UNIT 1 LESSON 1.

- Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si

A. Human Beings as the Crowning glory of presents current ecological problems our
God’s Creation world is facing such as the variety of forms of
- According to the Catechism of the Catholic pollution, increasing deforestation, a
Church, the dignity of the human person is disturbing warming of the climate, depletion
rooted in his creation in the image and of natural resources (especially quality
likeness of God. drinking water), loss of biodiversity, the
- They are the masterpiece of His creation. decline of quality of human life and
- Like Him, they are capable of self-knowledge relationships, and the global inequality gap
and can freely give themselves and enter between the poor and the rich.
into communion with others - “throwaway culture” that ruthlessly
- human persons with the divine image in consumes, exploits, and discards human life
them possess significant qualities: and our natural resources as one of the root
o Spiritual and Immortal Soul causes.
▪ The human person is
composed of body and soul. C. Human beings and the talks on gender and
o Intellect sexuality
▪ God gave us the ability to - The Lord God then built the rib that he
learn about things and had taken from the man into a woman.
understand them by the use When he brought her to the man, the
of our intellect. man said: “This one, at last, is bone of
o Freewill my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one
▪ God created man a rational shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man
being, conferring on him the this one has been taken.”
dignity of a person who can - ... man discovers woman as another "I",
initiate and control his own sharing the same humanity. (CCC 371)
actions. - The Nature and Purpose of Sexuality: CCC
▪ True freedom is the power 2331-36
and right to do that which is o To be human is to exist either as
right and good. male or as female.
- “The State values the dignity of every human o We are sexual beings by nature,
person and guarantees full respect for existing in one of these two modes.
human rights.” (Philippine Constitution, o Sexuality urges us out of isolation
Article 2 Section 11) into the company of others.
- CBCP’s Pastoral Moral Guidance on the Anti-
B. Human beings as stewards of God’s Discrimination Bill, March 3, 2015
creation o to call on all pastors throughout the
- Being an image of God also implies our country to be as solicitous of the
responsibility to His creation (Stewardship) pastoral welfare of all our brothers
- Caring for and cultivating the world involves and sisters regardless of sexual
the following: orientation and gender identity.
o Joyful appreciation of the God-given o In Catholic institutions, there should
beauty and wonder of nature; be zero-tolerance for the bullying
o Protection and preservation of the and badgering of persons in such
environment; personal situations.
o Respect for human life o If “gay rights” movements, for
o Development of this world through instance, encourage free and
noble human effort unbridled sexual relations between
 persons of the same sex, the Church choose someone of the same sex for one's
cannot lend its support, for in its sexual activity is to annul the rich symbolism
view, they ultimately do a disservice and meaning, not to mention the goals, of
to our brothers and sisters. the Creator's sexual design." (PCHP 7)
o What gay rights can legitimately
champion is justice for all, fairness UNIT 1 LESSON 2. HUMAN DIGNITY IN THE
that must extend to all persons REDEMPTIVE ACT OF CHRIST AND
regardless of sexual orientation and INTRODUCTORY CONCEPTS ON MAN AND
gender identity. SOCIETY
- What are the views of the Church on
Homosexuality? Human Dignity in the Redemptive Act of Christ
o Homosexuality refers to relations - PROTOEVANGELIUM
between men or between women o The promise of salvation brought
who experience an exclusive or about by sins of our ancestors is
predominant sexual attraction fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
toward persons of the same sex... o “I will put enmity between you and
homosexual acts are intrinsically the woman, and between your
disordered – (CCC 2357) offspring and hers; He will strike at
o They must be accepted with respect, your head, while you strike at his
compassion, and sensitivity. Every heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
sign of unjust discrimination in their - Redemption comes to us above all through
regard should be avoided. These the blood of his cross, but this mystery is at
persons are called to fulfill God's will work throughout Christ's entire life:
in their lives and, if they are o In His Incarnation – “Word made
Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of flesh”
the Lord's Cross the difficulties they o In His Hidden Life – Obedience
may encounter from their condition. o In His Word through Teachings,
(CCC 2358) Parables, Beatitudes, Prayers and
o Homosexual persons are called to Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
chastity. By the virtues of self- o In His Healings and Exorcisms
mastery that teach them inner o And in His Resurrection.
freedom, at times by the support of - TYPOLOGY is a method of biblical
disinterested friendship, by prayer interpretation whereby an element found in
and sacramental grace, they can and the Old Testament is seen to prefigure one
should gradually and resolutely found in the New Testament. The initial one
approach Christian perfection. (CCC is called the type and the fulfillment is
2359) designated the antitype.
o Thus, the Church teachings on - The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning
sexuality, marriage and family truth of our faith in Christ
promotes a concept of human o A faith believed and lived as the
dignity grounded on the very central truth by the first Christian
principle ordered by God for the community
benefit of the society.
o - Jesus’ words, deeds and suffering had for its
- "It is only in the marriage relationship that aim restoring fallen man to his original
the use of the sexual faculty can be morally vocation.
good. A person engaging in homosexual o This is a testament to the dignity of
behaviour, therefore, acts immorally. To human beings that despite of the
 Fall and sinful nature, God affirms, - God's patience has to call forth in us the
transcends the elevated nature of courage to return to him, however many
humanity. mistakes and sins there may be in our life.
- Christ continues to reveal Himself to us and
expresses in different ways particularly Introductory Concepts on Man and Society
through our conversion and redemption. - The human person is by nature a social
- Restoration of those who sinned and being.
became slave of sin finds its foundation in o They are relational beings, who are
the dignity of the human person and free and responsible, recognizes the
redemption by Christ through the programs necessity of integrating themselves
of the Church, government and other in cooperation with fellow human
groups. beings, and who is capable of
- Restorative Justice communion with them.
o Restorative justice in the criminal o The human person is an image of
justice system is a way of responding God and resembles the communion
to ending the effects of crime that of the divine persons in the Trinity,
makes the people affected. he must therefore establish himself
o Restorative justice seeks to repair a community with other persons in
harm, to appropriate responsibility order to live in a society.
for the harm and to involve those - A society is a group of persons bound
who have been affected by the together organically by a principle of unity
harm, including the community, in that goes beyond each one of them. As an
the resolution. assembly that is at once visible and spiritual,
o Punishment and imprisonment have a society endures through time...
meaning if, while maintaining the - Society is a requirement of man’s nature
demands of justice and discouraging through exchange, mutual service and
crime, they serve the rehabilitation dialogue with others. By this he develops
of the individual by offering those and responds to his vocation – love for
who have made a mistake an neighbor and love for God.
opportunity to reflect and to change - “Socialization" also expresses the natural
their lives in order to be fully tendency for human beings to associate with
reintegrated into society.” one another for the sake of attaining
- St John Paul II (Jubilee in Prisons, objectives that exceed individual capacities.
2009) It develops the qualities of the person,
- The Ultimate Destination of our Human especially the sense of initiative and
Pilgrimage: To Return to the Father responsibility, and helps guarantee his
o Our pilgrimage here on earth will be rights. (CCC 1882)
finally fulfilled together with all - Principle of Subsidiarity
creation, to share in Christ's o a community of a higher order
resurrection and in the eternal should not interfere in the internal
communion of life with the Father life of a community of a lower order
and the Holy Spirit. o Support it in case of need and help
- The Pope reminded us that God is always to coordinate its activity with the
waiting for us; he never grows tired. activities of the rest of society,
- Jesus shows us this merciful patience of God always with a view to the common
so that we can regain confidence, hope- good." (CCC 1883)
always. - Three Essential Elements of Common Good
o 1st - Respect for the person as such.
 o 2nd - Social well-being and o Universal: encompasses all
development of the group itself. humanity
o 3rd - Peace
Early Romans used the term dignitas referring to
UNIT 1 LESSON 3. HUMAN DIGNITY AS people appointed to public offices and with
INVIOLABLE AND INALIENABLE higher status in the society.

