The Social Agenda of the Catholic Church

A Collection of Magisterial Texts

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We all know the Catholic Church’s teaching on Abortion and Marriage. However, there is much left out of the Church’s lobbying efforts, press statements, and even preaching from the pulpit concerning the Social Teachings that are so RELEVANT to our society.

Here are some examples:

MOSCOW — A Moscow court on Wednesday night outlawed the organizations founded by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny by labeling them extremist, the latest move in a campaign to silence dissent and bar Kremlin critics from running for parliament in September.

The Issue: Alexei Navalny and Russia’s oppression and extreme limitations on freedom of the press and association.

Did the Vatican issue a condemnation????? Have the American bishops issued any condemnations?

• The following is from the Preface to the Collection of Magisterial Texts by
• François-Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân
  Titular Archbishop of Vadesi
  President, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace

“The Lord never abandons us. As I am writing this preface to a
collection of texts on the social teaching of the Church, my mind
goes back over fifty years to the year 1945. I was only seventeen
years of age. My country, Vietnam, was at a moment of great difficulty.
In many ways it had lost its way. Japan and Europe were shaken at
the end of the war. Communism was making its inroads.
I was a young member of a small group of Catholics in the
Imperial City of Huê. We were fortunate to have the texts of some of
the social encyclicals, such as Rerum Novarum, Quadragesimo Anno,
and Divini Redemptoris. In the face of great difficulties, we
reproduced them as best we could.
One of our group—his name was Alexis—went from province
to province bringing the texts to families and communities. He did
so at enormous risk to himself and to his large family. At times, he
would hide the texts by strapping them to his legs as he secretly moved
from village to village. Finally, however, he was arrested and
eventually died in prison.
But this work left behind a great legacy. So many young men
and women found a new sense of hope through knowledge of the
documents of the Church’s social teaching. In fact, this knowledge
opened up a new path of light and hope for them, which endured
during the dark days that were to come. The Lord Jesus did not
abandon them”

Is the Vatican or American Church issuing statements or press releases about Alexei Navalny condemning Russia’s oppression and extreme limitations on freedom of the press and association.

PRO_LIFE means LIFE for everyone, everywhere! The Church must bring such issues to the attention of the American society.

III. THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

190. In the political sphere, it must be noted that truthfulness in the relations between those governing and those governed, openness in public administration, impartiality in the service of the body politic, respect for the rights of political adversaries, safeguarding the rights of the accused against summary trials and convictions, the just and honest use of public funds, the rejection of equivocal or illicit means in order to gain, preserve or increase power at any cost—all these are principles which are primarily rooted in, and in fact derive their singular urgency from, the transcendent value of the person and the objective moral demands of the functioning of States.
     (Veritatis Splendor, n. 101)

DO the American bishops preach or issue press releases about such matters as taught by the Magisterium?????

191. The protection and promotion of the inviolable rights of man ranks among the essential duties of government. Therefore, government is to assume the safeguard of the religious freedom of
     all its citizens, in an effective manner, by just laws and by other appropriate means. Government is also to help create conditions favorable to the fostering of religious life, in order that the people may be truly enabled to exercise their religious rights and to fulfill their religious duties, and also in order that society itself may profit by the moral qualities of justice and peace which have their origin in men’s faithfulness to God and to His holy will.
     (Dignitatis Humanae, n. 6)
     

VI. DEMOCRACY

197. The Church values the democratic system inasmuch as it ensures the participation of citizens in making political choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility both of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through
     peaceful means when appropriate. Thus she cannot encourage the formation of narrow ruling groups which usurp the power of the State for individual interests or for ideological ends.
     Authentic democracy is possible only in a State ruled by law, and on the basis of a correct conception of the human person. It requires that the necessary conditions be present for the advancement both of the individual through education and formation in true ideals, and of the subjectivity of society through the creation of structures of participation and shared responsibility. Nowadays there is a tendency to claim that agnosticism and sceptical relativism are the philosophy and the basic attitude which correspond to democratic
     forms of political life…. It must be observed in this regard that there is no ultimate truth to guide and direct political activity, then ideas and convictions can easily be manipulated for reasons of power. As history demonstrates, a democracy without values easily turnsinto open or thinly disguised totalitarianism. (Centesimus Annus, n. 46)

The above TEACHING by the Catholic Church must be PROCLAIMED in all the parishes of America and to all members of Congress because their are many who are supporting an AUTOCRACY!

More such IGNORED teachings of the Catholic Church will be forthcoming.