(Charity in Truth)
Sister Brenda Walsh, Racine
Dominican
The new encyclical, "Caritas in Veritate" released
from the Vatican on July 7th calls us beyond our own personal issues
and concerns to a global perspectives and concern about issues such as
economics, politics and greater ecological awareness. The document reminds us to
look beyond our own local concerns to the well-being of the millions that lack
basic needs like food, water and shelter, and also calls us to social
responsibility for the sake of generations yet to come.
Pope Benedict also declares in the Encyclical that
"the whole church in all her being and acting – when she proclaims, when she
celebrates, when she performs works of charity, is engaged in promoting integral
human development, which concerns every dimension of the human person." We have
many situations in this time that illustrate this, such as the economic crisis,
the environmental destruction, mass migration, lack of food and water for
millions and in the US, the need for health care for all and endless wars that
only lead to more violence and take needed resources away from our responses to
basic human needs.
When we listen to the news, we need to consider the
ethical and moral implications of what we see and hear. It implies that
economics at all levels must be governed by ethical principles since it affects
so many lives. We cannot have charity without justice which is the basis of
charity. This calls for fair trade, respect for workers, a more equitable
distribution of wealth, concern for the human development of all people and
concern for the common good. In addition, care for the earth and all our natural
resources are also a requirement.
We are called to reexamine our consumerism and
materialism as a way of life and, at a national and international level, the use
militarism and violence as a way of solving problems The world’s richest nations
are called to share more of their resources with the poorest around the world
and empower them to access and use their resources for their own well-being. The
encyclical condemns corruption in economics, the exploitation of workers and
destruction of the environment. We also need to find peaceful ways of solving
national and international problems and divert the money spent on militarism and
violence toward human development for all people. When we talk of being
pro-life, it means being pro-life for all people – at every age and stage.
Health care for all in the US is a moral obligation, not a political game that
people play to retain their own power and influence. The infant mortality rate
among the uninsured is 25% higher than in the population that has access to
health care. Human trafficking both nationally and globally is another example
of the need for a consistent life ethic.
What can people of faith do to take the encyclical
seriously and begin to implement it? Pick one or two of the following.
