Catholic Social Teaching | The Pope and the CEO

PovertyCure – What if we’ve been asking the wrong questions?

“Charity has its place in emergency situations.… A life that is lived on as a recipient of charity is a miserable life. I think, in our DNA, the way God made us, we are made as co-creators. God wants us to perfect and to really finish His creation. And if you’re simply a recipient of charity, you’re not doing that; you’re not fulfilling your real destiny, which is this creative capacity that God has endowed us with, we’re letting that creative capacity sit idle. I think that’s—at probably at the deepest level that I can reach—what’s so inadequate about the traditional response to poverty.” Damian von Stauffenberg
Solidarity – A Christian Idea

From Gertrud von le Fort’s beautiful book, The Eternal Woman: The Timeless Meaning of the Feminine: Representation in its religious meaning, translated into secular language, is the cooperating responsibility of all for all. This, in the light of the concept of the Mystical Body of Christ, expresses the religious pinnacle of a thought which our times have undertaken to proclaim far and wide over the secular field, by demanding the conquest of individualism. It is only the lack of true insight into the essence of the dogma, which still clings to our time as heir of a liberal tradition, that bars this age from the consciousness of its own coordination with Christian truth. Let’s pray for the “insight into the essence of the dogma” for all those who call for solidarity yet have not based it on Christ.
Is Morality The Foundation Of Our Economy?

Here at Faith and Prosperity, we believe that morality is the key driver in determining whether an economic system, or an economy in particular, is good. It is not capitalism itself, or socialism itself, but whether the human person is given the opportunity to flourish, develop its talents, and pursue virtue – what is right. Sometimes it seems that governments the world over approach things in the opposite way, so I found this posting on the Huffington Post to be particularly interesting and encouraging. According to Lakoff, Obama recognized the importance of solidarity, one of the pillars of Catholic Social Teaching, and stressed it in his recent jobs speech. Let’s hope that this is not only true in speech, but that it is also reflected in the coming months – that Americans look to further their growth in virtue as they look to overcome economic and financial crises.
Work and Human Dignity

Labor Day Weekend is upon us, and so I’d like to leave you with one of Blessed John Paul II’s thoughts on work and the human person: Work is a good thing for man-a good thing for his humanity-because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfilment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes “more a human being.” Laborem Exercens no. 9 I hope all enjoy the weekend, and especially our readers in the United States who get to enjoy the extra day off!
A Rich Man Must Become Richer

Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, president of the Vatican Bank, had this to say in an interview with Catholic World Report regarding wealth, capitalism and the church: Speaking once again in paradoxes, what a rich man must do to become a saint is to…become even richer. Does this seem to be an incendiary phrase? Absolutely. But take a look at what follows: Because this implicitly means that he will produce more value and well-being for the common good. In providing for others I sanctify myself. This is obvious. Tedeschi’s thought is that the creation of wealth must precede the distribution of wealth, otherwise you are not unleashing the true source of wealth – people’s talents. Instead, all that is already a part of the pie is being taken and redistributed to people who have less incentive to innovate and to grow. Jesus did not have an issue with the rich man, but with what the rich man did with his money. This is why he was friends with Zacchaeus. Furthermore, friendship with Christ is transforming – its effects on Zacchaeus were to encourage him to repay fourfold all the money he had taken from people and to give half of his possessions… Read more
Making Ethical Investments

Crisis Magazine’s online edition had this article recently about how to make ethical or moral investments. Making sure that where we put our money conforms to our beliefs and values is a topic that has begun to receive more attention recently. The article in Crisis Magazine makes the point that for Catholics, a different set of rules needs to be taken into account. There are groups that promote and rate socially responsible investments, but Catholics need to go a little bit further. Many of these other groups do not take into account Catholic Social Teaching. What’s more, key issues, such as the commercialization of pornography or contributions to groups that support abortion, are not discussed when determining whether an investment is socially responsible. The article suggests that a Catholic approach needs to be developed. Check it out to see what thoughts and suggestions it had on this topic!

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The Pope and the CEO > Catholic Social Teaching

PovertyCure – What if we’ve been asking the wrong questions?

Solidarity – A Christian Idea

Is Morality The Foundation Of Our Economy?

Work and Human Dignity

A Rich Man Must Become Richer

Making Ethical Investments

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