We can all do more in practicing Catholic Social Teaching

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Domer1997

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We can all do more to help the poor and defenseless. There are many humans from conception to natural death that live in impoverished conditions or live threatened lives. I’m as guilty as anyone! I could do more…and I realized this twice today. First, my guilt caught up with me as I let the collection basket pass me by at 11am Mass this morning, and secondly when I read the words of the 2007 Notre Dame valedictorian in his commencement address to the Class of 2007. He voiced a well articulated messaging urging his classmates to live their Catholic mission, which is to help those in need. The valedictorian is a future priest and really chose some eloquent words. Read below:

“Fellow graduates, as we leave this University, many of us have the enormous privilege of being able to live relatively comfortable lives when compared to the majority of the world’s population. At the same time, whether or not we live materially comfortable lives, we are ultimately called to live complicated lives. Respecting the principles of Catholic social teaching means that the lives of millions killed around the world by treatable diseases matter, just as the economic, social and spiritual poverty that exists in our own neighborhoods deserves our attention.

Such realities necessitate concern, sympathy and action. Though the answers to these problems are not always obvious, turning the page of the newspaper and failing to ask ‘why’ would betray what this place, with its Catholic foundation, stands for. We now share the opportunity and duty to live out what Notre Dame, grounded in both faith and reason, has planted in us.”

I believe the valedictorian, Michael Rossman, does a nice job allowing us to realize how comfortable many of our lives are. In my personal opinion, I believe that many Catholics these days argue over semantics. For example, should the Mass be said in English or Latin? Or, Should we receive communion in the hand or on the tongue? Or, arguments over music choice at Mass. Not that these issues don’t matter at all, but people are dying in our streets, in wombs, on playgrounds, in shacks. I just think that a lot of our attention should be focused on doing what JESUS would do… Why did he come to us? We need to remember why and understand why. We need to love others and help the oppressed, defenseless, hungry, naked, and imprisoned. Are we doing enough? I know I am not. And, I know this must change.

…a little something to think about…

God Bless
 
Thank you, Domer. A timely reminder for all of us. God bless you for sharing this!
 
Right on! So many young people–adolescents, young adults–walk away from the church because it just doesn’t seem relevant to them anymore (believe me, I know: I was one of them). There is such a rich treasure trove of Catholic social teachings that simply don’t get enough emphasis, IMHOP. I was reading in one of the papers the other day that the two issues young people (18-25) find most urgent are the environment and the genocide in Darfur. The church has clear, powerful teachings on both of these topics. We need to organize our youth around they the things that they are passionate about…and that the Church has so much to tell the world about.

I agree with Domer1997: theological musings and putterings might seem important to older people, but to young people, they are entirely disconnected from anything pertinent in their lives. So many young Catholics simply tolerate the church until they are old enough to stop being forced to attend by their parents. After that…off they go. It’s a tragedy, and it’s unnecessary. Catholic social justice issues are the answer, I truly believe it. Young people want to save the world…so let’s show them how!

A few months ago at my church, the senior pastor put out a “Save Darfur” sign on the front lawn, showed a brief video segment about Darfur at the coffee hour after mass, and keeps pushing everyone in the parish to do something, anything at all, to help stop the violence. I know that the youth group has been electrified by this emphasis on a real, timely, and deeply tragic event. It’s a good model for everyone. Life is, in no small part, a matter of emphasis. Emphasize the areas where young people are passionate and where the church has powerful teachings, and you’ll have an unbeatable combination.

So says me. 🙂
 
Domer1997 said:
We can all do more to help the poor and defenseless. There are many humans from conception to natural death that live in impoverished conditions or live threatened lives. I’m as guilty as anyone! I could do more
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AMEN! Finally others joining the cause! We need more like you. The fight in america is not against pornography, homosexuals and abortion (although a important issue, not the prime issue of our time) as many would have us believe. You hit the nail on the head
 
I hate to sound like a broken record, but the key to Social Justice is to provide each child in America a first-class, world-quality education.

