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Catholic Social Teaching From a Vincentian Lens Jack Murphy, Southeast Voice of the Poor Representative National VOP Chair

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Voice of the Poor Prayer Lord of all people, During your time on earth you identified with the poor and instructed us to care for one another, for our neighbor and especially for the least of our brothers and sisters. Be with us as we advocate for the poor. Help us to persevere in joy and love on their behalf. Add your voice to ours as we speak out for those who are not heard in our communities. Guide us as we work, comfortable in the knowledge that we are doing your will for this day and time and place, and that you will take care of tomorrow. We ask this in the name of Jesus, his Blessed Mother, our patron St. Vincent and our founder Blessed Frederic. Amen Ruth Zemek, Phoenix Council

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Workshop Objectives Familiarity with the Ten Themes Appreciation for Vincentian historical and current contributions to CST Beginning of a plan to teach CST back home

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Agenda Ten Themes of Catholic Social Teaching Deep Dive into Four Themes Group Activity to Review Remaining Seven Themes How Would We Teach These Back Home

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Foundations the Societys Systemic Change Effort 5

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Perceptions of People in Need "Buddy Can You Spare A Dime" (Jay Gorney /E.Y. Harburg, 1930) Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out (Jimmy Cox, 1923)

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Vincentians and Catholic Social Thought 7.4 The practical Vincentian approach to social justice The distinctive approach of Vincentians to issues of social justice is to see them from the perspective of those we visit who suffer from injustice. The Rule of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul 7

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Foundational Documents 24 Papal Encyclicals and Vatican Documents including: Rerum Novarum (On the Condition of Labor)Pope Leo XIII, 1891 The Church and Racism: Towards a more fraternal societyPontifical Council for Justice and Peace, 1989 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the ChurchPontifical Council for Justice and Peace, 2004 36 Documents from the US Bishops including: Labor Day Statements Hunger Death Penalty Catholic Perspective on Crime and Punishment Economic Life Peace Communities of Salt & Light

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Who said this? 9 Economic activity cannot solve all social problems through the simple application of commercial logic. This needs to be directed towards the pursuit of the common good, for which the political community in particular must also take responsibility. Therefore, it must be borne in mind that grave imbalances are produced when economic action, conceived merely as an engine for wealth creation, is detached from political action, conceived as a means for pursuing justice through redistribution. Pope Benedict XVI Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth)

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Catholic Social Teaching from a Vincentian Lens Dignity of the Human Person Respect for Human Life Association Participation Preferential Protection for the Poor Solidarity Stewardship Subsidiarity Equality Common Good 10 Ten Building Blocks of Catholic Social Teaching William J. Byron, America, October 31, 1998

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Dignity of the Human Person Every human being is created in the image of God and redeemed by Jesus Christ, and therefore is invaluable and worthy of respect as a member of the human family. Fr. Robert Maloney, CM This is the bedrock principle of Catholic Social Teaching SVDP Position Papers Self Sufficient Wage Affordable Housing Immigration Restorative Justice 11

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Respect for Human Life Every person, from the moment of conception to natural death, has inherent dignity and a right to life consistent with that dignity. Fr. Robert Maloney, CM SVDP Positions Papers Health Care Homelessness Hunger Human Trafficking 12

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Preferential Protection for the Poor We believe that we touch Christ when we touch the needy Fr. Robert Maloney, CM Among our tasks as witnesses to the love of Christ is that of giving a voice to the cry of the poor, so that they are not abandoned to the laws of an economy that seems at times to treat people as mere consumers. Pope Francis, Address to Archbishop of Canterbury (6/14/13) The proclamation of the Gospel is destined primarily to the poor, to those who often lack the essentials for a decent life. The good news is first announced to them, that God loves them before all others and comes to visit them through the acts of charity that the disciples of Christ carry out in his name. Pope Francis General Audience (6/18/13) SVDP Position Paper Predatory Lending 13

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Common Good The common good is understood as the social conditions that allow people to reach their full human potential and to realize their human dignity. Fr. Robert Maloney, CM To love someone is to desire that persons good and to take effective steps to secure it. Besides the good of the individual, there is the good that is linked to living in society: the common good. It is the good of all of us, made up of individuals, families and intermediate groups who together constitute society.To desire the common good and strive towards it is a requirement of justice and charity. Pope Benedict XVI Caritas in Veritate SVDP Positions Papers Education Fair Wages 14

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From the US Bishops: Sharing our social tradition more fully and clearly is an essential way to bring good news, liberty, and new sight to a society and world in desperate need of God's justice and peace. 15