- The dignity of the human person is the Then Cicero redefined dignitas referring to all
primary principle and the heart and soul of humans by making distinction against animals
the social teaching of the Catholic Church. where the former are governed by reason while
- This teaching rests on one basic principle: the latter by bodily pleasures and instinct
individual human beings are the foundation,
the cause and the end of every social St. Leo the Great and St. Thomas Aquinas also
institution. used the term dignitas referring to dignity of
- Being in the image of God the human human person. To St Leo, persons have dignity
individual possesses the dignity of a person, due to the fact that man is raised up among other
who is not just something, but someone. beings and made in God’s image (Imago Dei).
(CCC 357)
- For the Christian faith, the life, ministry, St. Thomas Aquinas adopted this elevated beings
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ of St. Leo to his concept of great chain of beings
demonstrate that God has a special purpose which means the higher the status of a being, the
for human beings. This remnant of the divine more dignity one possess.
image and purpose conferred by God carry
the implication that people are to be The United Nations was established (1945) on
honored and treated as sacred. accounts of horrors experienced from World
- Human life is seen to be essentially social War 2 particularly from Nazi Germany and
because human beings have been created in Imperial Japan. It recognizes the dignity of every
the image of God who is Trinity and who person in Universal Declaration of Human Rights
combines both unity and relationship in self. (1948). The Preamble and first three articles of
- Persons sometimes exercise power in a way the declaration serve as its foundation of other
which dehumanizes other persons. rights.
- Human rights may be defined as those
fundamental rights of human beings which Since the Philippines is one of the signatories of
are essential to the exercise of human the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, our
dignity. 1987 Philippine Constitution adheres to these
o These rights are possessed by freedoms through the creation of Commission of
human beings by the mere fact of Human Rights and by directing the government
their being human. to value the dignity of all human persons through
o They are inherent in their nature, ensuring full respect for human rights
and far from being concessions by
society or by the state, instead St John XXIII's encyclical Pacem in Terris (1963)
society and the state have the duty was a landmark in the acceptance by the Catholic
to defend and promote them. Christian Church of the Universal Declaration of
- The dignity of human person is: Human Rights. For the first time, the Papal
o Innate: we were born with it magisterium presents a relatively complete and
o Inviolable: cannot be violated systematic catalogue of human rights,
o Inalienable: cannot be taken away comparable to those in contemporary
from us
declarations of human rights promulgated by
national or international entities.

“The promotion of human rights remains the

most effective strategy for eliminating
inequalities between countries and social
groups, and for increasing security”
- Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the United
Nations, April 2008

Rights theory in the social tradition recognizes

the importance of the social nature of the person
and role that context plays in the promotion and
guarantee of rights.