John II of France

Social Justice McKenna in his book, A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching, stresses equal opportunities of all members of society in his description of social justice. He says that it is achieved “when people are giving opportunities to be active and productive participants in the life of society as part of their obligations, which is also the duty of the society to do so” (39). Chukwujekwu agrees with McKenna, but explains further that this aspect of justice deals more with “economic,…

MORAL THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF EVANGELII GAUDIUM 218 ON DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE This chapter is on the theology of distributive justice (the fairness in the distribution of wealth and resources of the community) through the moral theological framework of Catholic Social Teaching. The chapter begins with the general overview of the document- Evangelii Gaudium, its structural analysis and the presentation of the text which is followed by its thematic moral theological analysis. It also examines the…

The year was 1942, the United States of America and Mexico had finally came to an agreement of the Emergency Labor program, which became known as the Bracero Program. (Acuña, 2011, p. 253) The Bracero Program was a reference to the mighty arms , which were also known as “brazos”, of the Mexican men who worked in the labor fields throughout the west and southwest of the United States. This program has allowed U.S. industries, mostly agricultural, to temporarily employ hundreds of thousands of…

Women’s roles in the Catholic church have remained relatively consistent in the fact that women have never been allowed to become priests but have continued their service to the church in the role as nuns. Even though the church has modernized in other ways, they have not caught up to improving gender equality in the West. Why is this still a controversial issue especially since in other denominations of Christianity, such as the Methodist church, have appointed women preachers? This is still an…

John Paul II’s encyclical Veritatis Splendor corroborate the descriptions of the Magisterium provided by the Catechism and Congar. The role of the Magisterium is to lead the faithful by scrutinizing and authenticating new theological approaches to interpreting…

truth that gives meaning to your life. For much of the current thinking, however, it is a wild goose chase, for man would be unable to reach the truth. This is the starting point that has given rise to the thirteenth encyclical of John Paul II, which was published on 15 October. The Pope wants to step out of this cultural situation that has shaped a way of thinking according to which everything is subjective: the truth would be the result of consensus. It is a climate of uncertainty…

The Scarlet and the Black is a 1983 film that follows the efforts of Vatican priest, Monsignor O’Flaherty, as he hides Jews and escaped POWs in Germany occupied Rome in 1943 during World War II. Priest O’Flaherty’s main adversary is SS Head of Police for Rome, Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Kappler. Hundreds of Allied POW soldiers are stealing into the city in hopes of finding refuge within the Vatican walls. When Germany entered Rome, the Vatican declared it’s neutrality in the war with the promise…

Orthodoxy and Catholicism have a place in amongst over 35,000 Christian organizations (Jacobsen 7). I attended a mass at St. John 's Catholic Church and a service at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, and the similarities and differences that I observed were extremely intriguing. Both services recite similar prayers, like the Nicene Creed and Our Father, and they celebrate the Eucharist during mass. While the Orthodox Church is demographically Greek, the Catholic Church represents a…

At the climax of Pope Francis' Encyclical on the Environment he states that, “The poor and the earth are crying out. O Lord, seize us with your power and light, help us to protect all life, to prepare for a better future, for the coming of your Kingdom of justice, peace, love and beauty” (180). These words both truthful and righteous are emblematic of the encyclical in its entirety; the encyclical is about how we as humans have damaged the word and how we must make an effort to right our wrongs.…

One of the convictions Russell B. Connors Jr. discussions in his reading, "Catholic Social Teaching - Convictions and Connections", is Option for the Poor. The Option for the Poor focuses on the good act that can be done for the less fortunate, similarly to The Food Group, which is committed to serving the hunger needs of our communities. Connors define Option for the Poor as, "All members of society have a special obligation to the poor and vulnerable" (p. 252). It should be everyone's…