We need to expand our Catholic schools, especially in the poorest areas of the country. That ought to be our number one Social Justice priority.
 
vern humphrey - you are very right, human geogrpahy has shown that to be one the best ways for decreasing many issues (including the rate of abortion!). I believe woman empowerment and universal schooling is a very important weapon in fighting injustice and poverty!
 
Unfortunately, Vern, it takes an awful lot of money. All those nuns and priests and brothers who worked for free are no longer available to staff Catholic schools, and the world ain’t getting any cheaper, so people need to be paid a fair amount to teach.

Let me guess: vouchers.
 
Future_Prodigy said:
AMEN! Finally others joining the cause! We need more like you. The fight in america is not against pornography, homosexuals and** abortion **(although a important issue, not the prime issue of our time) as many would have us believe. You hit the nail on the head
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So gruesome genocide is less important that hard living for the impoverished?
 
Michaeljc4 said:
Unfortunately, Vern, it takes an awful lot of money. All those nuns and priests and brothers who worked for free are no longer available to staff Catholic schools, and the world ain’t getting any cheaper, so people need to be paid a fair amount to teach.
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I’m well aware of that – but as I said, we’re in a death spiral. With fewer kids in Catholic schools, we generate fewer vocations.

However, we Catholics put less per capita in the collection plate than almost all other denominations. **If **our bishops would take the lead, making Catholic schools a top priority and exhorting us to give more and showing us the results, I believe we would respond.
Michaeljc4 said:
Let me guess: vouchers.
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No. There are two problems with vouchers.
  1. The Poison Pill strategy – most voucher laws are loaded to minimize the amount of money for alternative schooling and to minimize the children who are eligible. (Typically, ff your child is left-handed and red-headed with one brown and one blue eye – you qualify for a voucher worth $10 off on your next oil change.😃 )
  2. With public money comes public control. Who takes the King’s shilling is the King’s man.
 
Yes, you’re right Michaeljc4, but what a lot of people don’t know is that Catholic universities like Notre Dame are completely picking up the tab to train its graduates to teach in under-resourced Catholic schools. This is a great gift from the university to these schools which may otherwise close. Notre Dame pays for the teacher’s entire Masters Degree. The program is called Alliance for Catholic Education and it’s been around for about 14 years. Here’s their website:
ace.nd.edu/

ND has sent out hundreds of Catholic school teachers and the program keeps growing. The University of Dayton also has a similar type of program called the LaLanne program, which also trains Catholic school teachers for under-resourced Catholic schools. I believe Boston College has also jumped on board with a similar program, but do not know the specifics.

These are wonderful testaments to these universities and the future of Catholic schools in impoverished areas!
 
TheApologist said:
So gruesome genocide is less important that hard living for the impoverished?
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A Benedictine monk has reminded me, on many occasions, that everything is grace. All is a gift from God.

After puzzling over this, and ignoring it, I’ve finally had the realization that he may be right. As we find ourselves in our daily lives, confronting different situations, making difficult (even painful ) choices, there is a good chance that God has put us in the situation for a reason. And we need to ask ourselves: What does God want me to do about this?

It isn’t possible for us to cure the world of all its evils. I doubt if all of humanity, acting in concert, could even accomplish such a lofty goal. So when we find ourselves about to act or about to make choices, it is good to do be prayerful. If there isn’t time to actually pray, at least act as if God were present (which He is!) and that your actions are accountable to Him (which they are!)

Doing this will bring quite a bit of doubt into your life. It will make it harder to be comfortable with what you have done, and what you have failed to do. But since we are finite creatures, and can not do everything, we need to humbly make priorities and choices. And its best to keep God actively involved in your actions and decisions.
 
  1. With public money comes public control. Who takes the King’s shilling is the King’s man
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Too true, Vern. Also, consider that it wouldn’t just be *Catholic *schools that got funding. It would be Episcopalian schools, Methodist schools, Mormon schools, Unitarian Universalist schools, United Church of Christ schools, Pentacostal schools, Baptist schools…the list goes on and on. Perhaps not such a big deal, but consider: after hearing today that 25% of American Muslims under the age of 30 believe that suicide bombings are justifiable in the name of their religion, would you really want your tax dollars going to Islamic schools in the United States? Fund one denomination, fund them all. Something to think about.
 
