Life and Love: The Gospel of the Family
source of oppression rather than fulfillment.
Family
- the basic cell or fundamental building block of
society;
- it is the center of social life.
-This union itself receives the benefits of creation,
together with the propagation of the human race.
Family life
-is where people learn and practice the virtues of
love and compassion.
- Upon his birth, a man is brought into the
community of life his parents have formed, to be
raised and educated by them
-Real-life families face serious challenges and
numerous problems.
-The family, founded upon marriage, is, therefore,
the fundamental nucleus of human sociability.
-the relationship between the family and the State
should be structured according to the principle of
subsidiarity.
The State, when seeking to aid the family, should
not attempt to assume its functions but should rather
facilitate and sustain the family in accordance with
the family's nature as a society. This is true at all
economic, social, juridical, and cultural levels.
the family
- (and the proper rearing of children) provides the
basis on which the Church defines marriage
this view of marriage
-is the foundation on which She builds Her view
of sexuality to build a culture in which the
sacredness and preciousness of life are
recognized, appreciated, and supported
The primary end of a marriage has two facets:
procreation and the education of offspring.
Economic Life and Human Work
Work
- is part of God's original plan and even
constitutes a path to holiness.
- However, for many, work has long been a
Is work a punishment as a consequence of
turning their back from God? If working is a
punishment, does it diminish the inherent dignity
man has ever since the creation?
-an activity which encompasses all those human
efforts which aim at improved conditions of life
- The worker realizes himself as a man and in a
certain
-sense "becomes more human."
-As a human activity, work must correspond to
the dignity of man.
Rerum Novarum/ Laborem Exercens
- about insisting on the ethical importance of
concrete measures, such as the institution of
“living wages” and reasonable work hours, for
the entire workforce.
Acting Person
-subjective dimensions of work
The work that I do
Outputs (output) is who I am.
- objective dimensions of work
Work
-is a good for mankind that enables men and
women to give expression to and enhance their
human dignity
-Recognizing the importance of just wage, John
Paul II makes just wage as the privileged
criterion for determining whether a society and
its economic system is just.
Reasonable conditions of work
 Just wage
 Hours of work
 Benefits
 Unions
 Managements
 Collecting bargaining agreements
Workers’
-rights to organize and to enter into collective
bargaining
labor unions
-are crucial elements in the overall balance of
power in the economy, and Catholic social teaching
consistently portrays them as playing a constructive
role in the pursuit of economic justice
People have the right to decent and productive
work, to just wages sufficient to support one’s
household in a dignified manner, to private property
and economic initiative, and to free association with
other workers to protect their rights collectively.
Work
- is more than a way to make a living;
- it is a form of continuing participation in God’s
creation.
-we express and shape our human potential
-economy exists for the people, not people for the
economy
Political Community and Safeguarding the
Environment
What do you think are the initiatives the
government or state has been doing to protect
and preserve the environment?
-Human beings are social beings by nature. Every
person needs another person
-We live in a society.
-We are sustained by nature.
State
-has a foundation in human nature;
- it is directly concerned to common good.
Two main functions:
ordering function
- just laws exist and that they are being observed
by all and peace and order are maintained
welfare function
- to promote the general economic, sanitary,
ecological, cultural, moral, and spiritual welfare
of the citizens
QYADRAGESIMO ANNO
-As regards to the state, we have the principle of
subsidiarity
-This principle deals on the responsibilities and
limits of government, and the essential roles of
voluntary associations.
-“not too much but not too little, no bigger than
necessary, no smaller than appropriate.”
SOLLICITUDO REI SOCIALIS
- Our environment is often the victim … especially
when this concern is not accompanied by concern
for the balance of the ecosystem
-“A true concept of development cannot ignore the
use of the elements of nature, the renewability of
resources and the consequences of haphazard
industrialization.
three reasons why man should respect the
environment and natural resources
-The natural cosmos must not be used simply as one
wishes, according to one’s own economic needs.
-Natural resources are limited and some are not
renewable
-direct or indirect result of industrialization is, ever
more frequently, the pollution of the environment,
with serious consequences to the health of the
population
-The increasing environmental injustices are the
consequences of the social injustices.
- It is the Creator’s will that man should treat nature
not as a ruthless exploiter but as an intelligent and
responsible administrator.
Ecclesia in Asia no. 44
Points to remember:
-The church teaches that the state has its origin in
God and its sole purpose is the promotion of the
general, political common good.
