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.

Mr. Joseph Albert DG Reyes, MA-ThPam
jdreyes@ust.edu.ph
TODAY’S SESSION:

UNIT III – LESSON 2:

Principles of the Social
Teaching of the Church
OBJECTIVES
1. Evaluate current social issues in light of
the Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the
Church.
2. Integrate human experiences of joys and
sorrows as opportunities to grow as disciples
of Christ through the celebration of the
Eucharist as the source of spiritual and moral
strength in the works for justice.
3. Participate actively in the University-
initiated advocacies for justice and care of the
environment.
Learning Targets
Demonstrate ability to reflect critically
and creatively on Catholic doctrine as
an aid to personal and moral
discernment.
Demonstrate commitment to my
Catholic Community and deepen my
faith through study, prayer, and service.
Demonstrate initiative and leadership
in advocating and practicing
compassion for the poor and care for
the environment.
TOPICS

Principles of the Social Teaching of

the Church
Mr. Joseph Albert DG Reyes, MA-ThPam
jdreyes@ust.edu.ph
 UNIT III,
LESSON II
How did the Social Teachings of the Church develop?
 THEMES of
the Catholic
Social
Teaching
 Life & 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 starting 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. relationships 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 obligation 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.
 Rights and Responsibilities
Every person has a
Human dignity can be fundamental right to life
Corresponding to these
protected, and a and a right to those
rights are duties and
healthy community can things required for
responsibilities -- to one
be achieved only if human decency –
another, to our families,
human rights are starting with food,
and to the larger
protected and shelter and clothing,
society.
responsibilities are met. employment, health
care, and education.
Option 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.
Dignity of Work & the Rights of Workers
In the late 19th century as the
work in factories became
Work is the way To protect the every present, the Church
dignity of work we needed to take a stand on
that we the condition of the workers,
must protect the Pope Leo XIII wrote the
participate in basic rights of all Rerum Novarum in order to
God’s creation. people. protect the rights workers in
those situation and still
relevant today.
Economic Justice
• 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 labor 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.
 Call to Family,
Community and
Participation
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 participate
for human dignity to be excluded
in the economic,
that all people be unfairly or to be
political, and
assured a unable to
cultural life of
minimum level of participate in
society.
participation in society.
the community.
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.
 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.
 Global Solidarity and Development
• We are one human family. Our
responsibilities to each other cross
national, racial, economic and ideological
differences. We are called to work globally
for justice.
• Authentic development must be full
human development. It must respect and
promote personal, social, economic, and
political rights, including the rights of
nations and of peoples.
 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.
 THANK YOU!!!

Faculty member: JOSEPH ALBERT REYES

Email address: jdreyes@ust.edu.ph
Consultation hours: By appointment
Venue: UST Institute of Religion (Main
Building) Faculty Room (Ground Floor)