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Vincentian Civil Discourse Let us learn, first of all, to defend our belief without hating our adversaries, to appreciate those who do not think as we do, to recognize that there are Christians in every camp, and that God can be served now as always! Let us complain less of our times and more of ourselves. Let us not be discouraged, let us be better. Blessed Frederic (Baunard, Correspondence, p.304)

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I believe that the laity serve the faith better because they confront all the different issues of life with knowledge and deal with these issues in a Christian way. They do not deal with these issues in generalities or in an apologetic manner like the theologians who do so little to change the present situation. (Biography of Frederic Ozanam by: Sister M. Teresa Candelas, D.C.) "Let the lay not imagine that (their) pastors are always such experts, that to every problem that arises...they can readily give a concrete solution, or even that such is their mission." ( Gaudium et Spes, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 1965 #43) A new state of affairs today both in the Church and in social, economic, political and cultural life, calls with a particular urgency for the action of the lay faithful. If lack of commitment is always unacceptable, the present time renders it even more so. It is not permissible for anyone to remain idle. (Christifideles Laici, #3 St John Paul, II, On the Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful )

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What will you do with this information?

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1. A Just Wage for Employees of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, April 2001 2. Affordable Housing for the Poor, February 2002 3. Health Care for the Poor, Feb. 2004 4. Immigration, Sept. 2004 5. Fair Wages, Sept. 2005 6. Restorative Justice, Sept. 2006 7. Predatory Lending, April 2007 8. Homelessness, Aug. 2007 9. Hunger, Sept. 2008 10. Education, Apr. 2010 11. Human Trafficking, Sept. 2010 19 http://www.SVDPusa.org/Resources/VoiceofthePoor.aspx Current Position Papers of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul

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Voice of the Poor Regional Reps Northeast Region Tom Dwyer tdwyerma@comcast.net Mideast Region Warren Wright joannwarrenwright@yahoo.com East Region Lynne Betts svdplbetts@yahoo.com Lois Jackson Ljgigi1936@aol.com North Central Region Mary Ann Reinhardt rhino139@sbcglobal.net Midwest Region Joseph J. Komadina jkomadina@hotmail.com South Central Region Frank Kiolbassa fskiol96@aol.com National Chair & Southeast Region Jack Murphy Jack.murphy@att.net West Region Giulio Grecchi ggrecchi@aol.com Michael Stratton, michaelstrattonsvdp. vop@gmail.com Spiritual Advisor Rev. Louis Arceneaux, C.M. a.66528@yahoo.com

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Catholic Social Teaching Resources Serving in Hope, Module IV: Our Vincentian Mission, Serving in Hope is our spiritual formation program. Mod IV deals with the themes of Catholic Social Teaching (www.svdpusa.org/members/Shop/SVdP-Catalog)www.svdpusa.org/members/Shop/SVdP-Catalog Foundational Principles in the Social Teaching of the Church, Fr. Robert Maloney, CM (http://vinformation.famvin.org/vincentian-spirituality/in- todays-world/ten-foundational-principles-in-the-social- teaching-of-the-church/)http://vinformation.famvin.org/vincentian-spirituality/in- todays-world/ten-foundational-principles-in-the-social- teaching-of-the-church/ US Conference of Catholic Bishops: http://usccb.org/beliefs- and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social- teaching/index.cfmhttp://usccb.org/beliefs- and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social- teaching/index.cfm Living Justice: Catholic Social Teaching in Action, Thomas Massaro, SJ William J. Byron. Ten Building Blocks to Catholic Social Teaching. 23 Sept 2009. America Press. 31 Oct 1998. (http://americamagazine.org/issue/100/ten-building- blocks)http://americamagazine.org/issue/100/ten-building- blocks Voice of the Poor: http://www.svdpusa.org/members/ProgramsandTools/Voic eofthePoor.aspx http://www.svdpusa.org/members/ProgramsandTools/Voic eofthePoor.aspx 21

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Prayer for Systemic Change We praise and thank you, O God, Creator of the Universe. You have made all things good and have given us the earth to cultivate. Grant that we may always use created things gratefully, and share them generously with those in need. Give us creativity in helping the poor meet their basic human needs. Open our minds and hearts so that we might stand at their side and assist them to change whatever unjust structures keep them poor. Enable us to be brothers and sisters to them, friends who walk with them in their struggle for fundamental human rights. We ask this through Christ our Lord. (from the Letter of Superior General on theme of annual Vincentian Day of Prayer 2008 )