| Political Responsibility
pp. 21-22.
"In a world where 800 million people, half of them children, are starving or malnourished, we support food and agriculture policy that makes food security for all people its first priority. U.S. agriculture policy should:
- offer farmers the opportunity to make a decent living while providing safe and affordable food to consumers;
- work to keep farmers on the land and encourage broad-based ownership of farmland by targeting farm programs to small and moderate-sized farms;
- ensure that farmworkers receive a just wage and are provided with decent housing and safe working conditions;
- continue to provide food aid to the poorest countries and the neediest people.
"Ensuring adequate nutrition for low- income pregnant women, children, the elderly, and the unemployed continues to be a cornerstone of food security at home. We support food stamps, WIC, school lunches, and other federal programs that provide for the nutrition needs of low-income people. . . . International agricultural policy should emphasize equitable distribution of benefits and broader participation in land ownership and should help other nations move toward food self-sufficiency." |
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
1908
". . . the common good requires the social well-being and development of the group itself. Development is the epitome of all social duties. Certainly, it is the proper function of authority to arbitrate, in the name of public interests; but it should make accessible to each what is needed to lead a truly human life: food, clothing, health, work, education and culture, suitable information, the right to establish a family, and so on."
2269
"The acceptance by human society of murderous famines, without efforts to remedy them, is a scandalous injustice and a grave offense. Those whose usurious and avaricious dealings lead to the hunger and death of their brethren in the human family indirectly commit homicide, which is imputable to them."
2402
"In the beginning God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, master them by labor, and enjoy their fruits. The goods of creation are destined for the whole human race. However, the earth is divided up among men to assure the security of their lives, endangered by poverty and threatened by violence. The appropriation of property is legitimate for guaranteeing the freedom and dignity of persons and for helping each of them to meet his basic needs and the needs of those in charge. It should allow for a natural solidarity to develop between men."
2440
"Direct aid is an appropriate response to immediate, extraordinary needs caused by natural catastrophes, epidemics, and the like. But it does not suffice to repair the grave damage resulting from destitution or to provide a lasting solution to a country's needs. It is also necessary to reform international economic and financial institutions so that they will better promote equitable relationships with less advanced countries. The efforts of poor countries working for growth and liberation must be supported. This doctrine must be applied especially in the area of agricultural labor. Peasants, especially in the Third World, form the overwhelming majority of the poor."
2446
"St. John Chrysostom vigorously recalls this: ‘Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs.' ‘The demands of justice must be satisfied first of all; that which is already due in justice is not to be offered as a gift of charity' . . ." |
|
Health, AIDS, and Substance Abuse |
| Political Responsibility
pp. 22-23.
"Our nation's health care system still serves too few and costs too much. Decent health care is an essential safeguard of human life. We believe reform of the health care system must be rooted in values that respect the essential dignity of each person, ensure that human life is protected, and recognize the unique needs of the poor. Our criteria for reform include respect for life, priority concern for the poor, universal coverage, pluralism, cost containment and controls, and equitable financing.
"Genuine health care reform is a matter of fundamental justice. We urge national leaders to look beyond special interest claims and partisan differences to unite our nation in a new commitment to meeting the health care needs of our people.
"The continuing crisis of AIDS within our society requires policies that emphasize continuing research, routine voluntary testing, compassionate care, responsible education, effective support for persons with AIDS and their families, and respect for the dignity and rights of persons with AIDS.
"Substance abuse is a nationwide problem of immense proportions. Our Conference advocates effective, compassionate policies to turn the tide of addiction in this country, including public policy and funding to ensure access to adequate, affordable, and appropriate treatment and services for all those in need, especially pregnant women." |
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
1503
"Christ's compassion toward the sick and his many healings of every kind of infirmity are a resplendent sign that ‘God has visited his people' and that the Kingdom of God is close at hand. . . . His compassion toward all who suffer goes so far that he identifies himself with them: ‘I was sick and you visited me.' His preferential love for the sick has not ceased through the centuries to draw the very special attention of Christians toward all those who suffer in body and soul."
2288
"Concern for the health of its citizens requires that society help in the attainment of living- conditions that allow them to grow and reach maturity: food and clothing, housing, health care, basic education, employment, and social assistance."
2290
"The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others' safety on the road, at sea, or in the air."
2291
"The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense. Clandestine production of and trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices. They constitute direct co-operation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law." |
|
Housing |
| Political Responsibility
p. 23
"Housing is being seriously neglected as a priority of national concern, governmental action, and federal investment. Shelters cannot substitute for real housing for low-income families and poor individuals. The major goals for national housing policy should include the following:
Preservation: Effective policies to help preserve, maintain, and improve low-cost, decent housing.
Production: Creative, cost-effective, and flexible programs that will increase the supply of quality housing for low-income families, the elderly, and other vulnerable people.
