CHAPTER I: Social Teachings of the Church

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 Performance Standard: The students must be able to:
Participate actively in the mission of the Church of promoting justice in our community.

Content Standard: The students demonstrate understanding of these truths:

The learners will demonstrate an understanding of the ff.
 Doctrine: Jesus Christ founded the Church on the apostles to perpetuate His saving act here on
Earth. It is the sacrament of salvation, the sign and instrument of the communion of God and
men.

 Moral - As members of the mystical Body of Christ, we are called to work harmoniously with
one another despite our differences to attain the common good and therefore build a loving and
just society to everyone.
Worship - In faithful participation in the celebration of the Eucharist and other liturgical celebrations

MELCS (Most Essential Learning Competencies)

 Explain the social teaching of the Church and to respond concretely to the challenges of the
social teaching.
 Pray for God’s inspiration so that the social teaching of the Church be realized in our daily
living.

UPGRADED MELCS: Respond to Jesus’ calling by being a good and active member of the Church in
their family and parish/ BEC or school.
* Christian Formation, Participation, & co-responsibility

Lesson 1: Social Teaching: Introduction & The Church: The

Instrument of Salvation

* In this activity, please use newspaper or watch news updates or you can search in the
internet.
1. Write the “social issues” at the circle shape and relate any current social issues you find most
disturbing from the media or newspapers, kindly put it beside the arrow.
2. Then, choose one current social issue and give a short explanation.

Short explanation:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
___________._____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________.

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 In faith, as in other aspects of your life, there is no stopping your growth. Your journey in faith
continues. Perhaps, as you expose yourself more to the appalling conditions of our country your questions
are: “How can my faith help me help my country?” “How can I contribute to making the lives of my
fellow Filipinos a little better. As a Christian, you believe that social responsibility is an integral part of
your Christian faith. So your concern now is no longer whether you should help or not, but rather to find
the most effective way possible to exercise social responsibility considering your personal circumstances,
talents, and resources as a young growing-up Filipino Christian.
The foundation of the Catholic social teaching is the inherent nature of God in each human person.
One of which is the capacity to love. The capacity to love makes man belong to a society. The society is
where he/she completes her/his person. On the contrary, self-centeredness, which is brought about by
pride and disobedience and selfish choice, breaks this inherent nature in us.

How do we know which actions will effectively promote the common good, and genuinely
motivated by Christian values? What is the best way for young people to use their talents, resources,
and time in helping others?
We need to “listen” to the teachings of our church leaders and implement them according to our
conscience and specific context.
In this chapter, you will be introduced to the Catholic Social Teachings and see how the Church
sketched a Christian vision of social moral life and offered moral principles, which are proposed as
valid for all who strive to live a fully human life.

The Church as the Moral Center

 The Church, through its leaders, proposes moral principles that guide us in our decisions and
actions. This is the Church’s primary contribution to society. The Church helps strengthen the
spiritual and moral fiber of society (CFC 1161). Pope Benedict XVI said that the Church “is called
to contribute to the purification of reason and to the awakening of those moral forces without which
just structures are neither established nor proven effective in the long run” (Deus Caritas Est 29).
 Despite the internal and external problems that the Church encounters, it never stops doing its
duty. In fact, it never ceases to find ways to improve itself and check if it remains faithful to what
Jesus commissioned it to do.
 Perhaps you want to know where do students like you fall in the big definition of the Church. Of
course, we should not mistake the Church for the clergy only. We are all part of the Church, and
we can serve as the reinforcement of the moral fiber of our society.
 The Church as “the people of God,” is endowed with “different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same
Spirit…different forms of service but the same Lord…different workings but the same God who
produces all of them in everyone (1 Cor 12:4-6). It strives to fulfill its duties according to the gifts,
talents, and grace that God sends. To distinguish our duties from that of our leaders, we say the
following:
1. The leaders of the Church are mainly responsible for evangelizing the faithful. Most of the
teaching part is theirs. They are tasked to relate the Gospel to the specific issues of the day.
They are the leaders to whom we, members of the Church, are called to “listen”.
2. For our part, we say that we are to concretely and directly incorporate the Gospel values into
our specific relationships and works.

 However, we have to bear in mind that both leaders and members share the same mission of
spreading the Gospel in all areas of human life. Both act as leaven in human society. In other
words, everyone who is part of the Church is called to respond to the same mission: take the Gospel
values of justice, peace, and love to heart and let them radiate in all human relationships.

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 Our society is composed of different sectors. Each of these sectors have their own goals and
principles to achieve in order to contribute to the development of the nation. Look at the images below
and identify the different sectors they depict.
1. 2.
3. 4.

*Answer the following questions:

1.Aside from what you have identified from the images above, what other sectors do you know? What
are their contributions in society?
2. What particular sector do you want to belong to? Why?
3. What are the government and church programs that serve the different sectors? How effective are
they.

 Listening Reflectively: Read slowly the passage below

Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple

and began to drive out those who were selling and those who
were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the
money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and
he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the
temple. He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written, My
house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?
But you have made it a den of robbers.”
And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept
looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him,
because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching.
And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of
the city. -Mk.11:15-19

Knowing Lovingly

 In the public ministry of Jesus, we can see that He was totally involved into the life-situations of
the people around him. In the Gospel, we can read many instances where Jesus was moved with
compassion and pity. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were
harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt.9:36). “Jesus works tirelessly,
accomplishing powerful deeds to free men and women from sickness, suffering, injustices, and

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 death”. Evidently, Jesus did not come only for spiritual reason or the salvation of the souls but to
liberate people from any forms of evil and oppression. This liberating mission of Christ is
continued in the Church. “The Church has received from Christ her mission which entails the right
duty to proclaim justice on the local, national and international level, and to denounce instances of
injustice particularly when the fundamental rights of the person and his/her salvation demands it.

Jesus did not come only for spiritual reason or the salvation of souls but to liberate people from
any forms of evil and oppression.

Many religious people would agree that transforming social realities with the power of the Gospel, to
which witness is borne by men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, has always been a challenge. As Pope
Francis stated in his Lumen Fidei (In the Light of Faith) “Faith thus appeared to some as an illusory light,
preventing mankind from boldly setting out in quest of knowledge. The proclamation of Jesus Christ, the
“Good News” of salvation, love, justice, and peace, is not readily received in today’s world, devastated as
it is by wars, poverty, and injustices. For this very reason, men and women of the modern age have
greater need of the Gospel: of faith that saves, of hope that enlightens, of the charity that loves. And
these has been the reason why the Magisterium (Church teaching authority) put into writings the Catholic
Social Teachings (CST) or also commonly known as Social Teachings of the Church (STC).
One substantial way in which the Church fulfills its total evangelical mission is through its teachings
on the moral implications of the moral implications of the economic, political, and cultural issues of the
people. In this way, the Church brings out the relevance of Christian faith in all concrete human situations
of life and proclaims the holistic salvation of humankind brought about by Jesus Christ.

The Church has accumulated a rich doctrinal heritage

in time as she continuously gives attention to people
in society. This has its roots in Sacred Scripture,
especially the Gospels and the apostolic writings, and
takes on shape and body beginning from the Fathers
of the Church and the great Doctors of the Middle
Ages, constituting a doctrine in which, even without
explicit and direct Magisterial pronouncements, the
Church gradually came to recognize her competence.

“In the nineteenth century, events of an economic nature produced a dramatic social, and cultural impact.
Events connected with the Industrial Revolution profoundly changed centuries-old societal structures,
raising serious problems of justice and posing the first great social question-the labour question-prompted
by the conflict between capital and labour.
In this context, the Church felt the need to become involved and intervened in a new way; the res
novae (“new things”) brought about by these events represented a challenge to her teaching and motivated
her special pastoral concern for masses of people. A new discernment of the situation was needed, a
discernment capable of finding appropriate solutions to unfamiliar and unexplored problems. Although
the Social Teaching is not new in the Tradition of the Church, the very first social written document was
Pope Leo XXIII courageously set the general nature of the Social Teaching by focusing on the condition
of labor and the moral principles that should govern, among other things like the right of workers, the
right to private property, care for the poor, duties of employers and workers and the role of public
authorities. This first social encyclical opened the door for the Church to be more vocal on social structures
and conditions of people in the society.

The Catholic Social Teachings present the Catholic Christian response to key modern social problems.
Through CST, the Church reads the signs of the times, evaluates them in the light of the teachings of
Christ, and brings out the relevance of the Christian faith in concrete life situations. It is one concrete
sort of “leg work” that our leaders do for us. They analyze our social situation in the light of faith and
reason, and help us arrive at sound moral solutions to our social problems.

