian understanding of justice goes beyond the understanding of justice as retributive. Christian justice is transformational and liberative. Justice has to lead to the CONVERSION of both the victim and the oppressor; but CONVERSION is best guaranteed by the act of love.  The ACT of CHRIST on the CROSS is the best illustration of justice: it pays for our SINS but such an act of sacrifice and love transforms us (restores us) to who we really are as persons. Following the social teachings of the Church, we can affirm the following: 1. It is true that the world is NOT a perfect place. This is the CITY OF MAN, tainted by sin, and where people are prone to fall into the temptation of sinning. Following the social teachings of the Church, we can affirm the following: 2. The Church however reminds us that we are not fully disgraced. THE HUMAN PERSON IS BY NATURE GOOD, and such goodness could never be totally corrupted Following the social teachings of the Church, we can affirm the following: 3. There is then the invitation to continuously attempt to BUILD A CIVILIZATION of love and make our world a better place to live in. INSTRUCTIONS: You may start collabora.ng for the Part 1 of your Course Inquiry Project. You may do consulta.on with me about your assigned topic at Zoom Course Room.