Participation: Active and sustained involvement and empowerment of the homeless, tenants, neighborhood residents, and housing consumers, building on American traditions of home ownership, self-help, and neighborhood participation.
Opportunity: Stronger efforts to combat discrimination in housing. |
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
2211
"The political community has a duty to honor the family, to assist it, and to ensure especially: . . .
-- the right to private property, to free enterprise, to obtain work, and housing, and the right to emigrate;. . ."
2288
"Concern for the health of its citizens requires that society help in the attainment of living- conditions that allow them to grow and reach maturity: food and clothing, housing, health care, basic education, employment, and social assistance." |
|
Human Rights |
| Political Responsibility
pp. 23-24
"Respect for fundamental human rights is necessary if nations are to serve human dignity and the common good, including civil, political, social, and economic rights. Religious freedom, a cornerstone for human rights, is a priority concern for us given the extent of its suppression or disregard in many parts of the world, including China, East Timor, Vietnam, Cuba, Sudan, and parts of the Middle East. We condemn once again the evil of ‘ethnic cleansing,' which requires effective action by the international community to banish it forever. The destruction of people because of their religion, race, ethnicity, or nationality is a crime against humanity.
"With respect to international human rights, there is a pressing need for the United States to pursue a double task: (1) to strengthen and expand international mechanisms by which human rights can be protected and promoted, and (2) to give greater weight to the human rights dimensions of U.S. foreign policy. Therefore, we support U.S. ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the Convention on Race and Torture, and we support ratification of the remaining Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, and other sound mechanisms to implement the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. Further, the United States has a responsibility to use its power and influence consistently and creatively in the effective service of human rights through the world." |
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
355
"‘God created man is his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.' Man occupies a unique place in creation: (I) he is ‘in the image of God'; (II) in his own nature he unites the spiritual and material worlds; (III) he is created ‘male and female'; (IV) God established him in his friendship."
356
"[Man] is ‘the only creature on earth that God has willed for his own sake,' and he alone is called to share, by knowledge and love, in God's own life. It was for this end that he was created, and this is the fundamental reason for his dignity . . ."
1700
"The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of God; it is fulfilled in his vocation to divine beatitude. It is essential to a human being freely to direct himself to this fulfillment."
1738
"Freedom is exercised in relationships between human beings. Every human person, created in the image of God, has the natural right to be recognized as a free and responsible being. All owe to each other this duty of respect. The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of the human person. This right must be recognized and protected by civil authority within the limits of the common good and public order."
1782
"Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions. ‘He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters.'"
2106
"‘Nobody may be forced to act against his convictions, nor is anyone to be restrained from acting in accordance with his conscience in religious matters in private or in public, alone or in association with others, within due limits.' This right is based on the very nature of the human person, whose dignity enables him freely to assent to the divine truth which transcends the temporal order. For this reason it ‘continues to exist even in those who do not live up to their obligation of seeking the truth and adhering to it.'"
2148
"It is also blasphemous to make use of God's name to cover up criminal practices, to reduce peoples to servitude, to torture persons or put them to death."
2273
"The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being's right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death."
2297
"Kidnapping and hostage taking bring on a reign of terror; by means of threats they subject their victims to intolerable pressures. They are morally wrong. Terrorism which threatens, wounds, and kills indiscriminately is gravely against justice and charity. Torture which uses physical or moral violence to extract confessions, punish the guilty, frighten opponents, or satisfy hatred is contrary to respect for the person and for human dignity. Except when performed strictly for medical reasons, directly intended amputations, mutilations, and sterilizations performed on innocent persons are against the moral law."
2431
". . . Another task of the state is that of overseeing and directing the exercise of human rights in the economic sector. However, primary responsibility in this area belongs not to the state but to individuals and to the various groups and associations which make up society." |
|
Immigration |
| Political Responsibility
p. 24.
"The United States bishops support a generous U.S. immigration policy and a U.S. commitment to providing temporary safe haven for those in need. The bishops have expressed concern at the surge of anti-immigrant sentiment reflected in California's Proposition 187 and proposals to restrict immigration and deny nearly all basic social services to immigrants. The U.S. bishops have reaffirmed several basic immigration principles. First, persons fleeing persecution have a special standing and thus require special consideration as emigrants. Second, workers have the right to live and work without exploitation. Third, family reunification remains an appropriate basis for just immigration policy. Fourth, every effort should be made to encourage and enable highly skilled and educated persons to remain in or return to their homelands. Fifth, efforts to stem migration that do not effectively address its root causes are not only ineffectual, but permit the continuation of the political, social, and economic inequities that cause it." |
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
2241
"The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him.
"Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants' duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens."