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 The Church develops CST based on Sacred Scripture, Church Tradition, and human nature and
experience. Through CST, the Church proposes a Christian ethical vison that grounds our effort to
respond to the many issues raised by living in society. This vision does not give technical solutions to
social problems. Rather, it gives us:
1. Moral principles that can help us reflect on our social problems;
2. Guidelines for moral action; and
3. Criteria for judging our moral decisions and evaluating social systems.

Social Documents
 Today, when Church authorities talk about CST, they refer primarily to the documents addressed
to the universal Church. Most of these documents were published as encyclicals by different popes,
starting from Leo XII up to the present. While popes released encyclicals on various topics and
practically all letters signed by them have social implications, these particular encyclicals have
focused directly on social matters. That is why they are called social encyclicals.
 The other documents are not papal encyclicals, like Gaudium et Spes (Church in the Modern world)
of Vatican II and Justice in the World, a documents from the worldwide Synod of Bishops held in
Rome in 1971.
 Other sources of CST: interviews of popes, studies of Vatican congregations, statements from
different national episcopal conferences, homilies of bishops and priests. Also pastoral letters and
exhortations of bishops’ conferences on national issues like poverty, education, gambling,
population growth, elections, ecology, etc.

 CST is a significant means for the Church to carry out its mission of integral evangelization. Since
it is based on the Scriptural living Word of God and Tradition of the Church, CST can be a potent
source of personal change and social transformation. When it is deeply understood and
interiorized, it can inspire socially oriented Catholics to devote their whole life to the pursuit of
justice and peace.

THE 13 CHURCH’S SOCIAL DOCUMENTS

1. Rerum Novarum (The Conditon of Labor, 1891)

 The ill effects of the industrial Revolution prompted the writing of this encyclical and the dominant
way of thinking called Enlightenment. In this encyclical, Pope Leo XIII described the appalling
situation of industrial workers in the hands of the capitalists who treated the workers merely as
part of their resources. The government aggravated the workers’ condition. This resulted in the
conflict between capitalists and the working class, and a great gap between the rich and the poor.
Because of this, Leo XIII brought serious attention to all this social injustice. He rejected the
Marxist’s ideology of class conflict and stressed how the two social classes should live in harmony.
The rich, on the other hand, are called to use wisely what they have and exercise Christian charity
to the needy from their surplus. The poor, on the other hand, are reminded that being poor can be
a grace. When it comes to the role of the state, Leo XIII admonish the state to intervene in case of
unresolved conflict between the capitalists and the workers and assure the workers that they
receive what were due them: just wage, good working condition, etc.
 Leo XIII clearly rejected the solution of socialism. He repeatedly insisted that he remedy of
socialism was worse than the disease it was trying to cure. The socialists at the time advocated the
notion of economic equality and the total abolition of private ownership of property through class
struggles.

2. Quadragesimo Anno (The Reconstruction of the Social Order, 1931)

 Forty years after Rerum Novarum, Pius XI released Quadragesimo Anno to reiterate and expand
the themes of Rerum Novarum. This was written in the midst of the Great Depression and rise of
fascism in Europe.
At the outset of 1920s, many started to question the increasing concentration of wealth in the
hands of the few. They were critical of capitalism for what it brought to society: monopoly of
means of production, massive depression in 1929, economic slavery, child labor, and other
forms of social injustice. The economic life had become hard, cruel, and relentless to a ghastly
measure for the great majority of the people (no. 109) Compared to Leo VIII, Pius XI pointed out
the following issues with much stronger emphasis:

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 1. The right to private property is relative. The “right” must be distinguished from the use of
private property. The superfluous wealth and possessions of the rich are not meant for
themselves alone; rather these have to be shared. This indicates that the right to private property
is not absolute.
2. Workers deserve to receive a family wage, e.i. wage that is enough for them to raise and sustain
a family.
3. To form unions is the workers’ right. The workers’ unions are their venue and means to forward
their concerns.
4. The state has the responsibility to intervene and exercise its authority in case a serious violation
of the rights of the people, especially of the workers.
5. A new form of socialism had emerged, “mitigated” socialism exercised in line with certain
Christian principles, and thus in view of this, an alternative social concept was created between
strict capitalism and rigid socialism, that is “corporate society.”
6. The concept of sin was extended to collective efforts. With the continuous growth of the network
of industrialization, sin has assumed a new dimension, a corporate stature. It has slowly
penetrated into the structures of society and that made it hard to trace the responsibilities of the
individuals.

3. Mater et Magistra (Christianity and Social Progress, 1961)

 The historical events that served as the backdrop for writing Mater et Magistra were the
tremendous changes that had taken place in world politics after WWII, namely the independence
of many Third World Countries, a period of relative détente between the communist block and
Western democratic countries, and the emergence of Civil Rights movements in USA. The themes
in this encyclical were taken up from global perspective, i.e. issues about developed and
underdeveloped countries, world population and resources, etc.

 Responding to the worldwide social questions, Mater et Magistra introduced the concept of an
international economic system, global interdependence, and the responsibility of rich countries. It
called for a social reconstruction on the grounds of truth, justice, freedom, and love.

4. Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth, 1963)

 This encyclical was address not only to Catholics but also to all people of goodwill. With its
powerful teachings, Pacem in Terris noted for its significant influence on the Second Vatican
Council. It was written amid worldwide concern about nuclear war.
 In Pacem in Terris, St. John XXIII contended that peace could be attained only if the order
designed by God is observed. He linked peace with justice. He stressed the following points:
1. The rights and duties of people. Individuals, public authorities, national government, and the
world communities must respect human rights.
2. The duty of the people to take part in public life. All people – Catholics and non-Catholic – are
challenged (morally obligated) to work together on matters of social change. There should be
mutual cooperation in all levels of relationships: individual, national, and international.
3. The significance of socialism. Concerning this issue, John distinguished between the philosophical
teachings of socialism and its socio-economic movements. Though socialism is inadequate in its
philosophical teachings, it can be effective in leading the people to be involved in the work for
social justice. Thus, cooperation with socialism was for the first time seen reasonable.

5. Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 1965)
Vatican II inItiated a new way of thinking in the Church, producing sixteen documents, including
Gaudium et Spes, which is considered to have the most authority in the Church’s social teaching
documents.
Here are just few of the many things that the council of Fathers tried to stress in this
document.
1. The Church’s duty is to serve the world. One way to do this is to scrutinize the signs of the times
and to be in constant dialogue with all the concerns human welfare.
2. Human beings are the “source, the center, and the purpose of all economic and social life”
(Gaudium et Spes 63).
3. Peace is not just the absence of war but justice throughout society.

6. Populorum Progressio (On the Development of Peoples, 1967)

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  Paul VI pointed out that the whole question of human development is now seen form a much larger
and wider perspective. Problems of pervert and injustice have now taken on an international
dimension since they affect not only single nations but also the entire global community. The
expansion of close interdependence of all human persons and nations demands common
responsibility for the development of all people. The rich nations are called to help the poor
nations. In addition, the Church, in its fidelity to preserving human dignity and the common good
of all, has a role in the process of development.
 In view of this, Paul VI proposed the Christian vision of human development that is integral,
covering all aspects of human life. His central theme was about integral development as the new
name for peace and, conversely, peace means full human development.

