Building Justice

Ric A. Cervera

What is the essential dimension of preaching the Gospel today?

“Action on behalf of justice, and participation in the transformation of the world and the promotion of human rights, appear as an essential dimension of preaching the Gospel today”.

What are some major problems throughout the Philippines today?

The question of justice, and the problems of stealing on all levels, due primarily to the widespread poverty, the violation of human rights, and the exploitation of both persons and natural resources, are major problems of our country.

How does the Seventh Commandment foster social justice?

“You shall not steal” fosters social justice as it prohibits all ways of robbing others’ freedom by stealing what is rightfully theirs. In today’s economic world, this prohibition includes both private possessions and public properties, and actions such as corporation manipulations, unjust trade agreements and the like.

PCP II urges “a passionate care of our earth and our environment.”

How does the Tenth Commandment foster social justice?

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, or anything else that belongs to him“ fosters social justice by prohibiting the distorted desires of the heart from which stealing and exploitation of our neighbor arise.

It forbids not only unjust craving but also envy at another’s success, such as seen in Cain’s “envy-hatred-murder” pattern.

What is the real problem raised by the Tenth Commandment?

The Tenth Commandment lays bare our powerlessness to check all our disordered desires, and thus reform our lIves not only exteriorly but especially interiorly.

Christ’s encounter with the “rich young man” brings out the almost diabolical hold which riches have on us. We thus come to realize our basic need to be saved by God’s merciful love and power.

What is the Gospel picture of social responsibility?

The Gospels sketch social responsibility in terms of:

• reform of life, as in John the Baptist’s preaching;

• conversion of heart, as sketched in Jesus’ parables;

• restitution, as praised in Zacchaeus.

Basic to all three stages is a fundamental trust in God as all-Provident Father.

What role does the Church play in temporal affairs?

The Church’s actions “is not political, or economic, or technical, but rather religious and moral structure, strengthening the spiritual and moral bases of society.” (John Paul II).

The Church’s social doctrine offers:

• principle for reflection;

• criteria for judgment; and

• criteria for action.

Typical concerns of the Church are human rights and new insights, such as the notion of social sin.

What are the Church’s guiding truths for Filipino Catholics in political life?

The basic truths for political involvement proposed by the Church are:

• pursuit of the common good as objective basis;

• in defense and promotion of justice for all;

• inspired and guided by the spirit of service;

• imbued with the love of preference for the poor;

• empowerment of the people to be carried out both as process and goal of political activity.

What is meant by “social sin”?

The term “social sin” is used to describe situations or structures which cause or support evil, or fail through complicity or indifference to redress evils when it is possible. Such sinful structures are always “rooted in personal sin”.

“Typical social sins” in the Philippine context include prostitution, pornography, consumerism and militarism.

What is the Church’s position on private property?

The right to private property is valid and necessary, but second to the intrinsically social function of all property.

The Seventh and Tenth Commandments protect property from theft “from above” (rich and powerful robbing the poor) and theft “from below” (the have-nots robbing the well-to-do).

What is basis for the Church’s social teaching?

The intrinsic dignity of every human person and the basic human solidarity are the basis for the Church’s social teaching.

What is the Church’s teaching on work?

Work as one distinguishing characteristic of human beings, is an essential key to the social question, especially when seen in terms of the person who is the subject/ agent of work and the primary basis for its value.

What is meant by the “primacy of work as subjective’’?

This phrase stresses:

• human persons are the purpose of work, i.e., work is to achieve human fulfillment, first in the family, then in the larger community;

• the priority of labor over capital, and

• the primacy of persons over things.

What are the consequences of this primacy?

• the right to work;

• the right to a just share in the fruits of

the work;

• the right to organize to defend the

worker’s interest.

The primacy of work as subjective grounds three basic rights:

What duties go with these rights?

The right to work also involves the duty to work, and the right to a just salary involves the duty to work honestly. Both rights and duties are enhanced by a proper “spirituality of work” which develops the insight of seeing work as “sharing in the activity of the Creator.”

What is meant by “preferential option for the poor”?

This option is a “Christian preference” by which the Church desires to bring the message of salvation to every human being, to every culture and social environment, but in the first place to those who are most in need.

It follows the teaching and example of Christ himself, and the exercise of Christian charity to which the whole tradition of the Church bears witness.

How are justice and Christian charity related?

Christian charity implies an absolute demand for justice, and justice attains its inner fullness only in love.

What constitutes a primary responsibility for Filipino Christians?

We are called to bear witness to the human and Gospel values that are intimately involves in the economic, social and political areas of activity.

Christian Filipinos today face a major responsibility in working to build a just society.

Thank you for listening!

Caritas Christi urget nos!