2433
"Access to employment and to professions must be open to all without unjust discrimination: men and women, healthy and disabled, natives and immigrants. For its part society should, according to circumstances, help citizens find work and employment." |
|
International Affairs and the United Nations |
| Political Responsibility
p. 25
"The U.S. Catholic Conference urges
- creative, engaged, and responsible U.S. leadership that rejects the illusion of isolationism and avoids the dangers of unwise intervention;
- a reshaped foreign aid program designed to combat poverty with sustainable development and economic opportunities for the poor;
- accelerated progress toward a nuclear test ban, preventing nuclear proliferation, eliminating nuclear weapons, and restraining the conventional arms trade;
- legal protection for selective conscientious objectors and improved protection for conscientious objectors;
- review of economic sanctions as an alternative to war and a means to enforce fundamental international norms, in light of the suffering they inflict on innocent people;
- clarification of the right and duty of humanitarian intervention in exceptional cases, by means consistent with Catholic teaching when the survival of whole populations is threatened.
"As Pope John XXIII observed in Pacem in Terris, a worldwide public authority is necessary, not to limit or replace the authority of states, but rather to address fundamental problems that nations alone, no matter how powerful, cannot be expected to solve. The United States should play a constructive role in making the United Nations and other international institutions more effective, responsible, and responsive.
At a minimum, the United States must pay in full its U.N. assessments. Preventive diplomacy, peace-building after the war, and peacekeeping all deserve special support and attention." |
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
1882
"Certain societies, such as the family and the state, correspond more directly to the nature of man; they are necessary to him. To promote the participation of the greatest number in the life of a society, the creation of voluntary associations and institutions must be encouraged 'on both national and international levels, which relate to economic and social goals, to cultural and recreational activities, to sport, to various professions, and to political affairs.' This 'socialization' also expresses the natural tendency for human beings to associate with one another for the sake of attaining objectives that exceed individual capacities. It developes the qualities of the person, especially the sense of initiative and responsibility, and helps guarantee his rights."
1911
"Human interdependence is increasing and gradually spreading throughout the world. The unity of the human family, embracing people who enjoy equal natural dignity, implies a universal common good. this good calls for an organization of the community of nations able to ''provide for the different needs of men; this will involve the sphere of social life to which belong questions of food, hygiene, education,... and certain situations arising here and there, as for example... alleviating the miseries of refugees dispersed throughout the world, assisting migrants and their families.'"
1941
"International solidarity is a requirement of the moral order; world peace depends in part upon this."
2437
"On the international level, inequality of resources and economic capability is such that it creates a real 'gap' between nations. On the one side there are those nations possessing and developing the means of growth and, on the other, those accumulating debts."
2438
Various causes of a religious, political, economic, and financial nature today give 'the social question a worldwide dimension.' There must be solidarity among nations which are already politically interdependent. It is even more essential when it is a question of dismantling the 'perverse mechanisms' that impede the development of the less advanced countries. In place of abusive if not usurious financial systems, iniquitous commerical relations among nations, and the arms race, there must be substituted a common effort to mobilize resources toward the objectives of moral, cultural, and economic development, 'redefining the priorities and hierarchies of values.'" |
|
Refugees |
| Political Responsibility
p. 25-26.
"In response to what Pope John Paul II has called 'perhaps the greatest tragedy of all the human tragedies of our time,' the Catholic community operates the largest refugee resettlement system in the United States and is deeply concerned for the fate of the millions of oppressed and dispossessed persons in the world today. As the number of refugees has doubled over the last decade and continues to grow and as the post-Cold War world has also seen an even greater growth in the numbers of internally displaced persons in refugee-like circumstances, the United States must continue to take the lead in bringing an adequate response from the international community. Refugee resettlement of those in particularly difficult situations who cannot return home remains one important component of the U.S. response. In addressing this problem, special attention must be paid to unaccompanied refugee children, single women and women heads of families, the disabled, and religious minorities. U.S. policy must respect and seek to ensure the preservation of temporary asylum for all refugees and assistance at levels adequate to ensure the safety and dignity of the world's 40 million refugees and displaced persons. Where voluntary return home is a possbility, this should be encouraged and provided adequate material support, where possible. |
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Cathechism of the Catholic Church
1911
"Human interdependence is increasing and gradually spreading throughout the world. The unity of the human family, embracing people who enjoy equal natural dignity, implies a universal common good. this good calls for an organization of the community of nations able to ''provide for the different needs of men; this will involve the sphere of social life to which belong questions of food, hygiene, education,... and certain situations arising here and there, as for example... alleviating the miseries of refugees dispersed throughout the world, assisting migrants and their families.'"
2241
"The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the one another for the sake of attaining objectives that exceed individual capacities. It develops the qualities of the person, especially the sense of initiative and responsibility, and helps guarantee his rights." |
|
Regional Concerns: Eastern Europe, Middle East,
Latin America, and Africa
Violence |
| Political Responsibility
p. 29.
