22 Marian Helper • Fall 2024 • Marian.org of us is a unique creation of our heavenly Father (see Acts 17:24-28), and fashioned by Him in His “image” (see Gen 1:26-27) as “persons,” — that is, as creatures with the inherent capacity for self-consciousness, rational thought, and the exercise of free will. We are capable of using that freedom, with the help of His grace, to grow in His “likeness” in love and wisdom throughout this earthly life, in preparation for the life to come. So, according to Catholic Social Teaching, a truly just society is one that respects, protects, and nurtures this Godgiven worth and dignity of every human being. Of course, individuals who grossly violate the human dignity of others (e.g., violent criminals) are to be restrained with the minimum force necessary for the protection of the innocent. Meanwhile, the gift of life is to be guarded and sustained as the foundational gift from God, the one on which our human worth and dignity ultimately is based. Therefore the protection of innocent human life is the fundamental “human right”; it is the first responsibility of every society, every social institution, and every government, to uphold and defend that right. Right to life This Church teaching should not sound strange to the ears of Americans. Our Declaration of Independence (in 1776) established that all human beings are “endowed by their Creator” with certain “unalienable rights” (in other words, rights that should never be violated because they come to us from God, not from society), and that chief among these are the rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — in that order. This hierarchy of fundamental human rights is precisely what made the institution of slavery in America so deplorable. It was a blatant contradiction both of the Catholic faith and of the founding principles of our nation. Slavery in the United States involved the attempt by some people to “pursue their happiness” by depriving others of their legitimate human “liberty.” Over the past century and a half, the Church has repeatedly spoken out against direct threats to the dignity of the human person, including abortion and euthanasia; poverty and deprivation; tyranny and totalitarianism; terrorism and military aggression. So keep these in mind when casting your vote. Solidarity and the Poor A second, essential principle of Catholic Social Teaching “Abortion remains our pre-eminent priority. Other grave threats to the life and dignity of the human person include euthanasia, gun violence, terrorism, the death penalty, and human trafficking. There is also the redefinition of marriage and gender, threats to religious freedom, lack of justice for the poor, the suffering of migrants and refugees, wars and famines, racism, the need for greater access to healthcare and education, and more.” is the principle of “Solidarity.” This involves a complete commitment of oneself to the common good. Pope St. John Paul II elaborated on this principle in his 1987 encyclical Solicitudo rei Socialis (On Social Concern): “[Solidarity] is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good: that is to say, to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all” (n. 38). To put it another way, the answer to Cain’s question after he killed his brother Abel, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” is simply “Yes, to some extent you really are your brother’s, and your neighbor’s, keeper,” at least in the sense of upholding the life and legitimate liberty of others. That includes helping that they have access to the basic goods needed for human health and well-being: such as adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, educational and employment opportunities — and, of course, access to the truth of the Gospel (for it is the truth of the love of Christ for us, and the help of His grace poured into our hearts through prayer and the Sacraments, that enables us to attain that integral happiness and salvation which we all long to find). The principle of Solidarity insists that the needs of the poor and the suffering, the lost and the helpless actually should be given preferential concern, in accord with our Lord’s own teachings in the Gospels (e.g. “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” Mt 25:40.). So keep these in mind when casting your vote.
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