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PART 1 VALUES & VIRTUES
Values
Principles or standards for a group or society considered worthwhile or desirable.
Firm attitudes, stable disposition, and habitual perfections of intellect and will that
govern our actions, order our passions and guide our conduct according to reason
and faith.
Vices
Opposite of a virtue.
Bad habit that is acquired by repeated sin in violation of proper norms of morality.
Types of Virtues:
1. Theological Virtues virtues that relate directly to God.
Faith enable us to believe in God and the teachings of His Church.
Hope - leads us to view eternal life as our most important goal and to place our total
trust in God.
Love/Charity - enables us to love God above all things and our neighbors as we love
ourselves.
2. Cardinal Virtues virtues that guide our minds and actions to live the good life;
- called cardinal (Latin: cardo hinge) virtues because they are hinges on which all
moral virtues depend.
- they are also called moral (Latin: mores fixed values) because they govern our
actions, order our passions, and guide our conduct according to faith.
Prudence - mother of all the virtues; ability to think before we act.
Fortitude - strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in
the moral life; gives you the courage to do what is right even in very difficult times.
Justice - comes from a Latin word (jus) meaning right; virtue that consists in the
constant and firm will to give human persons what is due to them. This virtue obliges us
to respect the dignity and rights of others.
Temperance - moderates the attraction and desire for pleasure and provides balance
in the use of created goods; combats the sin of gluttony.
Types of Justice:
1. Commutative Justice - justice of exchange. It calls for fairness in agreements &
exchanges between individuals or private social groups. It requires respect of persons in
our economic transactions, contracts or promises.
2. Distributive Justice - the society, through its governmental bodies and leaders,
should give or distribute to the individual members of the society what is rightfully
theirs.
3. Contributive/ Legal Justice - regulates the citizens obligations to the larger society
and the government. This type of justice is also called legal justice since their
obligations to the state is usually expressed through their observance of the laws in the
land. This is the other side of distributive justice.
4. Social Justice - Social justice concerns the social, political, and economic aspects
and, above all, the structural dimension of problems and their respective solutions. The
focus of social justice is on the institutions, systems and structures of society that either
facilitate or hinder the common good and exercise of human rights at the local, national
and international levels.
PART 2 SOCIAL JUSTICE
In the Bible:
The book with the most poverty and justice references in the Old Testament is
Psalms, with 247 verses.
The New Testament book with the most poverty and justice references if the
Gospel of Matthew with 124 verses.
Justice is an integral and essential part of the identity and integrity of God.
Social Justice in the Context of the Churchs Mission
1. Early Christian Community (Early Church)
Like Jesus, the early church was poor.
Majority of the members belonged to the poorer class, some were slaves.
It was a persecuted church; many were martyred.
Christians had to meet secretly for meetings and worship
The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christianity.
2. Medieval Era
Medium aevum -- Medieval or The Middle Ages
313 AD Emperor Constantine granted religious freedom to the Christians through
the Edict of Milan
Turned the Church from a poor persecuted church to one that was wealthy and
powerful
Constantine made Christianity as the official religion of the Roman empire.
(*Emperor Nero-prohibited)
The state or the empire gave the church wealth and power; huge lands and
properties were given to the Pope
The Popes became owners and kings of famous papal states in Italy. Bishops and
Abbots of monasteries became feudal lords, or owners of vast lands and
possessions.
Corruption in the church
Emergence of great saints
Feudalism economic system of much of the Middle Ages.
- Commoners (peasants) lived on a feudal manor. The lord of the manor gave his
peasants land to farm. Yet they were taxed and had to surrender a portion of their
crops to the lord.
- In return, the peasants received protection from roving bandits.
3. Capitalist Era
Brought down the king and feudal lords through war
Capitalism vs. church (possessed political power)
Capitalists wanted to conquer State power, so the Church had to be conquered too
because they possessed political power
Monasteries were closed, church properties were confiscated, priests were killed
 Capitalism reconciled with the church
Through concordats or treaties
Church regained wealth even more wealth than it owned during medieval times
Sin of omission church stood at the side of the capitalists
Industrialization the process of change from an agrarian, handicraft economy to
one dominated by industry and machine manufacture.
- More machines = less jobs = unemployment = a new social problem
- Conflict between capital and labor
4. The First Social Encyclical
Leo XIII - Reigning until the age of 93, he was the oldest pope, and had the third longest
pontificate.
- Leo XIII brought normalcy back to the Church after the tumultuous years of Pius IX.
- He wrote the first social encyclical (Rerum Novarum).
Rerum Novarum - Res novae (new things)
- Brought about by the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century
- The social problem labor
- Considered the plight of industrial workers
PART 3 CHURCHS SOCIAL TEACHINGS (CST)
Magisterium teaching authority of the Church through the Pope and bishops grounded
on the Word of God.
Pastoral letters - written by the bishops addressed to the local church.
Papal letters/Encyclicals - written by the Pope addressed to the universal
Church.
Church Social Teachings
Catholic Social Teachings the Churchs body of teachings on social, economic,
political and cultural matters.
Church Social Doctrines - Church teachings in the area of social matters.
2 Characteristics of CSTs:
Permanent - Based on the Gospel; Values are timeless.
Changing - Context of people changes.
