In cities across the country, people are rioting in the streets in response, they say, to the death of George Floyd, who lost his life on May 25, while police, in Minneapolis, apprehended him on suspicion of passing counterfeit currency — a … [Read more...]
Thou Shall Not Steal
The Universal Destination and the Private Ownership of Goods
January 26, 2020 by Dominic David Nalpon
The seventh commandment in the Decalogue, “You shall not steal,” is expounded upon in the Catechism in the following excerpt: [The seventh commandment] commands justice and charity in the care of earthly goods and the fruits of men's lab … [Read more...]
Economic Injustice Hidden in Plain Sight
The Church and Usury
September 29, 2015 by Rob Agnelli
In the modern mind, the Church’s prohibition on usury falls under her many outdated teachings. Some even use it as proof that the Church can change her teachings. What the Church taught half a millennium ago, before the rise of modern c … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
July 27, 2015 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Question: Pope Francis recently questioned the ethics of trickledown economics. Are there principles for governing competition in the workplace? Answer: One of the primary moral problems with a semi-capitalist economy is the relation of … [Read more...]
Laudato? Si!
June 27, 2015 by Fr. David Vincent Meconi, SJ
The Holy Father’s recent encyclical on the Christian care of the environment deserves to be read by all the faithful. He takes its name from his beloved Francis of Assisi’s "Canticle," Laudato Si, “Let him be praised.” For too long, the Magi … [Read more...]
The Theological Mind of Laudato Si’
June 27, 2015 by Eduardo Echeverria
In this article, I consciously refrain from considering the parts of Pope Francis’s new Encyclical Letter, Laudato Si’ (hereafter LS) that have been the most contentiously received, namely: his views of a free market system, the nature and e … [Read more...]
Pope Francis and the Just Third Way
June 13, 2015 by Michael D. Greaney, CPA, MBA
This article is now available in Spanish and Spanish-English PDFs. Pope Francis faces many challenges in his efforts to modernize the application of Catholic social doctrine to today’s problems, particularly the growing global wealth, i … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
July 2014
July 10, 2014 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Is socialized medicine ethical? When the Pope recently washed the feet of women on Holy Thursday, does that mean that the liturgical law is changed which prescribes that only men should have their feet washed? Question: Is so … [Read more...]
John Paul II Brightens the Earth with His Holiness and Truth
May 24, 2014 by Fr. Zbigniew Tyburski, PhD
Engaged so deeply in earthly human affairs and believing in each persons’ goodness, John Paul seems to be calling us from heaven with a special request for solidarity of those who live on earth, and those living, though yet unborn. … [Read more...]
Youth and Technology Revitalize the Pro-Life Movement
March 24, 2014 by Mary Beth Smith
So, why are college campuses “ground zero” for pro-life activism? Because Gallup Poll statistics report that upon entering college, 47 percent of women were pro-life, but by graduation 73 percent said they were pro-choice. The equation “ … [Read more...]
Observations on “Ex Corde Ecclesiae” and Its Fitful Implementation
February 5, 2014 by Dr. Eric Cunningham, PhD
Ex Corde was promulgated in 1990, and its purpose was to lay out the general place and function of Catholic universities in the modern Church ... {providing} a useful starting point for dialogues on Catholic identity. I suppose the … [Read more...]
Social Justice According to Pius XI
December 26, 2012 by Thomas Storck
The term “social justice”... is the key term and concept of Catholic social teaching ... with all the other aspects of the Church's social doctrine—the principle of subsidiarity, the just wage or the right to private property—are related to, … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
What is a just wage; the nature of the common good?
February 1, 2012 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Just Wage Question: Can you explain what a just wage is, and how one would determine it? Answer: The problem of the just wage is what has been called the “social question.” In order to address this issue, it is necessary to underst … [Read more...]
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