|
|
“It is not right . . . for either the citizen or
the family to be absorbed by the state; it is proper that the
individual and the family should be permitted to retain their freedom
of action, so far as this is possible without jeopardizing the common
good and without injuring anyone.”
-
Pope Leo XIII, On the
Condition of Workers (Rerum Novarum), no. 52
~
“[The State] has also the duty to protect the
rights of all its people, and particularly of its weaker members, the
workers, women and children. It can never be right for the State to
shirk its obligation to work actively for the betterment of the
condition of [workers].”
-
Pope John XXIII, On
Christianity and Social Progress (Mater et Magistra), no. 20
~
“Beginning our discussion of the rights of man,
we see that every man has the right to life, to bodily integrity, and
to the means which are suitable for the proper development of life;
these are primarily food, clothing, shelter, rest, medical care, and
finally, the necessary social services. Therefore a human being also
has the right to security in cases of sickness, inability to work,
widowhood, old age, unemployment, or in any other case in which he is
deprived of the means of subsistence through no fault of his own.”
-
Pope John XXIII, Peace on
Earth (Pacem in Terris), no. 11
~
“[The Catholic tradition calls for] a society
of free work, of enterprise and of participation. Such a society
is not directed against the market, but demands that the market be
appropriately controlled by the forces of society and by the State, so
as to guarantee that the basic needs of the whole of society are
satisfied.”
- Pope John Paul II, On the
Hundredth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum (Centesimus Annus), no. 39
~
|
|
In a world where some speak mostly of “rights”
and others mostly of “responsibilities,” the Catholic tradition
teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community
can be achieved only if human rights are protected and
responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental
right to life and a right to those things required for human decency.
Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities – to one
another, to our families, and to the larger society. While public
debate in our nation is often divided between those who focus on
personal responsibility and those who focus on social
responsibilities, our tradition insists that both are necessary.
~
Catholic social teaching recognizes three sets of
rights: the right to life (including food and shelter), economic
rights (including education and employment), and political and
cultural rights (including religious freedom). With rights come
responsibilities to others, to our families, and to the common good of
all.
- Deuteronomy
5:17, 30:19 (right to life)
- Sirach 34:22
(rights of workers)
- Psalm 146:5-8
(freedom from oppression)
- Isaiah 10:1-2
(against unjust laws)
~
|
|