7. Octogesima Adveniens (A Call to Action), 1971)

This is an open letter of Paul VI to Cardinal Roy of Quebec, chairperson of the Pontifical
Commission on Justice and Peace.
 At the time of the publication of this letter, many people around the world, especially those of the
Third World Countries were questioning the whole socio-economic system of capitalism as typified
by the International Monetary Fund, World nations, and the evils of the social phenomenon called
“urbanization” that gave birth to what Paul VI called the “new poor,” and to the pitiful condition
of the women and youth. Impelled by these conditions, many were attracted to the Marxist
principles which promised them justice and liberation from their miserable conditions. They
clamored for a new society.
 This letter turned out to be a call to action. The whole Church, specifically the local Churches,
was summoned to respond to the specific situations of the people. Local Churches have to work to
ensure that equality and participation in society must be part of any authentic development project.
The church and its members, in order to respond to the world’s conditions, must reflect on these
contemporary situations, apply the Gospel principles and take moral actions, even within political
areas when appropriate.
8. Justitia in Mundo (Justice in the World, 1971)
This is written by a gathering of bishops from around the world, many from poor underdeveloped
countries.
 The bishops acknowledged the escalating severity and seriousness of injustice through a network
of domination, oppression, and other form of abuses worldwide. In their statement, the bishops
strongly declared the Church’s mission is to transform these world conditions, that the work for
justice is a constructive dimension of faith. They required that the thrust for justice be actualized
in the Church’s lifestyle, educational activities, projects, and programs locally and
internationally. They said, “Christian love of neighbor and justice cannot be separated” (Justitia
in Mundo 34).
9. Evangelii Nuntiandi (Evangelization in the Modern World, 1975)
 The apostolic exhortation on evangelization in the modern world was Paul VI’s confirmation of
the Synod of Bishops’ document Justice in the World. In his message, Paul VI dealt with the
meaning of evangelization. The duty and responsibility of the Church is to proclaim and spread
the teachings of the Gospel to the people of the twentieth century in ways understandable to them.
In a sense, the encyclical spelled out the truth that to be faithful to the Gospel is to be faithful to
the people that means that to evangelize includes the work for justice is an essential component of
evangelization. Christians must confront things including the way society is organized and
structured if they serve as obstacles to justice.
True liberation is not only personal but also social.
10. Laborem Exercens (on Human Work, 1981)
 In Laborem Exercens, John Paul II focused on one topic, human work. He placed human work at
the center of all social problems. All social problems can be either directly or indirectly related to
violations of the dignity of human work. He explained that since human persons are dignified by
and are the proper subject of work, work therefore expresses and increases human dignity. He
developed this insight proposing a spirituality of human work. In the end, he concluded that
anything—people, systems, ideologies—that ill opposes the dignity of work definitely contributes
to social injustice.
11. Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (On Social Concern, 1987)
 John Paul II wrote Sollicitudo Rei Socialis on the twentieth anniversary of Populorum Progressio
described above. Sollicitudo Rei Socialis hinged on the Christian vision of total human
development, covering all aspects of human life—economic, political, cultural, and spiritual. It

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 stressed the ethical dimension of development that shows that development cannot be defined in
purely economic terms. Furthermore, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis emphasized that though the Church
proposes its vision of development, it does not offer a technical solution to social problems. Rather,
it offers its general fundamental principles that must be the basic for the technical measures
institutions and projects needed to bring about social justice.
12. Centesimus Annus (100th Anniversary, 1991)
On the 100th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, John Paul II released Centesimus Annus. In this encyclical,
he reviewed the fundamental social teachings of the Church that grew and developed over the past 100
years and concluded that church social doctrine is a valid instrument for evangelization. Some of the key
teachings he underscored and elaborated were the following:
1. Dignity of human persons. The grave violations and the dignity of human persons marked the
eventual fall of communism in 1990.
2. Critical judgment on the two opposing ideologies, namely, strict capitalism and rigid socialism.
3. Dignity of human work
4. Universal destination of goods
5. Call for new social order
6. Spirituality of the struggle for social justice

13. Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth, 2009)

 Pope Benedict XVI’s first social encyclical calls all to respond to the problems of global
development and progress in truth-filled love, “from which authentic development proceeds,” and
to continue “seeking and working for the benefit of all.” The Pope urges everyone, particularly in
the economic and social spheres, to be motivated not just by profit, but also by Christian ethics
and moral responsibility, and to consider the spiritual dimension that must be present for
development to be authentic.
Characteristics of CST
 1. Permanent. They are timeless in their fundamental values, and offer a permanent complex
ideal to be pursued in the ever-changing historical conditions and ways. These teachings never
go out of date in their fundamentals. Examples of these permanent teachings are exemplified in
the following principles.
a. human dignity and solidarity
b. social justice and Christian love
c. active non-violence and peace
d. preferential option for the poor
e. value of human work
f. universal destination of all goods of the earth
g. stewardship and the integrity of creation
h. people empowerment
i. authentic and holistic (integral) human development

2. Developing. It is a steadily growing collection of the Church’s social principles that must be
creatively applied to and renewed in the ever-changing concrete situations of various events,
cultures and human needs.

Methods and Sources

Where does the Church get its teachings? How does the Church read the signs of the times and reach a
conclusion as to the kind of social responsibility current Christian discipleship demands?
1. Sacred Scripture (Word of God)
a. Old Testament: The Ten Commandments, Prophets especially Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea and Ezekiel,
Psalms, Proverbs
b. New Testament: Gospels, letters of Paul especially Corinthians
2. Reason- God created all of us with natural powers that give us insights into the basic meaning and
purpose of life. We are capable of understanding our relationships, environment, our God, and
ourselves. We can make reliable judgments about the basic human values needed to lead a good life.
3. Tradition- This refers to the many valuable contributions of moral philosophers, theologians, and
experts over the ages. When the Church consults tradition, it is more or less limited to those few
sources that happen to have been written down, such as published homilies and letters about the
Christian response to social challenges at the time.

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 4. Human Experience- In the field of CST, human experience is understood as the process through
which the church reads and interprets “the signs of the times.”
“Reading the signs of the times” is the process or intelligible method of arriving at a thorough
understanding of a situation.
Steps of “Reading the signs of the times”
a. See.- It is the gathering of data about relevant moral issues- issues that may concern slum dwellers,
street children, students, out-of-school youth, factory workers, farmers, fisher folk, and oppressed and
exploited women. This requires as much as possible firsthand experience of their problems. If
immersion in their actual life is not possible, much can be gained by simply talking with them,
listening to their sighs and dreams, joining them in their activities, investigating their surroundings,
and figuring out the causes and effects of their problems.

b. Judge- This stage is where all the sources of CST- reason, Scriptural Word of God, and the
Tradition of the Church- and CST itself are used. The basic questions to be answered
are: How should we understand this issue in the light of CST? How are the Gospel values of human
dignity, justice, and peace violated in this situation? What should be done to respect, promote, and
protect human dignity?
c. Act- This is the implementation of the course of action that has been judged as necessary.
d. Celebrate- This calls for coming together to celebrate in prayer and liturgy all that has been
happening in the preceding steps. In the Mass and in other liturgical celebrations, our faith and sense
of community are nourished and deepened by our hope in God and the Risen Christ, animated from
within by the Holy Spirit who draws us into personal concern for one another as Christ has
commanded us.
e. Evaluate- it adds a new dimension to all the preceding efforts and brings them to a certain
conclusion. The right atmosphere for the evaluation is prayer. If it is done in the context of prayer, the
evaluation is given the right perspective and environment for arriving at a realistic and objective
assessment of the whole process.
Taken as a whole, this pattern of See-Judge-Act-Celebrate-Evaluate is a faith experience. It is an
ongoing process
that the Church uses to develop its CST and thus, fulfill its mission of proclaiming the Gospel to all
ages.
Activity 1: Reading and Identifying the Signs of the Times
Instructions:
1. Go back to the summary of the 13 Church’s Social Documents
2. Identify the social problems (problems of people/communities) that the Church confronted/faced
through each social document and the corresponding teaching/response of the Church to each social
problem. Use 1 whole sheet of paper for your answers. (25 points)

Document Social Problems Teaching/Response

Rerum Novarum
Quadregesimo Anno
Mater et Magistra
Pacem in Terris
Gaudium et Spes
Populorum Progressio
Octogesima Adveniens
Justitia in Mundo
Evangelii Nuntiandi
Laborem Exercens
Sollicitudo Rei Socialis
Centesimus Annus
Caritas in Veritate

The Social Teachings of the Church are moral principles that can guide Christians and Filipino citizens
in general in their moral attitudes and decisions. These Church’s teachings are not primarily technical
solutions to specific problems, but rather of the following:

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 1. Moral principles and priorities that can guide the response to ongoing problem;
2. Criteria for evaluating social issues;
3. Recommendations for creative pursuit for common good.

Through these teachings, the Church challenges the actions of both the individual
Filipino citizen’s behavior, as well as the social system and structures. It grounds those actions
especially when these are in conflict with the vision of the vision of the Gospel on the dignity
of the human person and of society.

