Catholic Social Teaching Essay

* is a automobile trunk of doctrine developed by the Catholic church on matters of poverty and wealth, economics, social organization and the component part of the state. Its foundations ar widely considered to have been laid by Pope Leo XIIIs 1891 encyclical letter letter Rerum Novarum, which advocated economic Distri providedism and condemned both Capitalism and Socialism, although its root can be traced to the writings of Catholic thinkers such(prenominal) as St. doubting Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine of Hippo, and is also derived from concepts map in the Bible.* The Catholic Social Teaching has dickens basic characteristics, namely, being standing(prenominal) and developing.* Permanent-Since the breedings atomic number 18 based on the Gospel, they offer a long-lived complex idea to be pursued in the ever changing diachronic conditions and slipway. These teachings can neer go out of date in their basics. Examples of these permanent teachings argon exemplified in t he following principles1. Human self-regard and Solidarity2. Social justice and Christian love3. bustling non- strength and peace4. Preferential option for the poor5. tax of human work6. Universal destinations of all goods of the public7. Stewardship and the integrity of creation8. People empowerment9. veritable and holistic (integral) human development* Developing-The fundamentals of church service Social Teaching make up the steadily growing collection of the Churchs social principles that must(prenominal) be creatively utilise to and renewed in ever changing concrete situations of various events, cultures, and human needs in the historical process. Deeper insights into permanent values develop as the Church reads the signs of the times.* Methods and Sources1. Scripture. The authoritative books which record the Jewish and Christian friendships of immortals self-disclosure.Scripture reveals who God is and who we be called to be in response to God. Interpretation of Scrip ture requires circumspection to historical context and is best done in community.2. Tradition the ways of thinking and living that ar handed over (traditio) from one generation to the following(a) an ongoing conversation across the ages about our around important questions. Also the consistence of theological reflectance and the ways of putting this reflection into practice that are handed over (traditio) from one generation to the next. Magisterium authorised teaching office of church and authoritative representative of customs. While theologians, activists, and ordinary Catholics make contribute to this body of theological reflection in important ways, a privileged source of Catholic tradition is the magisterium or the official, authoritative teaching office of the church. This official teaching office is exercised by Catholic Bishops, and in occurrence the Bishop of Rome (the Pope), as well as groups establish by the Pope. This teaching is expressed in the turn of a) papal encyclicalsb) encyclicals of Church Councils (such as Vatican II) or Synods of Bishops, c) statements by Vatican offices, congregations, and commissions & d) Episcopal conferences (regional meetings of Bishops, such as the National collection of Catholic Bishops in the United States).3. Reason. The infixed human capacity to know truth. The way we interpret and find out Scripture, Tradition, and experience.* Reason as Natural rightThe preeminent form of precedenting for much of Catholic tradition has been inseparable law reasonablenessing. To understand Catholic natural law reasoning, one must get at bottom a whole worldview, culture, and language within Catholic tradition. Natural law holds that Gods intentions are expressed in the order that God build into creation. This order takes the form of constitutions or intelligible patterns of being. adult male are capable of knowing this order by reflecting upon creation. As earth we must first descry our nature and ac t harmonize to it so as to fulfill our created nature. For example, domain by nature (or by creation) have a create in inherent aptitude for self-preservation. Aquinas argues that to use appropriately limited violence in self-defense is good because it is to act according to our God-given nature. (Gods creation is good).* Four Levels of natural lawSt. Thomas Aquinas defines law is an ordering of reason (ordinatio rationis) or the most important way that reason rules or measures implements. He describes intravenous feeding levels of law a. Eternal Law the approximation (ratio) of God which orders and governs creation b. Divine Law the explicit revelation of the mind of God in Scripture c. Natural Law the expression of the mind of God in the order that God has built into creation. This order takes the form of natures or patterns of being that humans can know by using their reason to reflect on creation. For example, because humans by nature (or creation) have a built in soul for self-preservation, limited self-defense is in accord with our God-given nature. send off Romans 214-15 d. Human Law human attempts to produce laws that reflect the natural law.* Two Interpretations of Human spiritThere have been two major strains of reading material of human nature a) nature as animal(prenominal)humans must respect their biological givenness or the physical order (ex. artificial contraception interferes with the natural order of sexual intercourse whereas the rhythm rule respects this order.) b) nature as rationalhumans must act in accord with reason they must seek to discover and fulfill their fullest finding. biology does not trump separate cues in discovering nature. Instead, we must look to all sources of human acquaintance in order to discover how things are meant to be. The pope reasons that the purpose of station is for the good of all creation but a limited right to private property is consistent with human dignity and human wisdom about how well people take look at of common property.4. Experience. Our encounter with the world both early(prenominal) and present. Christian tradition privileges the experience of those at the margins of conjunctionthe poor and the oppressed. In Catholic social imagination experience is enriched and expanded by a four step process of interpretation and reflection which I will call the interpretive circle. a. experience insert yourself into a situation, see what is going on, and realize necessary informationb. social depth psychology What are the structural or root causes of injustices? What are the patterns of action that reinforce these injustices? c. theological reflection What light does faith, peculiarly as expressed in Scripture and Catholic social teaching, shed upon our experience and social analysis? Where is God in this situation and how might we act to Gods call to us? d. mulish planning What are the most faithful, creative, and effective ways of acting upon the first three s teps?* How does Catholic tradition use these four sources?1. They serve as checks and balances to each other. Each should inform and complement the other in critical dialogue. 2. Reason informed by faith. Reason and faith penetrate each other and form a unified way of orgasm problems. Scripture and Christian Tradition provide the boilers suit story, worldview, and values that serve as the framework for honorable reasoning.