Catholic Social Teaching

This theme draws upon all aspects of organized society: from family to government structures.  The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) claims that every person has the right to participate in such structures, and draws attention to the poor and vulnerable people within them.  In Economic Justice for All: Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy, the USCCB states that “Economic and social policies as well as organization of the work world should be continually evaluated in light of their impact on the strength and stability of family life.”  This quote from section 93 suggests that one of the main goals of governmental policy is to establish a healthy foundation for families to thrive.  This connects to the need for legislation reform in terms of research for these conditions, mandated screenings, and criminal case considerations.  St. John Paul II agrees with this, saying that “The first and fundamental structure for a 'human ecology' is the family” in his encyclical Centesimus Annus.  This shows how the primary considerations of public policy should concern families and the people within them, rather than political or economic motives.

Just as each person was created in God’s image and likeness, as stated in Genesis 1:26-31, the USCCB argues that “human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is  the foundation of a moral vision for society”.  Pope Francis affirms this in Fratelli Tutti, stating that “Differences of color, religion, talent, place of birth or residence, and so many others, cannot be used to justify the privileges of some over the rights of all.”  This directly contradicts the prejudice and marginalization that occurs within conversations about maternal mental health.  This issue is largely based in misogyny and myths about feminine health.  In order to combat this, lawmakers and healthcare providers should consider these unalienable rights received through the Bill of Rights, as well as through spirituality.  Pope Francis delves into this matter further in Evangelii Gaudium, in which he calls out the ‘killers’ of today: “Just as the commandment 'Thou shalt not kill' sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also have to say 'thou shalt not' to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills.”  This quote ties in with the aforementioned requirement for new laws that protect mothers from these dangers.  This is additionally supported by Prov 29:7, which states that “A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.”  This shows how we should care about the vulnerable people surrounding us, such as enacting these aforesaid laws.