Faith and the Social Teaching of the Church

*According to CFC, “Faith in its broadest sense is a central reality in Filipino life. It is an everyday
“natural” factor in all our human relationships and daily actions. For example, in accepting the word of
others, we already show our faith (paniniwala) in them. We readily obey the directions of those over us at
home, at work, in our communities (pagsunod). We even entrust ourselves and our welfare to others:
doctors, teachers, judges, civic leaders, not to mention cooks, jeepney drivers, etc. Without such basic
human life, which includes believing, acceptance, obedient action, and personal entrusting, human life
would be impossible. Faith as a human reality, therefore, is central to our daily lives.
This concept of faith is not alien for us Filipinos for we are born in a culture where family life and
friendship is a priority. It is in the context of relationship that we built the value of trust (pagsunod) and
faith (paniniwala). Thus, our faith is part and parcel of our social life, which the Social Teaching of the
Church requires.
The central message is simple: our faith is profoundly social. We cannot be called be truly
“Christians” unless we hear and heed the Church’s call to serve those in need and work for justice and
peace. “As Christians, we should always follow the example of Christ and stand for what is true and just.
We have no choice because the expression of our faith should be preferential, never neutral. And this faith
can only be expressed and must be expressed through our social, economic, political, and cultural
involvement here and now. If the mission of Jesus is to bring salvation to all, then as the Church’s mission,
we cannot simply stand and watch while injustice happens in front of us”.
Here are some important realities of our faith from PCP II document:
“The Church’s social doctrine is an integral part of her evangelizing ministry” (Compendium of the Social
Doctrine of the Church (CSD), 2004, no.66)

Pope Paul VI asked: “How in fact can one proclaim

the new commandment of love without promoting in
justice and in peace the true, authentic advancement
of man?” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 1975, no.31)

The Social Teaching of the Church poses a serious

challenge for all the believers of Jesus, since it weakens our
capacity to be a Church that is true to the demands of the
Gospel if we do not share in the social mission of the
Church. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains,
“To receive in truth the Body and Blood of Christ given up
for us, we must recognize Christ in the poorest, his
brethren”.

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 11

 Our commitment to the social mission of the Church must be rooted in and
strengthened by our spiritual lives. In our relationship with God, we
experience the conversion of heart that is necessary to truly love one
another as God has loved us. Here are some concrete ways to respond to
this challenge Grade 12 students:
1. Strengthen your spiritual life through prayer and the
sacraments.
-Jesus spent much time in prayer before and after doing a
particular ministry. He always found moments to stay
connected with the Father, His source of strength and power.

2. Get involve in organizations and clubs that promote the social teaching of the Church
Share your God-given talents and skills in helping others especially the poor and needy. Be an
active member of a club or organization in your school, parish, own community, and barangay that
promote advocacies protecting human life and human dignity, justice, and solidarity.
3.Keep updated
It has been said that when studying the social teaching of the church, “we need to hold the Bible
in our right hand and the newspaper in the left hand.” It means that we should not only be equipped with
the teachings of the Church but should also be aware of the social issues that confront us. And together
with the whole Church, we read the signs of the times in accordance to our Christian faith and act
accordingly.
(Source: http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teaching/what-we-believe/catholics-social-teaching/)

MINI TASK:
A. As Grade 12 students studying in a Catholic school. How can you respond to this
challenges that is happening in our society? Give 5 challenges/ problems and the
corresponding concrete ways on how you can respond. ( 10 pts.)

Challenges/Problems Concrete ways

B. Questions: Read and answer the following questions. (25 pts.)

1. What is the fundamental basis of the Social Teaching of the Church?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
2. How can the Social Teaching build a better Philippine Church?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

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 3. Why is the Church so concerned about social issues and structures?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________.

4. Why is our faith social?

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

5. What social responsibility confronts the faith of the youth of today?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________.

A. Examine the present condition of the community where you live and the situation of our country.
Then, answer the following question:
a. When will your community be a real community of faith?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________.
b. When will the Philippines be a happy home for us Filipinos?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________.

B. Write the word True if the statement is correct and False if the statement is incorrect.
_________1. The social mission of the Church is an optional aspect of our Christian faith.
_________2. The first modern social document was Rerum Novarum (The Condition of Labor) written
by Pope Leo XXIII in 1891.
_________3. Christian love denotes a demand for justice, which is the recognition of the dignity and
rights of every person.
_________4. Socialist are champions in advocating social mission of the Church.
_________5. The Catholic Church does not support the so-called right of workers to unionize.

C. Essay
1. Does the Social Teaching of the Church really affect the life of the people? Explain and elaborate
your answer (5pts.)
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________.

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 Indeed, in our baptism we are united with Christ and initiated into his community or
Church. Through the baptismal grace, we become sharers in the mission of Jesus here on
earth. As He was sent by the Father to establish His Kingdom on earth, so we are called to
participate in Christ’s redemptive act. The task is not easy. Yet with God’s Spirit we
received in our baptism, we are empowered to be able to fulfill our social responsibilities.

Find time to sincerely pray the prayer below. Remember the teachings of Jesus.
Prayer of Faithfulness
Father in heaven, you revealed Christ as your Son by the voice that spoke over the
waters of the Jordan. May all who share in the sonship of Christ follow in his path of
service to humanity and reflect the glory of his Kingdom even to the earth, for he is Lord for ever
and ever. Amen!
(adopted from feast of Baptism of the Lord, opening prayer)

MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES (MELCS)

 Explain the role of the church being the instrument of salvation and in promoting justice, peace and
equality.
 Elaborate ways on how to respond to Jesus’ calling of becoming a good and active member of the
Church in the family and in the parish or school.


Lesson 2: MISSION OF THE CHURCH

I. INTRODUCTION
Hello everyone! Do you still remember our lesson in previous learning packet 1? I hope you do
because our learning packet 2 is continuation in all of its aspects. In the first learning packet, you have
learned the following:
 Faith and Social Teaching of the Church
 Church’s Social documents
 Some important realities of our faith from PCP II document
In this learning packet 2, we will come to realize more intensely that Christ calls us to this mission
not only as individuals but, more importantly, as members of a Christian community. We will discuss how
the Church carries out its social mission. We will start by touching on the nature and mission of the Church
and we will end with some key insights on how to go about exercising Christian social responsibility today
as members of the Church.
II. DISCUSSION
A. EXPLORE

Since social responsibility is an integral dimension of our Christian

faith, our concern is no longer whether to respond or not, but rather
how to respond or not, but rather how to respond in the best way
possible. Is it by giving alms to the poor, writing letters to our
senators, or joining rallies? We need to answer practical questions
like these in order to put our beliefs into action.

As students, we may argue that what we can do is limited to personal affairs. National politics and
economics are not yet among our concerns. Most of us feel that we are too young to get involved in the
larger society because our priority right now is our studies. While this argument makes sense, it does not
mean that we cannot participate in any way now. The truth is that what we do now on the personal level
already has effects on the larger society. If this is hard to imagine, it might be because we see ourselves
as separate individuals working alone rather than as part of a community with a common cause.

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 14

 In 1983, when Ninoy Aquino was killed, the entire country cried our “Ninoy, di ka nag-iisa.”
(“Ninoy, you are not alone.”) Of all the words we Filipinos could use to be able to express sympathy, it
was this words of solidarity that we uttered. It was an assurance to Ninoy that his mission would live on.

Di ka nag-iisa is the most fitting expression of support and comfort for us Filipinos because we
understand very well what it means to be alone, and worse, to feel alone while fighting for the right. To
fight for the right is difficult in itself, but it is even more difficult it is done without any support from
anyone else. Definitely, the battle for the good is not without challenges and threats. That is why we need
the company and support of others.

Student Activity 1: “Di Ka Nag-iisa”

QUESTIONS:
1. How do you feel being part of a group even if you did not choose to belong to them?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________.
2. What is the importance of being a part of a group? Cite practical benefits.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________.
We need to “belong” to somebody or to some group that can understand our cause and join us in our
struggle to become better persons and a better society.

B. FIRM UP

WE ARE NOT ALONE

When Jesus celebrated His Last Supper with His apostles, He instructed them to perform the celebration
again in memory of Him. “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me”
(Lk.22:19). This is how He instituted the Holy Eucharist. In the biblical tradition, the act of remembering
means more than calling to mind a past event. It is, in fact, an act of asking God to repeat what He had
done in the past. This means that effecting this “remembering” is something that God does and not merely
some psychological commemorating we do. When we celebrate the Holy Eucharist in memory of Jesus,
it is the Holy Spirit who makes the Risen Crucified Christ sacramentally present in the Eucharist.
When we celebrate the Holy Eucharist we have the Risen Christ with us. “Di tayo nag-iisa. The Risen
Jesus Christ brings to us the grace of His death and resurrection. It is the same Spirit that makes His
believers come together

and work as one community bonded together in the worship of God and in the duty to continue Christ’s
mission today.

CONTINUING CHRIST’ MISSION

God will that we know Him, worship Him, and love Him not only as separate individuals but as a
community. Is it not in our family that we first learn about God? Our parents care so much for us that they
had us baptized into the Christian community, and do their best to help us grow within it. They teach us
about our Christian faith, accompany us in receiving the sacrament, and guide us in being kind to others.
We realized then that God calls us to struggle in life not in isolation but in communion with His
people.

