Catholic Social Doctrine IV

First – welcome to the Sacred Heart Festival!

We are glad you are here to share our hospitality, enjoy one another’s company, and help support our mission. Having reviewed the underlying values of Catholic Social Doctrine rooted in the entire moral tradition of the Church, we’ll take a very brief look at each of its seven principles.

The principles are not isolated or independent considerations, but naturally intersect with one another. One cannot choose one or two principles and ignore the rest. Finding the prudent balance between principles that may seem to be in conflict in concrete situations takes prayer, reflection, and consultation with others who have experience in such questions.

That said, the first principle is truly foundational for all the others: the Life and Dignity of the Human Person. It is the foundation for the rest because we cannot enjoy any rights of freedoms or fulfill any responsibilities without the primary gift of life itself.

The Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the inviolable basis of a moral vision for every society. We are made in the image of God, as we read in the very opening pages of the Bible (Genesis 1:27). This fundamental right to life and to respect for human dignity does not vary with age, stage of development or decline, education, race or ethnicity, an individual’s past, social standing – any of the various ways we classify ourselves. It is the radical basis of equality and the universal call to holiness. While a person’s capacity may vary in different ways – strength, intellect, emotional maturity, talents and skills – the essential magnificence of each person is whole, complete, and intact.

Practically speaking, we clearly see that human life is under attack from many directions: abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, war, prejudices, human trafficking, abuse, using embryos as mere research material, pornography, and a range of other violations of life and dignity. The list is not exhaustive; sadly there are many instances of disregarding what the Church recently called the dignitas infinita (infinite dignity) of every person even in daily encounters in our routines.

We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

The second principle is Call to Family, Community, and Participation. The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society—in economics and politics, in law and policy—directly affects human dignity and the capacity of to grow in community. Marriage and the family are

he central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. We believe people have a right and a responsibility to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

We form various communities in life, starting with our families, but also around our work or school, our hobbies, our political preferences, the activities of our children and grandchildren, and of course our faith in parishes, prayer groups, volunteer activities, and more. These communities carry the potential for truly human relationships of respect, concern, and mutual help. As Pope Leo noted in his encyclical on the magnificence of humanity, these personal and real-time encounters are an invaluable antidote to the isolation, loneliness, and emptiness that so many people experience in our age. A simple smile, a compliment, a favor, a listening ear – these are examples of great gifts that help to keep us human. The third principle is the interplay between Rights and Responsibilities. The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met.

Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities--to one another, to our families, and to the larger society. While the language of “rights” carries powerful weight to uphold human dignity, its proper use requires their grounding in the objective good for the human person. Objective rights are universal

– applying to all persons - and rooted in our common human nature. This includes things like life, food, clothing, shelter, education, health care, security, freedom from oppression, etc.

They are the foundation of a just and humane society, ordering the responsible use of resources to meet the individual flourishing of each to the benefit of all.