USCCB Social Justice Appointment and Archbishop Chaput's Interview: Liberating Catholic Social Teaching

9/21/2012

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rarified academic debates in which they do little practical good and offer them as yeast for the quickly collapsing loaf of American culture. I hope this appointment, along with the comments from Bishops like Cardinal Dolan and Archbishop Chaput signal that the liberation of Catholic Social Thought is underway.

It is time to wrest these principles from the camp of some on the political left who have wrongly used them as proof-texts for their social engineering efforts. It is time to offer them to any on the right who have failed to place the human person at the center of all considerations in their dalliance with libertarianism. Both left and right teeter on the brink of losing an authentic humanism which affirms the primacy of the person, the family and the common good.

The truths and principles offered by Catholic social teaching are neither left nor right. They are truly human and critical for our efforts to build a truly just and human society together. The application of the principles can also require the exercise of prudential judgment.

For example, as Archbishop Chaput noted, agree or disagree with Paul Ryan's exercise of his prudential judgment - and his proposed legislative solutions to the current fiscal crisis- he does exactly what a Catholic in public service should do with the Social Doctrine of the Church.

The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church confronts what Pope Benedict properly called the "Dictatorship of Relativism" even before he assumed the Papal office. It insists there are unchangeable truths which are revealed by the Natural Law, can be known through the exercise of reason and should inform the social order in every just society.

At the foundation of these truths is the dignity of every human person at every age and stage. To be Pro-Life is NOT to be "single issue" in your political positions; it is about having a world view. It is the dignity of the human person which requires a respect for every human life whether that life be in the first home of the womb, a wheelchair, a jail cell, a hospital room, a hospice, a senior center or a soup kitchen.

Another one of these truths is that marriage is between one man and one woman, intended for life, and ordered toward the bearing and raising of children in the family. Marriage is not some social construct which can be redefined by courts or legislatures. It is the foundation for family and family is the first society, first church, first school, first economy, first government and first mediating institution. The first community which humanizes and civilizes all of us is the family.

Another is that all human persons created in the Image of God are created for relationship and called to human community. We can never fully experience human flourishing outside of social relationships. These relationships are perfective of our human person because we are by nature - and grace - made for these relationships. Catholic Social Thought does not begin with the individual but with the family. The social doctrine affirms our obligation in solidarity to one another. We are our brother/sister's keeper.

The social doctrine rejects a notion of "freedom" which begins and ends with the isolated, atomistic, person as the measure of its application. Authentic human freedom must be exercised within a moral constitution. We will only grow in freedom when we choose what is good and what is true. Otherwise "freedom" becomes a counterfeit and enslaves us, as individuals and as nations.

The social doctrine offers principles to help us order our economies. It does not propose any particular economic theory. It insists that every economic order be at the service of the human person, human freedom, human flourishing and the family. We are to give a love of preference to the poor, recognizing our solidarity with them. However, this call to solidarity is to be applied through the application of the principle of subsidiarity, rejecting all forms of dehumanizing collectivism, either of the left or the right.

The market economy has been affirmed in recent social teaching - when properly understood and morally structured. However, the Catholic Church stood against the materialism of the atheistic Marxist system and now properly cautions Nations which have adopted a form of liberal capitalism of the dangers of "economism" or materialism which promotes the use of persons as products and fails to recognize the value of being over acquiring.

The truths and principles contained within Catholic social doctrine are not merely "religious" positions, in the sense that only religious people need assent to them. They are revealed by the Natural Law and can be known through the exercise of reason. The truths are true for all people and for all time. The Church calls us to offer them as leaven to be worked into the loaf of human culture.

The appointment of Jonathan J. Reyes, Ph.D. to serve as the new Executive Director of the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Archbishop Chaput's interview both give me hope that the Catholic Social Teaching is being liberated - just in the nick of time.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Jonathan Reyes, John Carr, Msgr. Ronny Jenkins, justice, peace, human development, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Christendom College, evangelization, Archbishop Chaput, National Catholic Reporter, Social Justice, John Allen, Paul Ryan, Deacon Keith Fo

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1 - 6 of 6 Comments

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7 months ago
I'll say it again, Archbishop Chaput is one of few Catholic heroes. It is an amazing shame that he is one of the very few Bishops who actually champion the Church and its teaching. The vast majority of Bishops are in the back pocket of the Party of Death and Deceit. While Archbishop Chaput boldly tells the truth, the rest of the USCCB looks the other way as our society sinks into degradation. These charlatans are accomplices to the demise and corrosion of our society. I don't believe for a minute that they are shy cowards who want to avoid politics. They see and know well what has been going wrong in our country.
Robert
7 months ago
I pray that these brave men continue to have a strong voice in our church. Yesterday I was blessed to attend a beautiful Mass in Texas. The homily was again about the scriptures and our duty to provide for those less fortunate. The term social justice was mentioned twice.

The unborn were not mentioned. Religous freedom was not mentioned. True marriage was not mentioned. The debt of our nation was not mentioned. As our government continues to build social programs the number of poor continue to grow larger and larger. The number of dependents continues to grow larger and larger. Give, give, give, waste, waste, waste. The government spends taxpayer money without regard and with reckless abondonement. The government spends money to kill the unborn and reward other behaviors that are contrary to Jesus' teaching.

