CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING SOCIAL JUSTICE

PROLOGUE

 The Catholic Church from the time of Jesus has a long history of promoting social justice. The early Christians took care of one another in community, looked after the common good, loved and prayed together.

 “All who believed were together and had all things in common they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes… praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” Book of Acts 2:42-45

CATHOLIC TEACHING ON SOCIAL JUSTICE

 CATHECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

 CCC #1934 Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all men have the same nature and the same origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine beatitude: all therefore enjoy an equal dignity.

CCC #1936 On coming into this world man is not equipped with everything he needs for developing his bodily and spiritual life.  He needs others.  Talents and gifts are not distributed equally, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit”. Corinthians chapter 12:4-7

CCC #1937 These differences belong to God’s divine plan who wills that each receives what he needs from others and those endowed with particular talents share them with those who need them.  These differences encourage and sometimes oblige persons to practice generosity, kindness, and sharing of goods.

No one person receives the same talents and gifts but all talents and gifts are present in the body of Christ so that no one is left behind materially or spiritually. In other words, Catholic Social Justice teaching calls on us the “people of God” to minister to our neighbor’s needs, to speak out against injustice, and to work for peace.

SCRIPTURE

“Anyone who says I love God and hates his neighbor is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” I John 4:20

 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?…If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? Faith without works is dead.” James 2:14-17

“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.  This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  John 13:34-35

 INTRODUCTION

 In these turbulent times I am going to focus on the subject of Racism.  Along with the Pandemic, Racism dominates the news and social media.  Black lives matter is a fact from Jesus and the Church he founded.

Now this fact does not mean I agree or should you with every body’s use of this term.  The mantra Black Lives Matter was a natural after many acts of police brutality towards black victims.

Some enterprising revolutionaries took that expression and incorporated themselves into BLACK LIVES MATTER ORGANIZATION INCORPORATED. This organization is not to be supported as it’s aims and platform is directly opposed to much of Catholic Church teaching.

Black lives matter does not mean violence, arson, vandalism, looting is an appropriate response.  There will always be those who take advantage of chaotic situations to benefit themselves.  They were selfish before incidents, during incidents, and will remain destructive and divisive after incidents waiting their next opportunity to plunder.

I have been a social justice advocate all my adult life.  Matthew 25:40, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” compels me to witness the faith in deeds not just words.  I marched with Martin Luther King, Selma to Montgomery 1965, protested Vietnam War, an activist in prison reform and abolition of the Death Penalty.  I was blessed as a boy growing up Catholic to be in an archdiocese led by Cardinal Joseph Ritter.

 Joseph Elmer Ritter was born on July 20, 1892—the dawn of the industrial age—in New Albany, Indiana, a small city on the Ohio River across from Louisville, Kentucky. The son of working-class parents, His life was marked by his deep concern for the poor and working-class people. In 1938 as bishop of Indianapolis, he took a brave, bold, and controversial act, ordering the desegregation of all of the Catholic schools in the Indianapolis diocese. This groundbreaking act of Ritter’s stemmed from Ritter’s deep belief that all people are created equal in the eyes of God.

In 1946 Cardinal Ritter was named Archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. One year later he ordered the St. Louis Catholic schools to integrate. Some Catholics became upset at his order, which was in opposition to existing Missouri state laws.  Ritter, a man who understood well the obligations of leadership, used the office of archbishop to remind Catholics of the equality of all people under God.   It would be seven more years before the U.S. Supreme Court would order public schools to integrate with its landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education. In 1960 Pope John XXIII elevated Archbishop Ritter to Cardinal

 RACISM

 COMMENTARY

Racism is not merely one sin among many.  It is the Original Sin of our Country.  Our country was built on slave labor and the genocide of Native Americans. That is a fact whether we like it or not.

Racism is a radical evil that divides the human family blots out the image of God among specific members of that family, and violates the fundamental human dignity of those called to be children of the same Father.

We are entering an era characterized by limited resources, restricted job markets and dwindling revenues. In this atmosphere, the poor and racial minorities are being asked to bear the heaviest burden of the new economic pressures. As economic pressures tighten, those people who are often black, Hispanic, Native American and Asian, the marginalized poor, slip further into the unending cycle of poverty, deprivation, and disease, .

CONCLUSION

In Christ Jesus “there does not exist among you Jew or Greek, slave or freedom, male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28 It is in Christ, then, that the Church finds the central cause for its commitment to justice, and to the struggle for the human rights and dignity of all persons.

No one wants to think of themselves as a racist and most people are not.  But an examination of conscience might be in order to see the extent that racial bias affects our personal attitudes and judgments.  To the extent that we allow another’s race to influence our relationship and limit our openness to those who might not look like us we may be infected.

I know over the years if I had an unpleasant experience with a person of color, I might be inclined to let that “color” my opinions leading to prejudging and perhaps avoiding such a person in the future.  Racism is insidious as it might sneak up on us before we are aware and take steps to mitigate any generalization about a race.

As evangelizers and disciples of Jesus we do our best to influence the attitudes of others by expressly rejecting racial stereotypes, racial slurs and racial jokes. We should influence members of our families, especially our children, to be sensitive to authentic human values and cultural contributions of each racial grouping in our country.

If we want peace, we must work for justice – here at home and around the world. Lasting peace is the effect of charity. There is no real peace without forgiveness… If we want peace, we must let go of our desire for revenge, we must be willing to let old wounds heal through the saving grace of God’s love. Our secular world views peace as the product of human effort. Our faith teaches us that peace is a gift from God.

 BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS FOR THEY SHALL BE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD

MATTHEW 5:9

Prayer to Overcome Racism

Mary, through your Son, Jesus, God has found a way to unite himself to every human being, We are called to be one people, sisters and brothers to each other.

Mother Mary we ask for your help in obtaining the grace we need to overcome the evil of racism and to build a just society.

We seek the forgiveness of your Son for times when we have failed to love and respect one another.

We pray  prejudice will no longer infect our minds or hearts but be replaced with a love that respects the dignity of each person.

Mary Mother of us all, pray for us. Amen