Social Justice Quotes 2007

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for April 29, 2007

The function of the rulers of the State is to watch over the community and its parts; but in protecting private individuals in their rights, chief consideration ought to be given to the weak and the poor.
(#25) Quadragesimo Anno (The Fortieth Year), Pope Pius XI, 1931

for April 22, 2007

It must not be supposed that the Church so concentrates her energies on caring for souls as to overlook things which pertain to mortal and earthly life.
(#42) Rerum Novarum (On Capital and Labour), Pope Leo XIII, 1891

for April 15, 2007

Human persons are willed by God; they are imprinted with God's image. Their dignity does not come from the work they do, but from the persons they are.
Centesimus Annus - The Hundredth Year, John Paul II, 1991

for April 8, 2007

Accordingly, peace is also the fruit of love, for love goes beyond what justice can achieve.
#78 Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Second Vatican Council, 1965

for April 1, 2007

Love for others, and especially for the poor, is made concrete by promoting justice.
#58 Centesimus Annus -The Hundredth Year -John Paul II, 1991

for March 25, 2007

As Catholics, we have an inspiring vision in our social teaching. In a world that hungers for a sense of meaning and moral direction, this teaching offers ethical criteria for action. In a society of rapid change and often confused moral values, this teaching offers consistent moral guidance for the future .… this social teaching is a central part of our identity.
US Catholic Bishops - Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, 1998

for March 18, 2007

Just as the social teaching of the Church is integral to Catholic faith, the social justice dimensions of teaching are integral to Catholic education and catechesis. They are an essential part of Catholic identity and formation
US Catholic Bishops- Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, 1998

for March 11, 2007

“Central to our identity as Catholics is that we are called to be leaven for transforming the world, agents for bringing about a kingdom of love and justice.”
US Catholic Bishops- Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, 1998

for March 4, 2007

Jesus has revealed to us that “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8) and that the highest vocation of every person is love. In Christ we can find the ultimate reason for becoming staunch champions of human dignity and courageous builders of peace. (Par 16)
Pope Benedict XVI, World Day of Peace, Jan 2007

for February 25, 2007

The way to ensure a future of peace for everyone is found not only in international accords for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, but also in the determined commitment to seek their reduction and definitive dismantling. (Par 15)
Pope Benedict XVI, World Day of Peace, Jan 2007

for February 18, 2007

The destruction of the environment, its improper or selfish use, and the violent hoarding of the earth's resources cause grievances, conflicts and wars, precisely because they are the consequences of an inhumane concept of development.  Par. 9
Pope Benedict XVI World Day of Peace Jan 2007

for February 11, 2007

“Not only has God given the earth to man, who must use it with respect for the original good purpose for which it was given to him, but man too is God's gift to man. He must therefore respect the natural and moral structure with which he has been endowed.
”(Citation from Pope John Paul’s II Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus (6)). Par. 8 Pope Benedict XVI, Message for World Day of Peace, Jan 2007

for February 4, 2007

At the origin of many tensions that threaten peace are surely the many unjust inequalities still tragically present in our world. Particularly insidious among these are, on the one hand, inequality in access to essential goodslike food, water, shelter, health; on the other hand, there are persistent inequalities between men and women in the exercise of basic human rights.
Par 6 Message of Pope Benedict XVI, World Day of Peace Jan 2007

for January 28, 2007

As far as the right to life is concerned, we must denounce its widespread violation in our society: alongside the victims of armed conflicts, terrorism and the different forms of violence, there are the silent deaths caused by hunger, abortion, experimentation on human embryos and euthanasia.
Par. 5 Pope Benedict XVI World Day of Peace Message, Jan 2007

for January 14, 2007

The duty to respect the dignity of each human being, in whose nature the image of the Creator is reflected, means in consequence that the person can not be disposed of at will. Those with greater political, technical, or economic power may not use that power to violate the rights of others who are less fortunate. Peace is based on respect for the rights of all. Par. 4 Message of Pope Benedict XVI, World Day of Peace 2007

for January 7, 2007

It is not wrong to want to live better. What is wrong is a style of life which is presumed to be better when it is directed more towards “having” than “being” and which wants to “have more” not in order to “be more” but in order to live in enjoyment as an end in itself.
No 60 Caring for the Earth – Our Responsibility, Pastoral Letter of Antilles EpiscopalConference, 2005