SOCIAL
MINISTRY
Jan Papciak, Director of
Social Ministry
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BEATITUDES
"Walking the Talk"
7
PRINCIPLES OF
CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING
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7
PRINCIPIOS DE LAS ENSEÑANZAS
SOCIALES CATOLICAS
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Life
and Dignity of the Human Person
The human person is central, the clearest
reflection of God among us. Each person possesses a basic dignity
that comes from God, not from race or gender, age or economic
status. We believe people are sacred and deserving of
life from conception until natural death. In a materialistic world
and declining respect for human life, we must proclaim the dignity
of the human person. We believe this is the foundation of all the
principles of our social teaching. In our society human life is
under attack from abortion to the death penalty to assisted
suicide. Every human person is precious, people are more valuable
than things. The test of every institution or policy is whether it
enhances or threatens human life and human dignity.
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Prayer for Life
Loving God,
you have created all life.
Create in us
a stirring to be an extension
of your love.
Help us to defend life from
conception until natural death.
Strengthen us with the ability to
respect all peoples
from all corners of the earth.
Help us to follow the example
of Jesus and to reach
out to all of our neighbors
around the globe.
We ask this in your
Loving name.
Amen.
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Call
to Family, Community and Participation
The human person is both sacred and social.
We realize our dignity and the rights in relationship with others in our
community. "We are one body; when one suffers we all
suffer." Our participation in the up-building of society is
both a right and an obligation. 
We believe people have a right
and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good
and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. We
believe that the role of government and other institutions is to
protect human life and human dignity and promote the common good. |
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Prayer for Community
Embracing Father,
you reach out to us in love
at all times.
Bless us with the ability
to see our neighbor in need.
Help us to reach out to our
communities with loving action.
Guide us in the work that Jesus
began and that you want to
continue in each of us
according to your call.
Enlighten us on our journey and
guide us with peaceful hearts
and minds.
Amen.
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Rights
and Responsibilities
People have a fundamental right to life, food, shelter, health care,
education, and employment. All people have a right to participate
in decisions that affect their lives. Corresponding to these
rights are duties and responsibilities to respect the rights of others
in the wider
society and to work for the common good. Any denial of these
rights harms the persons and the society. In a world where some speak mostly of "rights" and others
mostly of "responsibilities," we believe that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be
achieved. Corresponding to these
rights are duties and responsibilities--to one another, to our families,
and to the larger society.
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Prayer for Basic Rights
Lord of Wisdom,
enlighten us with your vision
of a people who reaches
out to one another.
Magnify the injustices
in our daily walk
with you so that we
may see the basic
rights of others
that need to be defended.
Provide us with the voice to speak
as your Spirit leads.
Amen.
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Option
for the Poor and Vulnerable
The moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable
members. The poor have the most urgent moral claim on the
conscience of the nation. We are called to look at public
policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor. The
overarching Gospel principle is the obligation to attend to the poor -
"what you did for the least of these is what you did for
me." |
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Prayer for the
Poor
God of Justice,
Mold us into a people
who are truly a reflection
of your goodness for
all people.
Open our hearts and minds
to see the injustice in the
world and to call on you
for guidance to bring
about true healing
in our world.
Amen.
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The
Dignity of Work and the
Rights of Workers
People have the right to decent and productive work, fair wages, to form
and join unions, private property, and economic initiative. The
economy exists to serve the people, not the other way around. Work
is more than a way to make  a
living; it is a vocation, a participation in creation. Work is more than a way to
make a living; it is a form
of continuing participation in God's creation. If the dignity of
work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be
respected. Respecting these rights promotes an economy that
protects human life, defends human rights, and advances the well-being
of all. |
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Prayer for Work
Creator God,
thank you for the gift of work
and the ability to participate with you
in bringing forth your Kingdom.
Provide our community and world
with the work needed to sustain
life and to create peoples
who reach out to one
another
in service.
Keep us faithful on our journey
toward the dignity of work
for all our global family.
Inspire us to follow Jesus
more closely.
Amen.
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Solidarity
We are one human family and are interdependent. Our
responsibilities to each other cross national, racial, economic, and
ideological differences. We are called to work globally for
justice. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in an
interdependent world. Solidarity calls us to stand united with the
poor and the powerless as our own brothers and
sisters. We believe that we are
our brothers' and sisters' keepers, wherever they live. Learning to practice the virtue of solidarity means learning that
"loving our neighbor" has global dimensions. This virtue is described by John Paul II as
"a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the
common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual,
because we are all really responsible for all" (Sollicitudo Rei
Socialis, no 38). |
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Prayer for Solidarity
Almighty and ever-living God,
you are present in all
people. Help us to see
you in every face we encounter.
A loving community, nation and world
are brought about by peace.
You are the essence of peace and love.
Inspire us to move in a way
that alleviates suffering
and is conscious of the needs of
others. In the name of Jesus
we pray.
Amen.
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Care
for God's Creation
On a planet struggling over environmental issues, we believe that we show our respect
for our Creator by our stewardship  of
creation. We are called to protect people and
the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God's
creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and
ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored. |
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Prayer for our Earth
Loving Father,
you have blessed us
with this earthly dwelling place.
Guide us in preserving
its beauty and maintaining
its soil for our sustenance.
Help us to reach out to
one another in peace and love
as we share this earthly home.
Amen.
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Excerpts taken from the:
Office of Social Development & World Peace
National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic
Conference
October 20, 1999 © United States Catholic Conference
These principles build on the
foundation of
Catholic social teaching:
the dignity
of human life.
This central Catholic
principle
requires that we measure
every policy, every institution,
and
every action by whether
it protects human life and
enhances human
dignity,
especially for the poor and vulnerable.
For further study on the
Catholic Social Teachings:
www.nccbuscc.org/catechism/text/index.htm
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