Catholic perspectives on poverty and economic justice

Catholic Relation to Poverty

The documentary heritage by David and Thomas aims to present the catholic social thoughts in the manner that they are recorded in the conciliar, North American and papal documents. The Catholic Church offers social teachings to its faithful followers. These teachings on social matters are based on the papal encyclicals, Gospel and the documents of Vatican two. The Catholic Church, in these teachings, does not aim to offer models of economic systems which everyone must adopt. It does not also offer or propose ideologies for the same. However, the Catholic Church offers guidelines, which are either adopted for moral or philosophical reasons to the people. These guidelines can be used to help a social system live and develop in accordance to the will of God.

These teachings on social justice are divided into seven basic principles. These basic principles should be upheld when dealing with any social problem including poverty. The first principle teaches about life and the dignity of the human person. The church teaches that the life of a human being is sacred. The dignity of a human being is the foundation of the moral vision of any society. In this teaching, the life of a human being is valued above that of all the other living and non-living things. The second social teaching involves the family and the community ant their participation in the society. The church upholds the right of individuals to participate in economics and politics. Each and every person is granted a right to participate in the society and seek the common good of all the people, especially the poor and the vulnerable (Hollenbach & Douglass 25).The third teaching looks at the options of the poor and the vulnerable. It teaches that the needs of the poor and the vulnerable, in the society, should be put first.

The rights and responsibilities in life are also discussed in these teachings. The right to life is seen to be a requirement for human decency. Every human being has a right to his or her life which should not be undermined under any circumstances. The other teaching concerns the dignity of work and the rights of workers. In this teaching, the economy of a country is supposed to serve the citizens of that nation. The reverse, where the people serve the economy, is disapproved (Hollenbach & Douglass 41). The essence of work is said not only to make a living, but to also continue with God's work of creation. Here, the rights of workers are also taught. Employees have the right to decent wages, to private property, to joining of unions and to taking initiatives in economic matters. The final teaching teaches about solidarity where the church aims to promote harmony amongst all the followers irrespective of their nationality, race, tribe or even economic status (O'Brien & Shannon 51)

The Catholic Church uses the biblical teachings in which Jesus Christ did not condemn wealth or even the possession of earthly goods. It is even recorded that Christ Himself had rich friends in His social circle. However, Christ outlined the dangers of wealth. He pointed out, in the parable of the sower that wealth acts as thorns which choke the good seeds of the word of God. Christ also advised the young man, who had come to seek counsel on how to inherit the kingdom of heaven, that he should sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor (Caffara 67). The renunciation of earthly possessions has since then formed part of the Christians life. In Jerusalem, the Christian community sold their goods and then divided their gains according to their needs

Other biblical citations that support the vow of poverty include the Magnificat which was sung by Mary. She rejoiced in the God who humbles the proud and mighty and raises the lowly and poor in the society. It is also recorded that the first utterances of Jesus in the public was that where he proclaimed that he had been anointed to preach the good news to the poor. In that public speech, Jesus also gave a warning to the rich that they have already received their consolation. In a parable, Jesus also warned his followers against greed and the reliance on riches when he narrated the story of the man who had his life taken away from him when he tried to secure wealth for himself (O'Brien & Shannon 71). The story of Lazarus and the rich man is also used as a warning against excessive riches. The pope John Paul II used this parable as a warning to the rich and prosperous. He warned them not to be blind to their great poverty despite their numerous possessions.

The Roman Catholic Church has adopted practices pertaining to poverty with the most common being the vow to poverty. According to St. Thomas, poverty has no goodness in itself. However, it is good in the sense that it helps to remove the hindrances that are found in the search for spiritual perfection. According to the Catholic Church, poverty is therefore not a virtue on its own. The results that emanate from poverty are the ones that are glorified and promoted. It is practised under a vow and those who practise it publicly admit to having taken the vows. This vow of poverty therefore forms a critical part of the rituals of the Catholic Church (Caffara 93). Missionaries and priests give up their advantages and possessions voluntarily and devote their entire lives to the service of God. The renunciation of private property, by catholic priests and missionaries, was introduced by the Frias Minor in the year 1260. It was then enhanced by the other founders who established groups on the basis of poverty with the two most instrumental figures in this vows of poverty being St. Francis and St. Dominic.