Catholic Social Teaching

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has dedicated his papacy to speaking out on behalf of the poor and the marginalized. Because of it and because of the gift he has for expressing himself in memorable ways, he has earned the attention of the news media who are quick to broadcast what he says. As a result, we are hearing more references to what has come to be called, “Catholic Social Teaching.” It is important for us as Catholic followers of Jesus to understand what it means when that phrase is used so that we do not misunderstand the Pope’s words, especially since they can be so often distorted by the news media.

The online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, offers a very helpful definition: “Catholic social teaching is the body of doctrine developed by the Catholic Church on matters of social justice, involving issues of poverty and wealth, economics, social organization and the role of the state.” Though it is a more recent development in the teaching of the Church, its roots go all the way back to Jesus and His teaching. In fact, what we call, “Catholic Social Teaching”, is nothing more than the gospel commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves applied to our life together at every level of social life whether it be the family, the city, the state, the country or the world. The central question that the social teaching of the Catholic Church asks is, “How should we organize our life together as a community to best reflect the values of the gospel?”

While the People of God have always sought to apply the gospel to the plight of the poor and defenseless, what has come to be called “Catholic Social Teaching” began in 1891 with Pope Leo XIII and his encyclical letter called Rerum Novarum - On the Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor. At the time this letter was written, the world was experiencing the social change that came with the Industrial Revolution. People were leaving their rural communities and flooding into the cities to find work in factories.  They were required to work long hours in unsafe conditions many times alongside their children. As a result, communism and socialism were becoming more popular as a means of fighting for the rights of workers. In this context, Pope Leo XIII sought to strike a balance between criticizing the injustices of the modern industrial society and the tyranny that comes with communist and socialist ideologies.

With the publication of this groundbreaking encyclical, Pope Leo XIII established the feast we celebrate today - The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. It is an opportunity for us to remember that, no matter what government is in place and no matter who is running it, Jesus Christ is ultimately in charge. He is guiding the affairs of the world and, in ways that we cannot begin to understand, is bringing all things together for the good of all. It is a reminder that there is an authority that is greater than the state, namely the truth that is to be found in Jesus Christ. Finally, it is an opportunity for us to celebrate the fact that we do not have a lasting home here on earth. Ultimately, the society of perfect justice and peace which we seek is in heaven. As Jesus tells Pilate in today’s gospel reading, “My Kingdom does not belong to this world.”

We cannot begin in an eight minute homily to cover all the aspects of the Church’s social teaching. There are a few points, however, that we can make that, I hope, will give you some understanding of what we mean by “social justice” and that will make you interested in reading more about it on your own.

One central concept that was especially important in the teaching of Pope Saint John Paul II is “solidarity”. Solidarity is simply the Christian virtue that draws us out of ourselves and our own concerns to take into consideration the needs of others. It helps us to see that we are all in this together, that what is good for you is good for me. Solidarity teaches us that we should not be seeking to benefit one class of people at the expense of another. Rather, we should be working for the “common good”. Imagine what the world would be like if each of us would take time to see things from another person’s perspective. Imagine how much more peaceful our society would be if we would let go of our fears and prejudices and and work together to solve the world’s problems. Solidarity, as it is understood in Catholic Social Teaching, is that virtue that helps us seek the good of both the worker and the employer, of both the immigrant and the native citizen, of both the conservative and the liberal, of both the environment and the economy.

Another central concept of Catholic Social Teaching is “care for the environment”. Pope Francis has brought this to the fore in his recent encyclical, Laudato Si, On Care For Our Common Home. Care for the environment is closely linked to solidarity because all of us have a stake in the earth’s health no matter our nationality, political allegiance or religion. Unfortunately, the debate about climate change sometimes distracts from the Pope’s central message that all of us are responsible for ensuring that our planet and its resources be kept safe for future generations. Even if science were to be prove that climate change is not caused by humans, we would still be required as Christians to use less of the world’s resources, to eliminate pollution and to live in a way that will ensure that all people have access to clean water and air.

Finally, it is not enough to have good intentions. Rather, our actions must lead to real results in bringing about the common good. Unfortunately, many programs and laws purporting to help the poor have actually hurt them. We have to apply our intelligence and to work together so that our good intentions can translate into good results. People of faith and good will often disagree about how best to safeguard the environment, protect the rights of workers or educate the young. However, we should never demonize those who disagree with us. Instead, in solidarity, we should work together for the good of all.

Religion is central to the life of society because it points us to an authority that is greater than the state. That is why oppressive regimes have always singled out religion for especially fierce persecution. However, Christ is King and He will judge. We look to His Kingdom of love as the standard for achieving peace and justice in our world today. If we make Him King in our hearts, King in our homes and King in our communities, then all the evils which bedevil the world will be gone. As followers of Jesus Christ, it is up to us to take the lead.