There are two main functions of the state:
- the ordering function and
- the welfare function.
-The principle of subsidiarity emphasizes the
equally important yet different contribution of
both the church and state in the development of
man as a citizen and a believer.
-The integrity of creation resonates the
interconnectedness of the state and the church as the
states depends on its resources and as the church is
reminded of the presence of God.
Ecclesial Action and the PCP II’s Church of the
Poor
-Our present society is a society in crisis.
-However, these problems and threats may also be
viewed as opportunities for growth and a phase in
the process of transition towards transformation.
-It is founded on the concept of salvation that is
more of kaginhawaan rather than kaligtasan.
-Part of the task of Catholic social teaching is to
help people of faith read and interpret “the signs of
the times.”
-careful look at the situation; act – see -- judge
-next, they make an accurate judgment about what
is going on and how best to respond to it;
and finally, they act vigorously upon what they have
learned
By noting the implicit rhythm of action and
reflection, people attentive to these three steps have
frequently gained insight into the necessity of the
type of social engagement.
The Philippine society is undergoing a crisis.
 Disaster Prone Area
- The root of these social problems is moral
decay manifested by the existence and
proliferation of social sins
 Gap Between the rich and the poor
- interests of the powerful are given more
attention to the detriment of the poor
 suspects for negative influences such as
hiya, pakikisama, utang na loob
sources of hope
unwavering faith
increasing social awareness
steady economic performances
In the life of Jesus, we can see that He was totally
involved in the life situations of the people
around Him.
 He cured the sick;
 He fed the hungry
 He forgive the sinners
 He laughed with them and cried with them
Evidently, Jesus did not come only for spiritual
reason or only for the salvation of the souls.
His mission is a mission for liberation and his
ministry is a liberating ministry.
Church teachings and practices must be personally
appreciated and appropriated by us, as a people with
our own particular culture, with our own ways of
thinking and valuing. Faith must take root in the
matrix of our Filipino being so that we may truly
believe and love as Filipinos. PCP II no. 72
this mission gives the Church the duty and authority
to teach and interpret the message of Gospel to the
present context and thereby guide and assist all
people in the pursuit of their total kaginhawahan or
salvation
The moral test of a society is how it treats its
most vulnerable members.
In fact, it can be said that “the history of the Church
can be written as a history of love and charity
towards the poorest of the poor.”
-a consistent theme of Catholic social teaching is
the option or love of preference for the poor
Points to Remember
 The mission of the Church has a social
dimension where Jesus himself totally
involved himself to the life-situations of the
people around Him.
 This mission of the Church is continuously
applied as the Church observes the see-
judge-act paradigm to appropriate the
Gospel to relevant social conditions.
 Philippine as society is plagued with social
ills by which the Philippine Church is
challenged to change the present social
structure through applying the Social
Teachings of the Church that each one can
become a better Filipino Catholic
Understanding PCP II’s Preferential Option for
the Poor
The Context of PCP II
 PCP II (or the Second Plenary Council of the
Philippines) was a national gathering of the
 Catholic Church in the Philippines held in Simple technique that encourages us to take a moment
1991. to pause, step back from a situation, and consider it
before acting. Through this process, we learn to
 It is a contextualized gathering of evaluate circumstances, events, and structures critically.
The Catholic Church here in the
Philippines
 It aimed to renew and strengthen the
Catholic faith in the country and to
address the challenges facing the
Church and society.
 The PCP II emphasized the
importance of the laity in the Church
and encouraged their participation in
the life and mission of the Church.
 The PCP II's document and
resolutions have guided the Church's
pastoral programs and initiatives in
the Philippines for the past decades.
The PCP II’s preferential option of the poor.
 The Preferential Option for the Poor is a
fundamental principle of Catholic Social
Teaching that emphasizes the Church's
commitment to the poor and vulnerable
members of society.
 The PCP II also emphasized the importance
of solidarity with the poor, encouraging the
Church to be in dialogue with them, learn
from their experiences, and stand with them
in their struggles.
 The PCP II's Preferential Option for the
Poor has been a guiding principle for the
Church in the Philippines, inspiring a range
of social programs and initiatives that
prioritize the needs of the poor and
vulnerable.
What is the relevance of the see-judge-act paradigm in
responding to the signs of the times

simple method which helps us to stop, stand

back from a situation and reflect on it before we
jump in and take action. This process helps us to
develop critical judgement about situations,
events and structures.