Content of CSTs
Principles for reflection
Criteria for evaluating systems
Guidelines for fostering active pursuit of the common good
1. RERUM NOVARUM Condition of Labor
Literally: Of New Things
Written by Pope Leo XIII
Brought about by the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century
The social problem labor
Rerum Novarum broke down the barrier that separated the church from the worker
2. QUADRAGESSIMO ANNO Reconstruction of the Social Order
Literally: 40th Year
Written by Pius XI
40 years after Rerum Novarum
Proposed FAMILY WAGE salaries should be proportional not only to the needs of
the worker but also to those of the workers family
Dealt with the following social issues:
Monopoly of production, Massive depression (The Great Depression), Child labor,
Totalitarianism, Widening gap between rich and poor.
*Totalitarianism modern autocratic government in which the state involve itself in
all facets of society, including the daily life of its citizens.
*Principle of Subsidiarity requires those in positions of authority to recognize that
individuals have a right to participate in decisions that directly affect them, in
accord with their dignity and with their responsibility to the common good.
- decisions should be made at the most appropriate level in a society or
organization.
*The Great Depression worldwide economic collapse in which unemployment and
homelessness skyrocketed, government revenue and international trade
plummeted, stock market lost significant value, and banks closed.
3. MATER ET MAGISTRA Christianity and Social Progress
Literally: The title means mother and teacher, which refers to the role of the
church
It was written by Pope John XXIII
Deals with the issues of developed and underdeveloped countries; Pointed out the
responsibility of rich countries.
A nation should balance economic development with social progress and not
sacrifice the welfare of its people for monetary gain.
The wealthiest nations of the world should act to help those countries who are less
developed and whose people struggle for the lifes basic necessities.
*World War II largest war in human history.
4. PACEM IN TERRIS Peace on Earth
Written by Pope John XXIII
Addressed not only to the universal church but to all people of goodwill
The Cold War
Written amid worldwide concern about a nuclear war: The Cuban Missile Crisis
Pope John XXIII wrote to John F Kennedy
Outlines necessary conditions for lasting world peace
Condemns nuclear arms race
Calls for respect for human rights, development of world authority to protect
universal common good
5. GAUDIUM ET SPES Church in the Modern World
Literally: Joy and Hope
Written in 1965 as part of the documents of the Second Vatican Council under the
leadership of POPE PAUL VI
 One of the four apostolic constitutions resulting from the Second Vatican Council
Pope Paul VI opened Vatican Council II
It highlighted the:
Christian duty to work for peace and the avoidance of war
need for international efforts for social and economic development in poor
countries
duty of richer countries to assist the development of poorer countries
Churchs support for human rights
need for a more equitable distribution of wealth within and between countries
6. POPULORUM PROGRESSIO On the Development of People
Written by Pope Paul VI
Examines economy on global level
Encyclical devoted entirely to the international development issue
Promotes integral development of the whole person and of all persons
Calls development as the new name of peace
Economy of the world should serve mankind, not just a few
Real peace in the world requires justice (Economic justice is the basis for peace)
Rejects idea that revolution and force must be used to change economic condition
7. OCTOGESIMA ADVENIENS A Call to Action
Literally: on the 80th year
written by Pope Paul VI, 80 years after Rerum Novarum
addressed directly to Catholics and called Christians to action, emphasizing local
church work for social justice in relation to urbanization and the environment
Introduces preferential option for the poor
The new social problems are identified within the unbalanced, expansive, and
technological urbanization
Develops the role of individual local churches in responding to unjust situations
and acting for justice
ends with a challenge to Christians for their involvement
8. JUSTITIA IN MUNDO Justice in the World
Came out of the Synod of Bishops in 1971
Bishops came from underdeveloped countries
Shortest encyclical but it is regarded as a strong influence on social involvement of
Catholics
Urbanization refers to a process in which the increasing proportion of a
population lives in cities and the suburbs of cities
9. EVANGELII NUNTIANDI Evangelization in the Modern World
Literally:
Evangelii nuntiandi is Latin and derives its name from the first words of the text:
Evangelii nuntiandi studium nostrae aetatis hominibus. ("The effort to proclaim the
Gospel to the men of our time.")
Written by Paul VI in 1975
Links the work of doing justice with evangelization
 Stresses on the role of the church to spread the Gospel to the people of the 20th
century in ways understandable to them
commemorates the 10th anniversary of the closing of Vatican II.
10. LABOREM EXERCENS On Human Work
Written by Pope John Paul II in 1981 on human work
Commemorates the 90th anniversary of Rerum Novarum
Revisits the rights and dignity of workers
Examines the opposition between capital and labor
The social problem: Entrepreneurs follow the principle of maximum profit.
(establish lowest possible wage, lack of safe working conditions, no safeguards
regarding health and living conditions of workers)
Employers must compensate their employees for work with an amount that will be
enough to properly maintain a family and provide security for its future.
Society must also prevent discrimination against disabled persons and allow them
to attain employment.
11. SOLLICITUDO REI SOCIALIS On Social Concern
Written by Pope John Paul II in 1987, on the 20th anniversary of Populorum
Progressio
the first Papal letter to commit the whole Church to the option or love of
preference for the poor
nations continue to build weapons while citizens lack food and education
Resources used for the arms race be dedicated to the alleviation of human misery
12. CENTESSIMUS ANNUS 100th Anniversary
Written by Pope John Paul II in 1991 on the 100th year anniversary of Rerum
Novarum
Hyperindustrialism resulting to consumerism and materialism
the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
society and the state must ensure wage levels adequate for the maintenance of
the worker and his family, including a certain amount for savings.
Materialism - Being overly concerned with material possessions and wealth
Consumerism - is an ideology that induces individuals to acquire and consume
maximum goods and services.