Christian teaching on

Right to Private
Property

. The right to private

property has always been
affirmed by the Church in
response to those who
oppose this right and
consider it as the root
cause of inequality in the
society.
 Forms of Private Property

1.Wage or salary
2. Furniture, household equipment, and the like.
3. Social security.
4.A house of one’s own.
5.Ownership of capital.
6.Savings.

They may also be classified into:

1.consumer goods, e.g. food, clothing;
2.movables, e.g. furnishings, tools, cars, animals, jewelry
3.immovables, e.g. flats, lands, houses, plants
4.intellectual, e.g. patent rights, copy rights
5.claims, e.g. bank accounts, shares, securities, insurance
money in general
 Private property in the Holy Scripture

• Both the Old Testament and the New

Testament agree that private properties
and owning them are not evil in
themselves but they could be hindrances
to a sincere love of God and neighbor.
• In the Old Testament, wealth is

regarded as a sign of God’s favor. It is

God’s blessing upon the righteous (cf.
Gen. 24:34f; 1 Kings 3:11-13; Prov.
10:22; 22:4).
• It is seen as a result of acquiring qualities pleasing to God,
i.e. diligence, wisdom, temperance, etc. (cf. Prov. 10:4;
20:13; 24:3f; 21:17
• it is not considered as the highest of all. The Old

Testament teaches that human beings should prefer over

wealth, the peace of the soul (Prov. 15:16), righteousness
(Tob. 12:8; Prov. 16:8), good reputation (Prov. 22:1), health
(Sir. 30:14-16), and love.
• The Old Testament also warns those who long for much

wealth because it is difficult for man to remain faithful in

prosperity because easy living closes the heart (Deut. 31:20;
Prov. 30:7-9).
The OT also highlights sharing of wealth
• Farmers, when harvesting their fields, vineyards or olive orchards

must leave the gleanings to the widows and orphans, the sojourners
and the poor (Lev. 19:9f; Dt. 24:19-22)
• Every third year, all the tithe of the produce is to be given to the

Levites and the needy (Deut. 14:28f; 26:12-15)

• Every seventh year, the Sabbath year, the fields, vineyards and

olive orchards are to lie untilled and unharvested and whatever

grows belong to the poor (Ex. 23:10f)
• A fellow Jew who has been taken into slavery through purchase is

to be set free after six years of service in the seventh year (E. 21:2;
Deut. 15:12).
• Taking interest from a fellow Jew is prohibited (Ex. 22:25; Lev.

25:36f).
• Strict observance of the Jubilee Year (every 50th year)
In the New Testament:

• Jesus did not revise any law regarding private property.

But in many parts of the Gospel, it can be gleaned that
Jesus teaches that it is not the possession of property that is
evil, turning wealth into an idol is.

• The letters of the Apostles stress the spiritual riches

instead of material riches. The rich should bear in mind that
material wealth should be shared and they should use it in
doing good works. In this way they can store treasures for
eternal life (1 Tim. 6:17-19).
 Basis for the Right to Private Property

1.For self-expression
2.For the fulfillment of one's duties
3.For one's independence and freedom
4.For Peace
5.For Better Utilization of Goods
1 Principle of the Right to Private Property
st

The resources of creation are destined for all and the

goods of the earth are meant to be shared.
 
All the natural produce of the earth belongs in common to the
whole human race without distinction. God destined the earth
and all it contains for all men and all peoples so that all created
things would be shared fairly by all mankind under the guidance
of justice tempered by charity. Gaudium et Spes #69
 
 Functions of Private Property

1.individual function (for the good of the person)

2.social function (for the good of the society)
 
Superfluous Wealth - that which is not necessary for
the owner’s subsistence and personal growth and
maturity of those under his care. This wealth ought to
be shared to others.
 

 
  
In the teachings of the Fathers of the Church, universal
destination of all created goods is a demand of justice. St. Basil
(PG 31:277) wrote:
 
Are you a robber? You who make your own the things you
have received to distribute? Will not one be called a thief who
steals the garment of one already clothed, and is one deserving
of any other title who will not clothe the naked if he is able to do
so? The bread which you keep belongs to the hungry: that
coat which you preserve in your wardrobe, to the naked; those
shoes which are rotting in your possessions, to the shoeless;
that gold which you have hidden in the ground to the needy.
 
2 Principle of the Right to Private Property
nd

There is a distinction between the right of ownership and

use.
 
While the owner can use goods for a legitimate end, such use is
always subordinate to a moral law which is binding on the
conscience of the owner.
 
Every owner is morally obliged to use his property in a socially
beneficial way, not in whatever way he wills particularly if it is
detrimental to the welfare of another person or the society. His
property should be used not only for himself but also to assist
those in need.