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 THE NATURE AND
MISSION OF THE
CHURCH
Vatican II describes the Church primarily as the PEOPLE OF
GOD. The Church is a community of people cutting across all
ages and nations, united in one faith in Christ and His Spirit of
love (cf. CFC 1355). In proclaiming their faith in Jesus, all
members of the Church are called to struggle against human
frailty and focus on their interrelationships and mutual
helpfulness as children of God.
This lead us to recognize the nature of the Church as both
human and divine, and as the Sacrament of Christ.
 First, the Church is both human and divine. On the one hand, it is human obviously because of
us--- the people, the community. The Church exists in time, operates within human means and
structures, and is subject to the elements of history.
 It is divine because of its origin, nature and mission—all of which arise from the creative design
of the Father, the redemptive mission of the son, and the sanctifying work of the Spirit. As human
and divine, the Church is like Jesus, the Incarnate Word.
 Second, the Church is the Sacrament of Christ. A sacrament
is a material sign that makes present a spiritual reality. The Church,
with all its material signs--- Scripture, the sacraments, the saints,
ministries, etc.---bring Christ into our midst. And we, as the body of
Christ, embodied-spirits, help make present the mission of Christ by
carrying out our mission from Jesus Christ using our human means,
talents, resources, and roles in the Church. With the help of the Spirit
of the Risen Christ, who dwells within us, we help make Christ
present in the here and now. When we pray, teach, heal, build
friendships, work for justice and celebrate sacraments, the Church
“signifies in a visible, historical, and tangible form the presence and
redeeming activity of Christ, offered to all persons of every age,
race, condition” (CFC 1081).

 By being human and divine and the Sacrament of Christ, the Church therefore carries out a mission
that:
a. addresses the physical and spiritual aspects of human life. Yes, the mission of the Church is
primarily spiritual but it cannot deny the temporal side of human persons who are embodied spirits.
So, it concerns itself with issues pertaining to food, wages, transportation, and other temporal
things that have a bearing on human moral and spiritual life.

b. touches on both the personal and structural evil of society. While the church focuses on the interior
conversion of hearts (personal transformation).

Thus, to be relevant to the demands of the time, the Church addresses both the physical and spiritual aspects
of people and touches on both the personal and structural evils in society. It condemns not only the individual
sins and personal moral failures but also the unjust structures within our exploitative culture. This is the
Church’s way of making Christ felt in our midst today.

 One concrete example of the Church’s effort to carry out its mission
is the Second Plenary Council (PCP II) which it convened in 1991. The
Catholic Church of the Philippines convened this plenary to look into
its effort of making Jesus’ mission and Gospel relevant in Philippine
society today. In PCP II, the Church envisioned itself to be a Church
of the Poor, a Community of Disciples committed to a renewed and
integral evangelization. It re-emphasized that being the people of God

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 16

 in the Philippines, the Church must be “a fully participating community of faith rooted in Christ and
immersed in the life of the Filipino people, a servant Church in solidarity with Filipino concerns” (PCP
II 191).

Let us try to read and reflect on the vision presented for the Filipino nation by the PCP II.
We shall have to create a free nation:
Where human dignity and solidarity are respected and promoted;
Where moral principles prevail in socio-economic
Life and structures;
Where justice, love, and solidarity are the inner driving forces of the development.

We shall have to build a sovereign nation:

Where every tribe and faith is respected;
Where diverse tongues and traditions together for the good of all;
Where membership is a call to participation and involvement
And leadership a summons to generous service.

Ours will have to be a people:

In harmony with one another through unity in diversity,
In harmony with creation,
And in harmony with God.

STUDENT ACTIVITY 2: SAVE THE BABIES,

Read the following story before answering the process questions.
How Do We Save the Babies?
Once upon a time there was a small village on the edge of a river. The people there were good
and life in the village was good. One day a villager noticed a baby floating down the river. The villager
quickly jumped into the river and swam out to save the baby from drowning.
The next day this same villager was walking along the river bank and noticed two babies in the
river. He called for help, and both babies were rescued from the swift waters. And the following day
four babies were seen caught in the turbulent current. And then eight, then more, and still more.
The villagers organized themselves quickly, setting up watch towers and training teams of
winners who could resist the swift waters and rescue babies. Rescue squads were soon working 24
hours a day. And each day the number of babies floating down the river increased.

The villagers organized themselves efficiently. The rescue squads were now snatching
many children each day. Groups were trained to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Others prepared
formulas and provided clothing for the chilled babies. Many people were involved in making clothing
and knitting blankets. Still others provided foster homes and placement.
While not all the babies…could be saved, the villagers felt they were doing well to save as
many as they could each day. Indeed, their priest blessed them in their good work. And life in the
village continued on that basis.
One day, however, someone raised the question, “But where are all these babies coming from?
Who is throwing them into the river? Why? Let’s organize a team to go upstream and see who’s doing
it.” The seeming logic of the elders countered: “And if we go upstream who will operate the rescue
operations? We need every concerned person here”
“ But don’t you see,” cried the one lone voice, “if we find out who is throwing them in, we can
stop the problem and no babies will drown. By going upstream, we can eliminate the cause of the
problem.”
“It is risky,” (decided the elders).
And so the number of babies in the river increased daily. Those saved increased, but those who
drowned increased even more.
(-Inter-Religious Task Force for Social Analysis, Must We Choose Slides?)

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 17

STUDENT ACTIVITY 2: SAVE THE BABIES.
1. Identify yourself as one of the rescuers. Which among the rescuers are you? Why?
Answer:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.

THE CHURCH’S TWO WAYS OF

DOING ITS SOCIAL MISSION

Acts of Charity and Structural Change

The story shows two possible ways of facing a
community problem. The first way of solving the problem
is to directly deal with the victims. The second way is to
seek to eliminate the causes of the problem, which is often
far removed from the actual calamity or injustice.
Unfortunately, the second way was not followed in the
story. Tracing the root cause of the floating babies could
have been more helpful in solving the problem of the
villagers.
These two styles of helping correspond to the Church’s
approaches to its social mission. Acts of charity and work for structural change are the two general
ways that the Church has developed throughout its tradition of responding to the needs of the people.
Some Christians call them Two Feet of Social Ministry. Two feet because they must always go together
and move side by side to keep the Church’s response ongoing and balanced. As members of the Church,
we may find ourselves doing either one or both.

ACTS OF CHARITY
When we see people in need, our hearts go out to them. We give alms to beggars, donate clothes
and food to the victims of calamities, and visit our sick friends. When we directly help those in need or
when we work to correct the evil effects of social problems, we perform acts of charity or works of mercy.
Remember, Jesus healed the sick, fed the multitudes, ate
with the outcast, and performed miracles. And the Church,
transmit with the mission of Christ, has taken on this
approach to serving the least, the last, and the lost.
In the Acts of the Apostles, the early Christian
communities translated the love that Jesus taught them to be
the characteristic mark of His disciples by way of showing
direct care for one another. They took care of the widows,
orphans and poor and shared their possessions with one
another. In the end no one among them was left in need
(Acts 4:32-37). Thus, society and the Church came to realize
that more was needed in order to respond systematically and
effectively to modern problems of social injustice.

STRUCTURAL CHANGE:
Since the turn of the 19th century, particularly from the time of Pope
Leo XIII (1891), the Church has witnessed a significant shift in how it
understands its social mission. It continues its work in directly addressing
human needs. But because of the worsening situation of the poor across the
world and the more complex social relations brought by the Industrial
Revolution, the Church realized the need to augment its charitable work with
efforts for newly coined “social justice” The Church deals also with social
structures and social issues that cause harm to people. It speaks out against
unjust socio-economic and political systems, and works for social
transformation as part of its total commitment to helping the needy.

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Just like the few villagers in the story who wanted to find out who was throwing the babies into the
river, the Church traces the roots of social problems. It thus, aims at offering long-term solutions that
will eventually produce more permanent and fuller relief in the suffering of the poor. In such social
action, not only the rich are called upon to help; rather, everyone who constitutes the Church (rich and
poor, religious and laity, leaders and members) has a role to play.

One concrete example of this socio-change approach is the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible
Voting (PPCRV) that the Catholic Church in the Philippines has developed. Every election time, following
the presidential snap election in 1986, the Catholic Church actively participates in fostering honest and
just elections for our local and national leadership. Because the Church believes that the wise choice of
leaders in honest elections can create positive change in our government policies and practices, it
encourages its leaders and all members in the different dioceses and parishes to help in educating the
voters, advocating honest elections, and guarding the electoral process itself.