Michaeljc4 said:
Too true, Vern. Also, consider that it wouldn’t just be *Catholic *schools that got funding. It would be Episcopalian schools, Methodist schools, Mormon schools, Unitarian Universalist schools, United Church of Christ schools, Pentacostal schools, Baptist schools…the list goes on and on. Perhaps not such a big deal, but consider: after hearing today that 25% of American Muslims under the age of 30 believe that suicide bombings are justifiable in the name of their religion, would you really want your tax dollars going to Islamic schools in the United States? Fund one denomination, fund them all. Something to think about.
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Absolutely correct. While I wouldn’t worry about many denominations, there is a potential danger here.

But the most prominent danger is that if we take public money, we willy-nilly accept public control. We wind up being forced to teach about “alternate life styles” and so on.

The Church should never be led down the garden path of taking public money – because there’s a snake in that garden.
 
I think that someone else in this thread hit the nail on the head: build capacity from within the church. Make it important in each diocese; really push for funding from the people in the pews. I’m becoming a bigger and bigger believer in the power of charity over the power of tax-payer funded social programs to achieve the common good (although I certainly do believe in a public school system). Charity is good for the giver and the receiver. The biggest problem is how many different and compelling causes ther are to give to! If education becomes the focus, that means less money for Catholic Charities, or Catholic Relief Services (my favorite), or the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, or…you get the idea. Perhaps working toward parish-level endowment funds, sort of like the yearly grand annual appeals, only these monies would be dedicated specifically toward Catholic schools? Just some thoughts.
 
Domer1997 said:
Yes, you’re right Michaeljc4, but what a lot of people don’t know is that Catholic universities like Notre Dame are completely picking up the tab to train its graduates to teach in under-resourced Catholic schools. This is a great gift from the university to these schools which may otherwise close. Notre Dame pays for the teacher’s entire Masters Degree. The program is called Alliance for Catholic Education and it’s been around for about 14 years. Here’s their website:
ace.nd.edu/

ND has sent out hundreds of Catholic school teachers and the program keeps growing. The University of Dayton also has a similar type of program called the LaLanne program, which also trains Catholic school teachers for under-resourced Catholic schools. I believe Boston College has also jumped on board with a similar program, but do not know the specifics.

These are wonderful testaments to these universities and the future of Catholic schools in impoverished areas!
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What else do you know about these programs? I am very intrigued and would love to learn more about them. Thanks
 
Future Prodigy,
These service programs for Catholic schools pretty much work all the same (I believe). Notre Dame’s program was the first and the others (Dayton, BC etc…) patterned their’s after ND’s Alliance for Catholic Education. University graduates in these programs spend summer months at their university for a type of teaching immersion program and then are sent off to teach the year in and underprivileged Catholic school (grade or high school). Then, they receive more training the second summer and teach the following year. After their two-year commitment, the new teacher graduates with his/her masters from the university. The university picks up the education expenses…kind of like a fellowship. During the school year, the teachers receive a modest stipend from the school and live in community with each other (sometimes even in convents/old rectories/etc…) This is also a part of “Americorps”, so these teachers receive credit vouchers for student loans each year of service (undergraduate student loans). The teachers recieve their Masters, learn to live simply and in a Catholic community, and the schools (who may otherwise close) receive well-educated teachers who are practicing Catholics. …a win-win situation for all!

God Bless!
 
We have to ask ourselves in this day of age: what is more important? Saving tens of thousands of lives a week from active murder by knife and chemical? Or saving hundreds of lives a week from starvation?
 
There are no easy answers. The needs are great, the resources limited. I was reading a story about Mother Theresa not too long ago: An American woman asked if she could come and stay with Mother in Calcutta, working with the poorest of the poor. Mother Theresa replied, “Thank you for your offer, but you must find your own Calcutta.” I think about those words often. Unfortunately, there are an awful lot of Calcuttas.
 
TheApologist said:
We have to ask ourselves in this day of age: what is more important? Saving tens of thousands of lives a week from active murder by knife and chemical? Or saving hundreds of lives a week from starvation?
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People aren’t starving in America. We can both end abortion and lift people out of poverty through education and inculcation of values.
 
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