As we go deeper into the Pope's encyclical: Caritas in Veritate it is obvious that what we are reading is simply the latest example of the rich tradition of the faith community's leadership directing our attention to the rights of peoples. "The Church's social doctrine...
As we go deeper into the Pope's encyclical: Caritas in Veritate it is obvious that what we are reading is simply the latest example of the rich tradition of the faith community's leadership directing our attention to the rights of peoples. "The Church's social doctrine has always maintained that justice must be applied to every phase of economic activity, because this is always concerned with man and his needs. Locating resources, financing, production, consumption and all the other phases in the economic cycle inevitably have moral implications. Thus every economic decision has a moral consequence. The social sciences and the direction taken by contemporary economics point to the same conclusion..(T)he canons of justice must be respected from the outset, as the economic process unfolds, and not just afterwards or incidentally. Space also needs to be created within the market for economic activity carried out by subjects who freely choose to act according to principles other than those of pure profit, without sacrificing the production of economic value in the process. The many economic entities that draw their origin from religious and lay initiatives demonstrate that this is concretely possible." (37) In an era of prosperity too little thought is sometimes given to how it is accumulated. What are people being paid for their labor? What is the real cost of the production for items? Are the needs of all, especially the poor, being met? In an era of economic recession or depression the same questions might be asked but additionally it must be realized the heightened danger of societal conflict as economic, social, and political chasms are accented, particularly by proponents of demagoguery. When the historical moral stances are ignored we might well perceive situations where bonuses are given to some while others receive pink notices; where scams are promoted to ensnare those who can little afford to lose the little they have, even if they don't need it, and those without develop resentments causing them to seek to overthrow the systems they blame for their deprivation.
The modern era with its means of communication and transportation has caused the world to become smaller and indeed "flat" a la Friedman. The Holy Father calls for relationships to be developed in economic life which call for contractual exchange, "political logic and the logic of the unconditional gift" (ibid.) in international affairs." Today's international economic scene, marked by grave deviations and failures, requires a profoundly new way of understanding business enterprise…(T)here is an increasing awareness of the need for greater social responsibility on the part of business. Even if the ethical considerations that currently inform debate on the social responsibility of the corporate world are not all acceptable from the perspective of the Church's social teaching, there is nevertheless a growing conviction that business management cannot concern itself only with the interests of the proprietors, but must also assume responsibility for all the other
Stakeholders who contribute to the life of the business: the workers, the clients, the suppliers of various elements of production, the community of reference…John Paul II taught that investment always has moral, as well as economic significance…(T)he requirements of justice must be safeguarded, with due consideration for the way in which the capital was generated and the harm to individuals that will result if it is not used where it was produced. What should be avoided is a speculative use of financial services that yields to the temptation of seeking only short-term profit, without regard for the long-term sustainability of the enterprise, its benefit to the real economy and attention to the advancement, in suitable and appropriate ways, of further economic initiatives in countries in need of development." (40) The Pontiff wants us to think twice when we begin our "back-to-school" shopping. Can we say that it is moral to pay exorbitant prices for sneakers when we are painfully aware of the literal pennies workers are paid for their labor? When examining our 401Ks, IRAs, and other parts of our investment portfolios, (a painful process for all I suspect, especially our seniors), are we aware of the stances, companies take, in which we have stock, vis a vis life issues and social justice? Are we guilty of condoning the practices of speculators who raise the cost of products, such as oil, despite the fact that supply does not require it?
There are those who seek cover for their devious ways by blaming others, establishing scapegoats such as globalization. The Pope states, however, "while globalization should certainly be viewed as a socio-economic process, this is not its only dimension. Underneath the more visible process, humanity itself is becoming increasingly interconnected, it is made up of individuals and peoples to whom this process should offer benefits and development,…as they assume their respective responsibilities, singly and collectively. The breaking down of borders is not simply a material fact: it is also a cultural event both in its causes and its effects. If globalization is viewed from a deterministic standpoint, the criteria with which to evaluate and direct it are lost. As a human reality, it is the product of diverse cultural tendencies, which need to be subjected to a process of discernment. The truth of globalization as a process and its fundamental ethical criterion are given by the unity of the human family and its development toward what is good. Hence a sustained commitment is needed to promote a person-based and community-oriented cultural process of worldwide integration that is open to transcendence. Despite some of its structural elements which should neither be denied nor exaggerated, 'globalization, a priori, is neither good nor bad. It will be what people make of it'…We should not be its victims, but rather its protagonists, acting in the light of reason, guided by charity and truth…The processes of globalization, suitably understood and directed, open up the unprecedented possibility of large-scale redistribution of wealth on a worldwide scale; if badly directed, however, they can lead to an increase in poverty and inequality, and could even trigger a global crisis. It is necessary to correct the malfunctions, some of them serious, that cause new divisions between peoples and within peoples, and also to ensure that the redistribution of wealth does not come about through the redistribution or increase of poverty: a real danger if the present situation were to be badly managed…Globalization is a multifaceted and complex phenomenon which must be grasped in the diversity and unity of all its different dimensions, including the theological dimension. In this way it will be possible to experience and to steer the globalization of humanity in relational terms, in terms of communion and the sharing of goods." (42) It is important for us to read these words of our shepherd not in a political context but a Catholic one in which we recognize the universality of Christ's call. We must as well take to heart his admonition that we are challenged y present circumstances to be actors and not simply reactors. We must be creative in our interactions with the world around us. Perhaps you might think these concepts of the Holy Father are deep and complex. They are. But we do no service to the gospel or to our salvation by "dumbing down" our faith.
Vivat Jesus
Fr. Brian