Professional Documents
Culture Documents
God destined the earth and all it contains for all men and
peoples so that all created things would be shared fairly by
all mankind under the guidance of justice (CSDC, 165).
Everyone has the right to enjoy the conditions of social life that
are brought about by the quest for the conditions of social life
that are brought about by the quest for the common good.
Pope Pius XI: ‘the distribution of created goods, which, as
every discerning person knows, is labouring today under
the gravest evils due to the huge disparity between the
few exceedingly rich and the unnumbered property less,
must be effectively called back to and brought into
conformity with the norms of the common good, that is,
social justice. This then prompts the Church to call for a
more just distribution of the world’s wealth (CSDC 171).
Certainly the Church “cannot and must not replace the State. Yet
at the same time she cannot and must not remain on the
sidelines in the fight for justice.” (Benedict CVI, Deus Caritas est)
The Church has the right and the duty “to teach her social
doctrine, to exercise her role freely among men, and also to
pass moral judgment in those matters which regard public order
when the fundamental rights of the human person or the
salvation of souls require it.” (Gaudium et Spes, 76)
Both the Church and those who
govern society are seeking to serve
mankind (although under different
titles), and they “will carry out this
service with greater efficacy, for the
good of all, the healthier and better
is the cooperation between them.”
(CSDC, 425)
Nature of the Social Teaching
Way of
Way of Critical Collaboration
Love and
Violence with the State
Justice
Separation Cooperation
Assessment:
• Write a one page reflection paper
discussing: What aspect of the Christian
paradigm that I could see relevant in
my life?
• 11” font Times New Roman, 1.5
spacing, 1x1x1x1 margins in a short
bond paper.
• To be submitted next meeting