Social Teaching

The church is not motivated by earthly ambition but is interested in one thing only - to carry on the work of Christ under the guidance of the holy Spirit, who came into the world to bear witness to the truth, to save and not to judge, to serve and not to be served.

May all those who wish to belong to Christ hear His appeal: “I was hungry and you gave me to eat, thirsty and you gave me to drink, a stranger and you took me in, naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, a prisoner and you came to see me” (Matt 25:35-6). No one can remain indifferent to the lot of fellow humans who are still buried in wretchedness, and victims of insecurity, slaves of ignorance.

Thus Christ accomplishes His revelation, completing it and confirming it by the entire revelation that He makes of Himself, by words and deeds, by signs and miracles, and more especially by His death, by His resurrection and by the sending of the Spirit of Truth.

God intended the earth and all that it contains for the use of every human being and people. Thus, as all follow justice and unite in charity, created goods should abound for them on a reasonable basis. All other rights whatsoever, including those of property and of free commerce, are to be subordinated to this principle.

From the beginning the Church has lived and understood the death an resurrection of Christ as a call by God to conversion in the faith of Christ and in fraternal love, perfected in mutual help even to the point of a voluntary sharing of material goods.

Christ lived his life in the world as a total giving of himself to God for the salvation and liberation of all.

[We offer] to the Council of the Laity and the Pontifical Commission Justice and Peace some fresh contributions, as well as an encouragement, for the pursuit of their task of ‘awakening the people of God to a full understanding of its role at the present time’ and of promoting the apostolate on the international level.’

The disproportionate distribution of wealth and poverty and the existence of some countries and continents that are developed and of others that are not call for a levelling out and for a search for ways to ensure just development for all.

Respect and love ought to be extended also to those who think or act differently from us in social, political and even religious matters. In fact, the more deeply we come to understand their ways of thinking through such courtesy and love, the more easily will we be able to enter into dialogue with them.