C. DEEPEN
STUDENT ACTIVITY 3: ACTS OF CHARITY AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE
Compare the Church’s two ways of responding to human needs and suffering by
completing the chart below.

STUDENT ACTIVITY 3: RESPONDING TO HUMAN SUFFERING/ ACTS OF CHARITY AND

STRUCTURAL CHANGE,
1.Compare the Church’s two ways of responding to human needs and suffering by completing the chart.
2.Choose the items from the idea box below.

IDEA BOX
Provides services for direct and immediate needs
 Addresses the root cause of injustices
 Community organizing, lobbying for Public, group acts
change of laws
 Deals with the symptoms of injustice Resolve structural injustice
 Directed at long-term goals Works for institutional change
 Fund raising, giving food and clothing, The Israelites’ Exodus
emergency relief
 Private, individual acts The Good Samaritan

CATEGORIES ACTS OF CHARITY STRUCTURAL CHANGE

Biblical reference

Key players

Method of helping

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 19

 Target goals

examples

You realize now that within the Church there are different ways of
carrying out its social mission. Being part of Church, we now ask
ourselves what specific things we can do. To help us find an answer,
we will refer to Jesus’ teachings about social responsibility using his
parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus. (Read Lk. 16:19-31) ---use
your Bible at home or you can search in the internet.

AWARENESS OF THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS

 In the parable there is no mention of anything that the rich

man did that led him to hell. But clearly, it shows one serious thing
that he failed to do, that is, to help the poor Lazarus. He did not
bother to give even the food scraps that fell from his table to feed
Lazarus. He simply ignored Lazarus’ suffering.
 Jesus, in this parable, stresses the urgent need to be aware of
and concerned for the suffering of others.
 Awareness of the suffering of others is the first step to
helping others. How sensitive are we to those who need help?
Those in need may not necessarily be materially poor.
 And when we speak of those who are in need, we mean not
only those who are close to us, but also those who make up the
majority of our people, the poor masses. We have to look beyond
the limited sphere of our family and friends, and not imitate the rich man who, even beyond death,
was concerned only for his family. We have to be aware of those suffering around us, for how can we
help them if we are not aware of them in the first place?
 Being aware of those who suffer also requires us to be sensitive to and critical of the unjust systems
and structures in society. We must know how to read the signs of times.

Next, let us assess ourselves and figure out what we have that
enables us to help.
 Remember, we cannot give what we do not have. The rich man, in
spite of his capacity to help, did not help. God gave him a good life. He
lived in luxury yet only he, and no one else, benefited from his good
fortune. He did not know how to share.
 Jesus tells us, therefore, that we help according to what is given to
us: our talents, time, resources, etc.
 At this point in your life, for example, you are incapable of putting
up a day care center for street children; you cannot pass a bill in Congress to increase the minimum
wage; and you cannot help dig ditches in Metro Manila to improve flood control. The reason?
Your time, skills, and resources simply do not allow you to do these things, noble as they are. But
there are other things you can do, given your circumstances. For example, you can tutor other
students, write letters to your local government officials, keep your environment clean, and the

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 20

 like. In other words, social responsibility requires a good self-knowledge. Keep in mind that we
are called by God where we are presently at.
LISTENING TO THE PROPHETS:
When the rich man realized his mistakes, he felt obliged to inform his brothers who were still on
earth. He asked Abraham if he could send Lazarus to his Father’s house to remind his brothers not to
follow in his footsteps. But Abraham turned down his request. “They have Moses and the prophets, neither
will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead” (Lk.16:29, 31).
In this part of the parable, Jesus tells us to listen to the Word of God and believe and act
accordingly. Our active work for charity or social change must be rooted deeply in faith’s call to serve
those in need. It must be animated by the Word of God calling us to love.
We believe God speaks to us in the Holy Scripture and the Church’s teachings. He communicates
to us in the person of authorities, parents, teachers, and even friends who try their best to live out the
Gospel. To “listen” to God means to pay attention to, reflect on, and carry out Jesus’ Gospel message
delivered to us through His chosen people. This is a clear indicator that we are called by God as a Church.
This is where you will realize that we need others, our co-believers specifically, to accompany us
and implore the Holy Spirit, who empowers us in fulfilling our Christian duty to love one another and be
responsible for the upliftment of our society.

LET US NOW TRY SUMMARIZING WHAT WE HAVE

LEARNED SO FAR FROM THIS LEARNING PACKET 2.
WE HAVE LEARNED THAT:
1.Jesus is with us in the here and now. He did not leave us to fend for
ourselves. Hindi tayo nag-iisa.
2. The society in which Jesus grew up was quite similar to the society
we have today. Injustice, discrimination, and oppression permeate all
areas of our social life.
3. God calls us both as individuals and as a community.
4. The Church is a community of believers whom Jesus entrusted with
this salvific mission.
5. The Church is both human and divine. It is the sacrament of Christ that makes present Jesus’ mission
today, using its human and divine means and resources.
6. Through time, the Church has employed two general approaches to carrying out its social mission,
namely, works of charity and structural change.
7. As members of the Church, we must do our part in fulfilling our mission. Jesus’ parable of the Rich
Man and Lazarus shows us how to exercise social responsibility.
8. In his parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Jesus tells us to be alert to the suffering of others, consider
our gifts and present circumstances, and listen to and believe in the Word of God in the Scripture and
Church’s teachings.

A. IDENTIFICATION: Read and analyze the statement. Put your answer on the space before the
number.
__________________1. A community of believers whom Jesus entrusted with this salvific mission.
__________________2. A parable that tells us to be alert to the suffering of others, consider our gifts and
present circumstances, and listen to and believe in the Word of God in the Scripture and the Church’s
teachings.
__________________3. It means to pay attention to, reflect on, and carry out Jesus’ Gospel message
delivered to us through His chosen people.
__________________4. Ways of directly showing love for one’s neighbors and addressing their needs.
This direct approach appeals to the personal conscience of the members of the Church, particularly those
with the means to help, and inspires heroic works among the missionaries and some religious sisters.
__________________5. Describes the Church primarily as the People of God.

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 21

__________________6. It is called _________ because of its origin, nature and mission—all of which
arise from the creative design of the Father, the redemptive mission of the Son, and the sanctifying work
of the Spirit.
__________________7. It refers to the teaching used by Jesus on social responsibility.
__________________8. The two general ways that the Church has developed throughout its tradition of
__________________9. responding to the needs of the people.
__________________10. What is a concrete example of the Church’s effort to carry out its mission?

B. Essay: answer the following questions

1. Why does acts of Charity and structural change called two feet of Social Ministry?

2. What do we mean by “Jesus is our Savior”? How does Jesus free us from suffering and all evils
today?

MINI TASK:

JOURNAL WRITING: (Paragraph form) use the space below

 Use the guide questions in making your journal.
1.What kind of Church member am I?
2. Who are the “Lazaruses” in my life?
3. What are my strengths and weaknesses? What are my limitations and opportunities? How can I use
them to help others?

CRITERIA: Content/relatedness to the Organization of Neatness of work- 4pts.

topic-9 pts. thoughts- 7 pts.

References: Ducepec, D. & Dango, J., (2003). We Celebrate God’s Love: Foundations of Catholic
Morality. 1253 Gregorio Araneta Avenue, Quezon City. Vibal Publishing House, Inc.

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk02N1rqAnUWZ5YYim9ExVoqrNRi9lg:1598426
806160&source=univ&tbm=isch&q=Being+part+of+the+Church+pictures&sa=X&ved=2ahU
KEwj-4Ovvq7jrAhWTMN4KHWonAJkQ7Al6BAgKEBk&biw=1366&bih=608

MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES (MELCS)

 Discover the relationship of peace, love and justice.
 Make an advocacy about justice and peace

UPGRADED MELCS: Show justice, peace and love through their actions, words and deeds.
* Christian Formation, Participation, co-responsibility & social justice, gender equality & peace

Lesson 3: THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH

TERMINOLOGIES
*Sociability- is the capacity to make friends with everyone even with strangers and the ability to adjust
in different social relations evident in Filipino traits of pakikisama and pakikipagkapwa.
*social justice- refers to the absence or eradication of unjust social structures, systems, or institutions.
*Justice- The constant and firm will to give human persons their due. It empowers all to respect to
respect the rights that are inherent in every human person (natural law) and stipulated by society (civil
law)

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 22

I.INTRODUCTION
The social teaching of the Church is the response of the Church to the ever-changing socio-political
situations that man is facing. Here, the church guides the faithful on how Christ’s teaching, although of
the past, can have a new look into the present situation. The challenge is on how the Catholic faithful can
act on social issues just a Christ did during his time.
In this lesson, we will also find out that actual attainment of the of the common good largely
depends on the capacity and willingness of the ordinary person to pursue peace. Peace means not just the
absence of war, but rather the fullness of life, the respect for human rights, and the development of human
person. And we will look into these social virtues: justice, solidarity and love as key moral values that
helps us achieve peace in our community.
II. DISCUSSION:
WEEK 1: DAY 1
A. EXPLORE:
Song Analysis
(You may search the title of the song “Imagine” by John Lennon and sing or just read it) Understand the
lyrics and allow the message sink into you.)

