Catholic Social Teaching/ Themes
What is Catholic Social Teaching?
Catholic social teaching is a central and essential element of our faith. Its roots are in the Hebrew prophets who announced God's special love for the poor and called God's people to a covenant of love and justice.
Interracial Marriage & Mixed Children and Catholic Social Teaching
In my time researching the Christian tradition writings of today's time, I found two of the seven Catholic Social Teachings to share the connection between them, Life and Dignity of the Human Person and Call to Family, Community, and Participation. These teachings have created a newer understanding and look on others outside of the Christian community, the Church offers its opinion on the Experiences of Interracial Marriage and Mixed Children in America but also advice for those within the community on how to advocate for or support the injustice Mixed Children and Interracial Marriages face.
Life and Dignity of the Human Person
The theme Life and Dignity of the Human Person, is the belief that all human beings are precious and are deserving to be treated more than a “thing”. The Church proclaims that human life is sacred and the dignity of one is the foundation of a moral vision for society. All people no matter the gender, race, ethnicity, origin, etc should not be condemned with hardships because of who they are. Everyone has the right to who they are and deserve respect.
In the story of The Greatest Commandment, a scribe asks Jesus “Which Commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answers, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these”. Jesus infers that you shall love your neighbor as yourself. We as humans of faith shall not discriminate against and not treat others as they are inferior because of who they are or what they identify as. As someone who grew up in a household of Catholicism, I believe we treat humans as we want to be treated regardless of our differences.
Call to Family, Community, and Participation
The theme Call to Family, Community, and Participation, is the belief that people have the right to and a duty to participate in society, and that the person is not only sacred but also social. This connects to those who are mixed that experiences the pressure from society to “fit in” in one race or the other, I have personally also experienced this and struggled with it myself. Each person even if they are of two different races should not be discriminated against and not be “not allowed” into a group they are a part of because they are not only that race or ethnicity.
In Fratelli Tutti the Encyclical Letter on Fraternity and Social Friendship is encouraged by the Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, declared that “God has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and has called them to live together as brothers and sisters”. This is saying that God created all humans in equalness, the role of one's race, gender, partner, or identity shall have any matter. All people should be respected and we are all born the same, a human being.