I beg the church, speak clearly and with passion.

I simply long for simple precise language about what it means to be a Catholic today. Why is our church in a crisis?

I cannot criticize due to my own shortcomings. My house is not made of stone. I can only pray and ask our leaders to stand for the faith and preach it boldly. If the leaders want us to show courage in our daily work they must show courage behind the podium on Sunday.

Simply put, If a priest or deacon supports the democratic party he cannot be my spiritual leader. He does not value what I value. His interpreation of Jesus' teachings are different than mine. Cardinal Chaput and those of similar mindset are the leaders who must be heard.

May God Bless the USA.
Larry
8 months ago
I hope the Church studies capitalism even more and puts it in the context of Catholic social teaching in the sense of - if you're going to use this economic system, here is how it is good or useful for us and how it helps us be who we can be in the world all and here are things you need to be cautious about or look out for. Communism and socialism sound like they address the needs of the needy - from each according to their means to each according to their needs. The problem is the ways they seem to do this has little respect for the individual and all focus is on the ruling body as a force to make it happen - government controlling too much, making us do things rather than encouraging us to do things or protecting us fom what can inhibit us or get in our way from living as we might or should.

We also have to remember as humans we each have our own responsibilities for ourselves and for others (the poor, the middle class, the rich) - even the that the needy and poor have responsibilities since they are individuals and humans. The orphan and widow, the poor and encarcerated have many more protections, rights and systems that help them in today's world than they did in the times of Jesus, our Lord. The good Samaritan is still relevant and we are called to help those in need - but the question is in what way to help and what do we call 'help'. There is the example of the king diving talents to 3 of his subjects and upon the king's return, 2 of them had increased the talents given them but 1 buried and saved what he was given and condemned for not at least getting some interest on the talents to increase them. We may lack and be in need but we still have things we are called to do with and for others or use for the good of others and for the 'king'.

I don't think that being in need lets us off the hook of how we should be in community and for others and what we should be doing for ourselves and our own situation to improve it and get back on our feet - personal responsibility. Even the sick have responsibilty to do what they should to get healther - follow doctors orders. Those who have more have more obligation to do for others - but it is a comparison - more than some others. In the end, after we die, we are judged on what we did, said, thought, did not do, etc. It's us and our life that matters, in relation to others who were in our life.
Kathleen Wimmer
8 months ago
Thank you your comments on Archbishop Chaput interview. I so wish that we had a few more Catholic Leaders like this man. He is one of only a very few. I do believe that our Holy Father is working with diligence to strengthen our Church. He is weeding out the weak and replacing them with the strong, brave, fearless followers of Jesus Christ!
Tom McGuire
8 months ago
Deacon Fournier,

I agree there needs to be a liberation of Catholic Social Doctrine and hope that comes with Dr Reyes. For many of us faithful Catholics, the Catholic Social Doctrine has been limited to abortion, same sex marriage, and limits on religious freedom. Subsidiarity is a Catholic Social principle, but not the only one. Now maybe we will hear about principles like the Universal Destination of Created Goods along with many other principles, which have been lacking in most Church commentaries.

It is easy to refer to Catholics on the "left" as the enemy and be assured that you posses the truth on the "right". I find refreshing what Pope Benedict XVI wrote in the Apostolic Exhortation on the Church in the Middle East:
"...IT IS NOT FITTING TO STATE IN AN EXCLUSIVE WAY: 'I POSSESS THE TRUTH'. THE TRUTH IS NOT POSSESSED BY ANYONE; IT IS ALWAYS A GIFT WHICH CALLS US TO UNDERTAKE A JOURNEY OF EVER CLOSER ASSIMILATION TO TRUTH. TRUTH CAN ONLY BE KNOWN AND EXPERIENCED IN FREEDOM; FOR THIS REASON WE CANNOT IMPOSE TRUTH ON OTHERS; TRUTH IS DISCLOSED ONLY IN AN ENCOUNTER OF LOVE."

May you and I encounter each other in love and together discover the truth on which to base prudential judgment.
abey
8 months ago
The very core of life is the Family, the First being the family of God himself called "The First Holy Family," on which all families on earth are based, The revelation of the Arc of the Covenant is to that, from everlasting to everlasting.. Woe unto the ones who try to effect even by the laws- the leavened laws, this basic social structure-"That which God has joined let no man put asunder". This is specially grave & true for America & the West through the Divorces & indulgences, abortions, gay inductions all an antithesis to the "Family order". Names like 'Liberty" will seem stupid when the wrath of God comes upon, even to the raising of the flag would amount to wearing the "Babylonian Garment" mentioned in the O.T at the time of Joshua, an Abomination unto the Lord, & the truth of the day is that America under Obama is leaning to the 2 curses of God stated in Zechariah Ch 5 , The Flying Scroll -to the leavened laws coming out of "Caesar's Portico" & the wickedness sealed in an Ephah set upon her own pedstral to exceeding her measure to the "Gay liberty" into its "Enforcement" come from the depths of Sodom through the "Herod & his council of Jezebels" in all the leavens.

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