Imagine there’s no heaven You may say I’m a dreamer

It’s easy if you try But I’m not the only one
No hell below us I hope someday you will join us
Above us only sky And the world will be as one

Imagine all the people Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can
living today
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do Imagine all the people
Nothing to kill or die for Sharing all the world
And no religion, too.

You, you may say I’m a dreamer

Imagine all the people
But I’m not the only one
Living life in peace I hope someday you will join us
And the world will live as one.

SONG ANALYSIS:
1.What does the song tell us?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.
2. What kind of world the songwriter wants us to imagine? Why?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.

3. What do you think is the social context of the song that can also be seen in our society today?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 23

B. FIRM UP
Read the Gospel of Matthew 23: 23-28
“Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and
cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy
and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting
the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
“Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the
cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean
the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the
outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanliness. So you, too,
outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
The scriptural reading is one of the discourses of Jesus denouncing the fraud and
hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Jesus despised the Pharisees and other Jewish
authorities for their boastfulness and love for wealth, which invalidated all that
they preached and taught. Their hearts are closed for the poor and needy because
of their pride and greed. They abuse and ridicule the poor and powerless while
they boasted of their moral righteousness.
Jesus reminds us of a power greater than the force of control and authority—peace. “Peace I bestow
to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you” (John 14:27). The
peace “the world” confers is not lasting since it is often based on the fragile foundations of political
compromise. But the peace that Jesus offers comes from genuine dialog, it is justice-based. True dialog
demands seeing the other as equal, as worthy of being heard, as worthy of being heard, as capable of being
heard, and as capable of intelligent response. Peace is inextricably bound to search for justice. Unless the
powerful ones commit themselves to securing a more just global order, injustice and absence of peace will
always be the scorn of the oppressed and alienated.

JUSTICE, PEACE AND LOVE

 It is clear from CFC, which says, “But in stressing love we are not referring
to the pious, individualistic charity of the rich who give out of their super
abundance, often acquired through unjust exploitation of the poor. Rather, we
are referring to a charity that “is never able to be separated from justice”. It is
the love animating the Filipino Christian’s response to building a just society.
The lay faithful are never to relinquish their participation in “public life”, that
is, in the many different economic, social, legislative, administrative, and
cultural areas, which are intended to promote organically and institutionally the
common good (CL 42).

Giving is not just sharing the extra things you do not need but rather, giving
the best things you have until it hurts. As Mother Teresa reiterates, “Give
and give until it hurts because if it never hurts you have not given.” That
is the radical way of loving and giving. Genuine charity strongly demands
a true love of neighbor which means we need to respect the basic human
rights and give what is due to others. Thus, justice is the first demand of
love. It is the important condition of an authentic love of neighbor.
As St. Thomas Aquinas affirmed, “PEACE is the work of justice indirectly, in so far as justice removes
the obstacles to peace: but it is the work of love directly, since love, according to its nature, causes peace.
For love is a unitive force and peace is the union of the appetite’s inclinations.

Justice is the first demand of love. It is the important condition of

an authentic love of neighbor

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 24

  The practice of a “mere justice” is not sufficient to achieve
real peace. Unless the demands of genuine justice are all fulfilled,
there can be no true peace. As Pope Francis stated, peace or justice
will never be achieved unless responsibility for the poor and the
marginalized become an essential element of any political
decision, whether on the national or international level.

 The full truth about man makes it possible to move beyond a contractualistic vision of justice,
which is reductionist vision, and to open up for justice the new horizon of solidarity and love. “By
itself, justice is not enough. Indeed, it can even betray itself, unless it is open to that deeper power
which is love.” In fact, the Church’s social doctrine places alongside the value of justice that of
solidarity, in that it is the privileged way of peace. If peace is the fruit of justice, “today one could
say, with the same exactness and the same power of biblical inspiration (Is.32:17; James 3:18),
peace as a fruit of solidarity”. The goal of peace, in fact, “will certainly be achieved through the
putting into effect of social and international justice, and through the practice of the virtues which
favor togetherness, and which teach us to live in unity, so as to build in unity, by giving and
receiving, a new society and a better world.

Living a just and peaceful life is the principal task of all

Christians. As Vatican II stated, all Christian share “a true
equality with regard to the dignity and the activity common
to all the faithful for the building of the body of Christ.” And
although there are different ministries in the Church, there is
radically only one ministry, the ministry of service. The
acknowledge priority of the conversion of heart in no way
eliminates but on the contrary, imposes the obligation of
bringing the appropriate remedies to instruction and living conditions when they are inducement to
sin, so that they conform to the norms of justice and advance the good rather than hinder it. It is the
role of everyone to animate temporal realities with Christian commitment, by which we show that we
are witnesses and agents of peace and justice.

LIVING A JUST AND PEACEFUL LIFE IS THE PRINCIPLE TASK OF

ALL CHRISTIANS.

C.DEEPENING

Question to ponder: Before you read any further, reflect on your idea of justice. How do you define
justice?

JUSTICE:
Working for peace demands not only laws but the moral attitude of people to constantly choose to do the
good and develop virtues such as prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, faith, hope, and love, which are
clarified and elevated by Christ and inspired by the Holy Spirit (Gal.5:22)
These Christian virtues--- especially justice and love--- are essential in
building a peaceful community.

 In a society like ours, where corruption, discrimination, and countless forms

of violence are common, justice is the indispensable requisite.

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 25

  JUSTICE removes the obstacles to peace. It rewards those who
respect human dignity and punishes those who sabotage peace.
 In this way, justice sets the fundamental criterion for harmonious
human relationships and social order. It also lays the foundation
for other essential social virtues, like solidarity and charity.

CATHOLIC TEACHING OF THE CHURCH (CST) has identified

four types of justice that cover different levels of human relationships. Knowing these types of justice
helps us identify how justice operates in complex human relationships. While each type has its own
definition, when it comes to their application they tend to overlap, so that in one single human social
relation there may be several types of justice at play.

1.Commutative Justice – The word “commutative” comes from the Latin word “commutare” “com”
(with), “mutare” (change), which means to exchange one thing with another.
 It focuses on the obligation of one person to another because of a specific relationship they
establish by reason of agreements, transactions, or contracts. Sometimes, commutative justice is
called contractual justice because its regulates the exchange of goods and services that takes place
according to what is agreed upon between parties. The aim is to foster parity as much as possible
between what is given and what is due in return.
 For example, the amount of money spent on food preparation is easy to compute. So it is also easy
to determine if commutative justice is attained by the selling price of food. But when it comes to
services, justice is largely based on what is agreed upon by the parties involved. In hairdresser-
client relationship, for instance, strict equivalence is hard to follow because the level of
satisfaction of the client and the quality of service rendered by the hairdresser are difficult to
measure. Therefore, justice is achieved if and when the two parties both of their part of the
agreement.

2. Distributive Justice- governs the relationship between society and its members. The virtue demands
that society, through its government agencies and leaders, give to the individual members what is
rightfully theirs. The burden is on the government to make sure that the people’s needs are met.
 The story of Lazarus and the rich man is a parable that can be said to pertain to the global or
national practice of distributive injustice. In our country, Lazarus represents the majority of
Filipinos. They are hungry and marginalized while relatively few rich, represented by the rich
man in Gospel, have far more that they will ever need. In this parable, Jesus teaches us that the
salvation of the rich and powerful (especially our leaders who were given power by the votes of
the masang Pilipino), depends very much on the justice they render to the poor. What is fair is to
make the distribution proportional and equitable—depending on the people’s different needs and
capacities. The government must create structures and systems to deliver services like health,
education, safety, good infrastructure, etc. and distribute the burdens to the capacity of the people
to contribute. (e.g., income tax) or socialized tuition fees for students.

