Mission of the Church

-to proclaim Christ to others

-we must radiate Christ so that others
shall be enlightened by the other true
light
Social Dimension
-our faith is community-oriented
-as Christians, we are to follow our
Masters commandment of love
-real & true love is something that is
being shared to others
-the direction of our faith is CROSS
Social Mission of the Church
-to denounce INJUSTICE
-to proclaim JUSTICE

Human Dignity
-the face of others tell me that it is
impossible to kill the person with that
face Emmanuel Levinas

mirror of being human because

we are all equal & human
beings
self-reflection & self-worth
no one can control someones
life

Human Rights
(Historical Background)
-Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (Dec. 10, 1948)
-Human dignity is ALIENABLE &
INVIOLABLE
-human dignity is common to all
-Mahatma Gandhi (1915)
-2 world wars (Nazis, atomic bomb,
slavery, etc.)
-UN (1946)
-to reaffirm faith
-there was not force of laws in deleting
Human Dignity According to Salvation
History

-creation account (Gen. 1:26-28)

-human person is the crowning glory
of creation
-emphasis on solidarity & communion
-Christ divinizes the human person
Types of Persons
God
Angels
Human Beings
Christian Tradition on Human Dignity
-human person as the crowning glory
of Gods creation
-freedom is limited: submission to the
authority

Man & Society

How are they related?
-the ff. philosophers defined them
1. Plato
MAN: insufficient/imperfect
SOCIETY: solution of our
imperfection
-social order
-individual responsibility to preserve
the social order by following the law
(makes you just)
No social order if there is no law
-What true justice is not
Giving back what is owed
(retributive)
-justice is not complete
Ex. May utang na loob ka kasi
may utang ka sakanya, pero
after mo mag pay wala na yung
utang a loob na yun (not
continuous)
Doing good to friends and doing
bad to enemies (partisan)

Justice as doing the will of the

strong (domination)

-How do we come together as a

community?
To perfect the other
Society is made in order to
supply for a lack
-True justice: doing ones work
performing ones duties for the
community
2. Thomas Hobbes
MAN: absolutely free, perfect
SOCIETY: mans better chance of
survival
-Why do we create society?
Man is absolutely free
Mans absolute freedom
threatens mans basic need
for SURVIVAL
Man is a WOLF to another
man
Hence, there has to be a way
to ensure mans survival.
This is why civil societies are
created.
-society is created in order to
promote the interest of the self
-the civil society is a means of
managing our conflicts and
competition so that they will not
escalate into war
-The Leviathan
There has to be a manager
who will define and
implement the relevant
regulations
The power of the Leviathan
needs to be absolute so
that he could have the
power to enforce the laws
that would be needed for the
survival of both the
members & the whole
community
-Justice: freedom

3. Alasdair Macintype
-modern culture of humans is
highly INDIVIDUALISTIC
You can only ask help or go
to someone when you need
something from them
-a need to revisit the ThomsisticAristotelian view on SOCIETY
MAN: needs others in order to
survive & live well (comfort)
SOCIETY: networking of giving &
receiving
-we are not self-sufficient
(imperfect)
-we have to learn the VALUES of
basic dependence
-we are born with nothing
-what we have right now were
gifts from others
-we must learn how to be the
other for someone
-reciprocate the good things that
you received
MAN & SOCIETY
Creation Account
-Man created in the IMAGE &
LIKENESS of God
-Gods image is best expressed in
the TRINITY
Gods image =Trinity
According to Aquinas, they
are connected by relation
-therefore, as Human Beings, our
nature is relational/social
-to respond to our nature as created in
the image of God, you have to exist in
a relationship to the other I (human
being)
-it is our calling (vocation) to LOVE
DUTY OF MAN
-to take care of our restored
nature/image
-how?
Though LOVE to others

We have to be in a
community

Catholic Social Teaching

(Nature, process & development)
What is the nature of Catholic Social
Doctrine?
-a body of doctrine that the church has
developed, with the Holy Spirits
guidance, to apply the gospel of Jesus
Christ to our life together as members
of one human community
-Nature: community oriented

The Church & the Social

Teaching
Society = Church
Mission: to proclaim the gospel/Christ
to others
-the church not only includes everyone
but everything
Mission of the Church:
Her mission is that of proclaiming &
communication the salvation
wrought in Jesus Christ, which he calls
the Kingdom of God
*Pilgrimage: when we travel to find
Gods kingdom
-announcing & communication
the Gospel of the salvation and by
establishing new Christian
communities
-gospel values
-it must immediately be added that
this temporal dimension of the
Kingdom remains incomplete
Church = political community
Separation of Church & state
-cannot be absolutely possible
because they both have the same
target/subject (community, citizens)

-Church is divine institution (brings

you to God)
-Church and state should complement
each other

EXAM REVIEW
1. What is the mission of the
Church?
To proclaim and communicate
Jesus Christ to others
2. Direction of our faith is
horizontal/vertical
TRUE
Vertical: God
Horizontal: to others & yourself
3. How did Jesus Christ divinize
the human person?
Through the saving acts of Jesus
Christ
4. The social mission of the
Church is to denounce
injustice & proclaim justice
TRUE
5. Any individual must not be
deprived of his right as a
human being
TRUE
6. The mission of the church is
the last will of Christ when
he was crucified
FALSE
That happened during Pentecost
7. Fully implemented ba ang
human rights?
FALSE
There was no enforcement
8. What is Charity?
Highest form of love
Agape: Love to God

9. How do you express your

love to God?
By loving others
10.
Relationship of church
and state?
Church institution (both divine
and human institution)

State institution (human

institution)
They need to complement each
other
11.

What is society?