Sr. Maureen Fiedler
social teaching of the church -- best kept secret
-- threat it might pose to the social and economic order if it's heard
pope Francis = has changed the emphasis -- talked about poverty and put the enphasis on there rather than on rigid doctrine and of course lives it
purpose of the social teaching -- has to do with the shape of societies, governments, and economic structures ... according to the moral normls of justice and sharing a peace
not about individual charity -- about how socieities and nations should funciton
transformation of the world - social sin and social justice
1971 synod of bishops - action on behalf of justice and participation in the xformation of the world fuully appear to us as a constituative deminsion of the preaching of the gosmpel - church's missing for the redpemtion of the human race .. funciton and the focus of cst ... every oppressive situation!
themes and documents
goes back to Jesus!
economic justice - enphaiss on the needs of the poor, hungry
within nations and between nations -- global conciousness
call for justice in sharing with the poor as an obligation
birthplace of "preferential option of the poor"
emphasis on the common good -- all in this together -- there is no tolerance in cst for what in thos country is called rugged individualism ..
the government has a role in establishing justice and seeing to it that those at the bottom are able to do better
rights of working men and women -- endoricing unions, fair wages, good working conditions, collecive bargaining since 1831
relations between rich nations and poor nations -- sharing the goods of the earth
aware of poor globally
extensive treatments of the rights of immigrants
catholic bishiops are supportive of immigration before -- comes out of social teaching -- but they don't make a lot of it - best kept secret
human life and dignity -- condemnations of war, violence, arms race -- including banning nuclear weapons
dignity of the human conscience
in matters of religion, no one should be forced to act against their beliefs
condemnations of all forms of discriniation - paragraph 29 from church in the modern world -- every tiype of descrimination based on sex ... and yet they don't ordain women
they don't talk about sexual orientation - but there are sweeping condemnations of discriniation
lots of social teaching that deal with the use of violence
total condemnation of the arms race
pretty through set of themes
people who live cst today
Msgr owen rice, george haggens
rice was famous for championing picketing
mother jones was catholic
cezar chavez
nuns on the bus
helen prejean
dorothy day & catholic worker
when doma was overturned, eposipal church rang the bells in dc
comunidades de base
environmental work -- struggle against climate change
where does cst need to go from here:
even the economic justice teachings need to be updated -- they were written during the cold war -- we don't have either communist vs capitalist -- need a new encyclical about predatory economics
also need an encyclical on climate change
also need a major statement on interfaith relations -- done collaboratively from the world faith tradition -- about not using religion as an excuse for violence -- christians did it to! -- own up to it
the principles are already there to cdeclare the full equality of women inthe church and of LGBT people
that's what we need -- development of teaching - perfectly alirght to recognize new realities -- the holy sprit is pretty sneakly -- the principles are already there! ... all statements of equality are there -- and no escape clauses
the synod of bishops in 71 said ti rather well - while the church is bound to give witness to justice, she recognizes that everyone who ventures to speak to people about justice must first be just in their eyes -- hence we must take .... a look found within the church itself -- they chould do this rwith regards to womens' rights and lgbt people
and of course you can start with "as we've always said"
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James Nickolhoff
predatory capitalism is largely responsible for wrecking the climate and fixing it will require interfaith dialogue
option for the poor + option for LGBT
LGBT found in every race, in every ethnicity around the globe -- we don't hear from them as much if they're poor, but they're there
in the church's teaching (all of us)
three kinds of discourse
- language of obedience -- what you find rior to vatican II -- told this is what you should do because that's what God said - through the Pope -> bishop -> priest
- vatican ii - language of exhortation - here's the ideal - now shoot for it -- not a command from on high -- now lest's try to meet it
but in the last 30 years or so (especially in liberation theology) - the language of gratitude -- thanks to God for the gift of life that we have for this struggle that we've been given
gift it is to live in these times - we won't see the kingdom of God on earth, but we have lived in a golden age of sturggle of fight for justice
... right in the middle of it .. and it's a great priviledge to be in this time
st. ambrose - 340-397 - archbishop of milan
- earth at its beginning was for all in common it was meant for rich and poor alike - what right ahve you to monopolize the soid -- nature knows nothing of the right -- all are poor when she brings them forth -- god created the universe st all
why do you regect someone who has the same rights ove rnature as you -- it is not from your own rights that you give to the beggar -- the earth belongs to all, so you are pyaing back a debt while you think you are making a gift
many times in your church, we rediscover what we've forgotten -- finding what's been there all along
doctrinal development - always happens in three stages
1) a new quesiton arises , people bring the quest to the bishops, and the bishops for m the committe, they study the quesiton, they come to the consolution that the answer will always be no
2) quesiton comes up again and the biishiops appoint the committe and study the quesiton again
3) the committee comes back with the answer Yes and the answer will alayw been ye
1968 latin american conference -- consider the reality of latin america in light of the teachings of vatican ii
however somebody got the bright idea of having a slideshow start -- bright slides form all over
.. actual lived reality
these pictures weren't news to anybody -- they know that this was the reality, but apparently showing these slides had this profund effect on the bishiops -- produced the same kind of miracle as Vatican II
could be considered the completion of vatican ii
vatican ii dealt with the church's relationship to the modern world (which really mostly meant europe)
2) echumanism
3) the world of the poor
vatican ii dealt a lot of 1 and 2
very little attention is given to the poor, BUT those places in the counsel where the subject of the poverity of the world is treated are probalby the theologically richest
.. so the completion really happened at medallin
... but those documents are not made available anywhere .. and there's a reason!
not only did they demand that the church stand in solidarity with the poor - they also talk very forcefully about the conversion of the church itself .. and this is the opening for the kind of things we're tlakinga bout
things are changing in latin america!
pick up the ball and do it in the name of our faith!
predatory capitalism -- coal industry
.. quest for profits at all cost -- desire to break unions, refusal to pay a decent wage,
... system that is designed to be unfair ... want to eliminate competition -- they want total control
fr. dameon - working with the leapers
.. and had an open table!
how do we get western people to divest themselves of the notion that they can do anything they please with the lands?
350.org has a major campaign of divestment
one strategy of many -