What types of social activism may Catholics not partake in?

[DHC]

Hi all,

if I remember correctly, John Paul II discouraged Catholics from partaking in endeavors linked to liberation theology. The name Leonardo Boff or Boeff comes to mind in this context, and I have to do some research associated with that name. So, from my spontaneous reasoning liberation theology is a form of social activism, which leads me to pose the question: what other forms of social activism are Catholics discouraged from partaking in? I am sorry if this posting is perhaps not clearly developed. I am eager to read your responses.

May your heart and soul be filled with faith,
DHC
Darmstadt, Germany

 

[NewUlm1976_2000]

Hi all,

if I remember correctly, John Paul II discouraged Catholics from partaking in endeavors linked to liberation theology. The name Leonardo Boff or Boeff comes to mind in this context, and I have to do some research associated with that name. So, from my spontaneous reasoning liberation theology is a form of social activism, which leads me to pose the question: what other forms of social activism are Catholics discouraged from partaking in? I am sorry if this posting is perhaps not clearly developed. I am eager to read your responses.

May your heart and soul be filled with faith,
DHC
Darmstadt, Germany

Liberation Theology is not restricted. Many people still follow it. Much of Catholic Social Teachings draw from it. Liberation Theology helps the poor of the world to have a voice where most of the time they are invisible (usually for monetary gain higher up the income chain).

 

[Trader]

Hi all,

if I remember correctly, John Paul II discouraged Catholics from partaking in endeavors linked to liberation theology. The name Leonardo Boff or Boeff comes to mind in this context, and I have to do some research associated with that name. So, from my spontaneous reasoning liberation theology is a form of social activism, which leads me to pose the question: what other forms of social activism are Catholics discouraged from partaking in? I am sorry if this posting is perhaps not clearly developed. I am eager to read your responses.

May your heart and soul be filled with faith,
DHC
Darmstadt, Germany

Well, for starters, we may not use an evil means to attain our end, even a good and noble end. Some activists use evil means to attain evil ends, like anarchists.

As my mother taught me very early, two wrongs do not make a right.

 

[Oscarthecat]

Liberation Theology is not restricted. Many people still follow it. Much of Catholic Social Teachings draw from it. Liberation Theology helps the poor of the world to have a voice where most of the time they are invisible (usually for monetary gain higher up the income chain).

Actually, several aspects of liberation theology have been specifically and explicitly restricted in an instruction from the CDF, which condemns them for containing:

"deviations, and risks of deviation, damaging to the faith and to Christian living, that are brought about by certain forms of liberation theology which use, in an insufficiently critical manner, concepts borrowed from various currents of Marxist thought.

For example, one of the more well known foundational errors of Liberation Theology is that some proponents equate spiritual salvation with socio-political liberation- or even go so far as to claim that socio-political liberation is some sort of pre-requisite for spiritual salvation. From this, liberation theologians challenge numerous Church Teachings-

You can read the CDF’s full instruction on Liberation Theology at newadvent.org/library/docs_df84lt.htm

 

[Oscarthecat]

Have you read the “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church?”

You can find it at any Catholic Bookstore, or order it online, or you can read it online at:

vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html

It is very well indexed, and might be a good book to have on hand if you’re interested in how Catholic Social Teaching is manifested in social activism.

You might also want to look at specific religious orders that have been sanctioned for advocating social activism that was contrary to Church Teaching- the Jesuits, for example, have seen several of their members sanctioned for advocating social activism and advocacy which proved contrary to Church teaching.

 

[Dale_M]

You might also want to look at specific religious orders that have been sanctioned for advocating social activism that was contrary to Church Teaching- the Jesuits, for example, have seen several of their members sanctioned for advocating social activism and advocacy which proved contrary to Church teaching.

I’m not sure it is correct to write off the entire Jesuit order, but I think you are right that if a particular issue of social activism is opposed to Church teaching then Catholics should avoid it, for example, pro-choice demonstations

 

[rpp]

Liberation Theology is not restricted. Many people still follow it. Much of Catholic Social Teachings draw from it. Liberation Theology helps the poor of the world to have a voice where most of the time they are invisible (usually for monetary gain higher up the income chain).

This is not accurate. Liberation Theology, which is closely aligned with Communism, was explicitly contradicted by Pope John Paul II. In fct there is a famous picture of Pope John II, on a visit to a Latin-American country waggin his finger at a priest who was a prominent activist and promoter of Liberation Theology.

Nor is Catholic social teaching is not drawn from Liberation Theology. It is the reverse. Liberation Theology claims to be drawn from Catholic Social teaching, but violates many aspects of Catholic teachings because it opposes private ownership of businesses, agricultural property, individual rights, and so on.

All Liberation Theology is really Communism without the atheism.

As for other types of social “activism”, obviously anything that violates Catholic moral teaching would be wrong. Such as being involved in an aid organization that distributed condoms, working with or helping to fund a medical organization that performed abortions or sterilizations, etc.