Part
III
‘Faithful Citizenship:’
Seven key themes
By Lou Baldwin
Special to The CS&T
Of the seven key themes of social teaching explored by the Catholic Bishops
of the United States in their document “Forming Consciences for
Faithful Citizenship,” the right to life is at head of the list
for the obvious reason — without life there can be no other rights.
Not least among the other key themes is their option for the poor and
vulnerable.
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
According to U.S. Census data, the poorest 20 percent of Americans had
4.1 percent of the country’s total income in 1969, and the richest
20 percent of Americans had 43 percent.
By 2003, the percentage of the country’s total income that went
to the poorest 20 percent of Americans had dropped to 3.4 percent. For
the top 20 percent, the share had increased to 49.8 percent.
The Bishops write: “In a society marred by deep disparities between
rich and poor, Scripture gives us the story of the Last Judgment (Mt.
25:31-46) and reminds us that we will be judged by our response to ‘the
least among us.’”
One barometer of poverty is the number of people availing themselves of
assistance programs.
Patrick Temple West, director of archdiocesan Nutritional Development
Services, sees more people seeking out the food cupboards served by his
office: “With the increased cost of heat, fuel and transport, the
poor can’t afford the things they used to afford. The government’s
role is to provide food stamps, but they don’t keep up with inflation.”
West believes the same holds true for the minimum wage, which was recently
increased — but again not as much as the rate of inflation.
Further, the Bishops state: “The lack of safe, affordable housing
requires a renewed commitment to increase the supply of quality housing
and to preserve, maintain and improve existing housing.”
Locally, homelessness is increasing, but there is a move on the part of
the city to provide housing for those with real needs, according to John
M. Wagner, director of the archdiocesan Office for Community Development.
“But of course, there never is enough money,” he said. “The
funds received from HUD do not cover the need.”
Tied to affordable housing is employment, and the government has to address
the needs of people to earn sufficient money to pay for housing, Wagner
noted.
Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
The Bishops address the dignity of work and the rights of workers: “The
economy must serve the people, not the other way around.”
Further, they state, “Work is more than a way to make a living;
it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation.”
The Bishops also say that “workers, employers and unions should
not only advance their own interests, but also work together to advance
economic justice for the well-being of all.”
Under the same heading, the Bishops address the issue of immigration.
“The Gospel mandate ‘welcome the stranger’ requires
Catholics to care for and stand for immigrants, both documented and undocumented,”
the Bishops write. While calling for a broad program of reforms to assist
immigrants — temporary work programs, family reunification, due
process and legalization programs, among others — the document also
acknowledges the right and responsibility of nations to control their
borders and to maintain the rule of law.
“In Pennsylvania, we have not yet come to the point of true immigration
reform,” commented Francis Viglietta, director for social concerns
at the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. “The proposals introduced
thus far seem more punitive in nature, insofar as they focus on taking
necessary services away from people in need.”
The Bishops’ document addresses the theme of solidarity, and not
just with other Americans. “We are our brothers’ and sisters’
keepers, wherever they may be,” it states.
Anne H. Ayella, who is the archdiocesan director for Catholic Relief Services,
the Bishops’ agency for overseas relief, sees a very good response
from individual Americans for relief programs, especially when there is
a specific need.
“I think there are government programs out there that address poverty,
too,” she said. “But when you look at the amount spent compared
to other programs, it is a very tiny percentage.”
Caring for God’s Creation
The Bishops also address caring for God’s creation in their document.
“We have a moral obligation to protect the planet on which we live,”
the document states, “to respect God’s creation and to ensure
a safe and hospitable environment for human beings, especially children
at their most vulnerable stage of development.”
Pope Benedict XVI spoke similarly in August 2007: “Everyone today
can see that man could destroy the foundation of his existence —
his earth — and, therefore, we can no longer simply use this earth,
this reality entrusted to us, to do what we want or what appears useful
and promising at the moment, but we must respect the inherent laws of
creation.”
According to the Bishops, those themes from Catholic social teaching “provide
a moral framework that does not easily fit ideologies of ‘right’
or ‘left’ [or] ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative,’
or the platform of any political party.
“They are not partisan or sectarian, but reflect fundamental ethical
principles that are common to all people,” the Bishops wrote. “As
leaders of the Church in the United States, we Bishops have the duty to
apply these moral principles to key public policy decisions facing our
nation, outlining directions on issues that have important moral and ethical
dimensions.”
Ultimately, the choice is up to the voters. “We hope Catholics and
others will seriously consider these policy applications as they make
their own decisions in public life,” the document states.
Lou Baldwin is a member of St. Leo Parish and a freelance writer.
Pope
John Paul II on lay involvement in politics:
“Fraternal charity means attending to all the needs of our neighbor.
If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet
closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
Hence, for the Christian people of America, conversion to the Gospel means
to revise all the different areas and aspects of life, especially those
related to the social order and the pursuit of the common good.
“It will be especially necessary to nurture the growing awareness
in society of the dignity of every person and, therefore, to promote in
the community a sense of the duty to participate in political life in
harmony with the Gospel. Involvement in the political field is clearly
part of the vocation and activity of the lay faithful.”
— Ecclesia in America, 1999