"Violence in our culture is fed by multiple forces--the disintegration of family life, media influences, growing substance abuse, the availability of so many weapons, and the rise of gangs. Traditional liberal or conservative approaches by themselves cannot effectively overcome this plague. In confronting a culture of violence, our Church calls for
- opposing the violence of abortion;
- curbing the easy availability of deadly weapons;
- supporting community approaches to crime prevention and law enforcement;
- pursuing swift and effective justice without vengeance and effective reform of our criminal justice system;
- attacking the root causes of violence, including poverty, substance abuse, lack of opportunity, racism, and family disintegration;
- promoting more personal responsibility and broader social responsibility in our policies and programs;
- overcoming the tragedy of family violence and confronting all forms of violence against women;
- continuing to work for global disarmament, including curbs on arms sales and a ban on landmines.
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
2306
"Those who renounce violence and bloodshed, and in order to safeguard human rights, make use of those means of defense available to the weakest, bear witness to evangelical charity, provided they do so without harming the rights and obligations of other men and societies. They bear legitimate witness to the gravity of the physical and moral risks of recourse to violence, with all its destruction and death."
2316
"The production and sale of arms affect the common good of nations and of the international community. Hence public authorities have the right and duty to regulate them. The short-term pursuit of private or collective interests cannot legitimate undertakings that promote violence and conflict among nations and compromise the international juridical order." |
|
Welfare Reform |
| Political Responsibility
p. 30
"We support genuine welfare reform that strengthens families, encourages productive work, and protects vulnerable children--born and unborn. We are not defenders of the welfare status quo; however, we oppose abandonment of the federal government's essential role in helping families overcome poverty and meet their children's basic needs.
"Welfare reform needs to be comprehensive in analysis, but targeted and flexible in its implementation. We seek a new approach which promotes greater responsibility and offers more concrete help to families in leaving poverty behind through productive work and other assistance. We advocate for welfare reform which
- protects human life and human dignity (we, therefore oppose family cap and child exclusion measures which encourage abortion without addressing the fundamental contributors to illegitimacy);
- strengthens family life;
- encourages and rewards work;
- preserves a safety net for the vulnerable;
- builds public/private partnerships to overcome poverty;
- invests in human dignity and poor families.
"For the Catholic community, the measure of welfare reform is whether it will enhance the lives and dignity of poor children and their families. The target of reform ought to be poverty, not poor families. The goal of reform is reducing poverty and dependency, not cutting resources and programs." |
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
1908
". . . the common good requires the social well-being and development of the group itself. Development is the epitome of all social duties. Certainly, it is the proper function of authority to arbitrate, in the name of public interests; but it should make accessible to each what is needed to lead a truly human life: food, clothing, health, work, education and culture, suitable information, the right to establish a family, and so on."
1936
"On coming into the world, man is not equipped with everything he needs for developing his bodily and spiritual life. He needs others. Differences appear tied to age, physical abilities, intellectual or moral aptitudes, the benefits derived from social commerce, and the distribution of wealth. The ‘talents' are not distributed equally."
1937
"These differences belong to God's plan, who wills that each receive what he needs from others, and that those endowed with particular ‘talents' share the benefits with those who need them."
2209
"The family must be helped and defended by appropriate social measures. Where families of welfare reform cannot fulfill their responsibilities, other social bodies have the duty of helping them and of supporting the institution of the family. Following the principle of subsidiarity, larger communities should take care not to usurp the family's prerogatives or interfere in its life."
2428
"In work, the person exercises and fulfills in part the potential inscribed in his nature. The primordial value of labor stems from man himself, its author and beneficiary. Work is for man, not man for work.
"Everyone should be able to draw from work the means of providing for his life and that of his family, and of serving the human community." |
|
Conclusion |
| Political Responsibility
p. 31
"In summary, we believe that the Church has a proper role and responsibility in public affairs flowing from its gospel mandate and its respect for the dignity of the human person. We hope these reflections will contribute to a renewed political vitality in our land, both in terms of citizen participation in the electoral process and the integrity and accountability of those who seek and hold public office." |
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
2246
"It is a part of the Church's mission ‘to pass moral judgment even in matters related to politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls requires it. The means, the only means, she may use are those which are in accord with the Gospel and the welfare of all men according to the diversity of times and circumstances."
2420
"The Church makes a moral judgment about economic and social matters, ‘when the fundamental rights of the person or the salvation of souls requires it.' In the moral order she bears a mission distinct from that of political authorities: the Church is concerned with the temporal aspects of the common good because they are ordered to the sovereign Good, our ultimate end. She strives to inspire right attitudes with respect to earthly goods and in socio-economic relationships." |
Ad Hoc Committee