3. Contributive/Legal Justice- In keeping with the principle of subsidiarity, the Church encourages
everyone to participate in the economic, political, and cultural life of society. It is the duty of all citizens
to contribute to the betterment of their country. That is why this kind of justice is called “contributive”

4. Social Justice – type of justice also has to do with the relationship between society and its members,
but includes institutions, system, and structures of society. It is a fact that not only individual human
beings can be guilty of injustice. There are social structures that are unjust (structural sins). These
structures make it difficult for people to live a dignified life, or make it easy for people to do evil. What
social justice requires is for people to get organized and create institutions od structures that will address
social problems. The focus is on the structural injustice that causes the suffering of the people. The solution
is not something personal or temporary, like patchwork repair. If, for example, the problem is an unjust
tax law, the corresponding solution can be a modification of the law or coming up with an alternative law
altogether (structural change). In the actual exercise of social justice, everyone is involved: leaders and
members, rich and poor. For example, lawmakers should pass bills that are meant to respond to the social
needs of their constituent communities. On the part of the citizens, what they can do is to organize
themselves and put significant pressure on the lawmakers. In other words, social justice calls from
concerted effort to reform or create social structures that will effectively serve the common the good.

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 26

LOVE
Christian love presupposes and transcends justice.

Charity goes beyond justice, because to love is to give, to offer what is

“mine” to the other; but it never lacks justice, which prompts us to give
the other what is “his”, what is due to him by reason of his being or his
acting. I cannot “give” what is mine to the other, without first giving him
what pertains to him in justice. If we love others with charity, then first of
all we are just towards them. Not only is justice not extraneous to charity,
not only is it not an alternative or parallel path to charity: justice is
inseparable from charity, and intrinsic to it. Justice is the primary way of
charity.

 In other words, the least we can do in the service of others is to respect their rights, for love can
hardly develop if we do not give others their due. At times, love can be the only sustaining reason
for sacrificing in order to be just to other people.
 Jesus commandment of love goes beyond the limits of justice. It challenges us to love one another,
even our enemies, even those who do us injustice. This commandment of love has long been one
of the most challenging aspects of the Christian moral life. You are probably familiar with
following Gospel passage: You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and
hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that
you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense
will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what
is unusual about that? Do no the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father
is perfect.

Question to ponder: How is justice related to love?

Throughout the gospels, Jesus’ commitment to the truth of God’s love for all people led Him to
consistently and boldly challenge injustice whenever he encountered it. This obviously brought Him
persecution in spite of the many miracles and teachings that liberated and amazed people. In response
to this persecution, Jesus remained at peace and loving of His enemies.

In addition, Jesus used the example of a poor day-laborer being dragged off to court by a creditor
who would take his tunic (inner garment) to force him to pay his debt. Jesus said “Hand him your
cloak as well” (Mt.5:40). Now, cloak (outer garment) at the time was very important for a person to
protect himself from biting cold during the night, in sharp contrast to the scorching heat of the day.
According to the law, a creditor could not take a person’s cloak as pledge for more than a day in
payment of a debt. In this example cited by Jesus, giving the creditor also the cloak indicates an act
of further extending oneself, doing more than the law commanded-voluntarily offering more of
oneself rather than doing what one is found forced to do. In the end, Jesus’ point was:
RETURN EVIL WITH GOOD; CONFRONT INJUSTICE WITH LOVE.

ACTIVITY 1.

Recall a time when you responded with violence to someone who hurt you. What was its effect?
Complete the sentence below.
For me forgiveness
means______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 27

RECONCILIATION AND PEACE

The Church teaches that true peace is made possible through

forgiveness and reconciliation. When Peter asked Jesus how many times
we should forgive our brothers and sisters, Jesus said “not seven times
but seventy-seven times” (Mt.18:22).
Repeatedly, we must forgive our transgressors. We must forgive
them as God does. But we have to keep in mind that to be merciful does
not mean we are called to make light of evil, or leave injustice untouched.
Forgiveness is seeing the truth that we are all loved by God and that
injustice is evil. Never is reconciliation an excuse to hide the violation of
human rights. To be merciful is by no means to be tolerant of injustice.
When we deal with the people who hurt us, our objective is to invite
them to conversion. We are not out to put them to shame; yet we do not
dismiss their injustice. Rather, we correct the evil that has been done and help sinners repent tor their sins
and realize God’s love for them. God is merciful and openness to His mercy effects change of heart.
In our prayer we say, “Father, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us.”
While we are called to act merciful to those who did evil to us, we are also called to humble enough to
ask forgiveness for our sins. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that we have done
wrong. We must admit that we, too, in some way, have disturbed the peace in our relationships and
community. Thus, genuine remorse must come from us. And this should be accompanied by a firm resolve
to amend the evil act we have done and stop being evil in the
future. In this way, peace is no longer hard to come by.
Witnessing justice is an essential element of Christian
witnessing. Jesus, as the model of witness, commanded his
apostles to be his witnesses in Jerusalem and throughout the
world (Acts 1:8). He is asking His followers today to become
witnesses to His Kingdom of justice and love in an unjust
world. Witnessing to justice basically means substantial
coherence between message and life, between deeds and words.
As John Paul II once said “Christian faith must lead to justice
and peace: no more divorce between faith and life”
As we became evangelizers of peace, justice and love, we need the guidance of the Church to do
this endeavor. The Church recommends us the following:

1.Promote SOLIDARITY
 Fast to be one with those who are hungry and oppressed
 Observe simplicity such as having only what is necessary and enough
 Pray for the poor and less privileged
2. Go for EDUCATION
 Have an understanding about justice and peace
 Be updated of the social issues
 Let others be aware of what is happening around.
3. Be with the COMMUNITY
 Volunteer for whatever programs and associations that promote the welfare of the victims, poor,
oppressed, etc.
4. Have an ADVOCACY
 Be a voice for those who are weak, hopeless, and helpless. Do not allow the unjust condition
perpetuate to them.

ACTIVITY 2:
A. Identification: Write your answer on the space provided.
_____________________1. It is the first demand of love
_____________________2. Refers to the capacity to make friends with everyone even to strangers, and
the ability to adjust in different social relation.
_____________________3. It is the principal task of all Christians.
_____________________4.
_____________________5. Who affirmed that “Peace is the work of justice indirectly, in so far as
justice removes the obstacle to peace.

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 28

_____________________6. It focuses on the obligation of one person to another because of a specific
relationship they establish by reason of agreements, transactions, or contracts.
_____________________7. Type of justice has to do with the relationship between society and its
members, but includes institutions, systems, and structures of society.
_____________________8. It means to exchange one thing with another.
_____________________9. A parable that can be said to pertain to the global or national practice of
distributive injustice.
_____________________10. It is the primary way of charity.

B. Essay:
1.How is justice related to solidarity, faith and love? Cite an examples to further elaborate your answer
(5pts.)

MINI TASK:

Make/Create an advocacy promoting justice and peace in our country. Be creative

in expressing your understanding. (Use long bond paper).

Criteria: Content- 10 pts., Creativity- 8 pts., well organized/neatness- 7 pts. total- 25 pts.

LET US NOW TRY SUMMARIZING WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED SO FAR FROM THIS
LEARNING PACKET 3.
WE HAVE LEARNED THAT:
 Peace is the rational and moral order of society that is rooted in God, who desires that we all live
in harmonious relationship with one another in freedom and dignity.
 Justice means giving what is due to others. The defense and promotion of human rights is an
indispensable precondition for building a peaceful society and achieving integral human
development. CST identifies four types of justice: commutative, distributive, contributive, and
social.
 Peace is actually more than a product of Justice. To attain a genuine, lasting peace, solidarity and
love are necessary. Solidarity means “the firm and persevering determination to commit oneself
to the good of all and of each individual because we are all really responsible for all. “Love is a
commitment to extend oneself to others, even enemies, in forgiveness and reconciliation,
because they are children of God, redeemed by Christ, and in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit.
 Work for peace is possible only with the grace of the Holy Spirit that inspires and empowers us
to love one another. In short, peace is both a gift from God and a task of all human persons.
“RETURN EVIL WITH GOOD; CONFRONT INJUSTICE WITH LOVE”

References:
-Villagracia A., et al. (2016). Signs of The Times. Sampaloc, Manila. Rex Book Store, Inc
- Ducepec, D. & Dango, J., (2012). Called to Grow in Christian Social Responsibility. 927 Quezon
Ave., Quezon City. Sibs Publishing House, Inc.

Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System – Catholic Schools in Mountain Province 29