THEOLOGY 3
UNIT II Lesson A: The Social Mission of the Church b) TRUTHFUL TOLERANCE
THE CHURCH AND THE QUESTIONS OF „JUST RELATIONS‟
AMONG PEOPLE
- The Church as the forerunner of truth and justice among the
Filipinos regardless of ethnicity, gender and religion
- It is not to be identified with any political partisan in order
to become a credible herald of peace, justice and truth
- proponent of unawa (understanding), awa (mercy) and gawa
(deeds) among people particularly the marginalized
a) RESPECT VERSUS DISCRIMINATION
- The Church in the Philippines is expected to be the advocate
of impartiality that shuns any form of discrimination, conflict
and political animosity
- The Church is also called to promote respect for races,
genders, religions and point of views so that national unity
and healing are attainable
- Discrimination and neglect are obstacles to the full
development of persons and of society as a whole
- Everyone has a role and needs to have the opportunity to
improve themselves so they can take their place in society
and participate fully in the community they find themselves
in
- This aspiration can only be achieved through the recognition
of people‟s capacities, potentials, and rights as well as in
ensuring that the structures in the communities and in society
as a whole support this goal
b) AS AGENT OF HOPE AND TRANSFORMATION
- It is through baptism that members of the Christian
community “are called to a holiness of life in the world
befitting disciples of Jesus.”
- “Discipleship is the fundamental vocation in which the
Church's mission and ministry find full meaning.”
- As disciples of Jesus, we are called into communion with both
God and others and are sent in mission to proclaim the
Good News of the Kingdom
o As disciples, all members of the Church “should
everywhere on earth bear witness to Christ and
give an answer to everyone who asks a reason
for hope
RESPONDING TO THE DEMANDS OF OUR CONTEMPORARY
COMMUNITIES
a) THE FACT OF RELIGIOUS PLURALISM
- The Church recognizes and defends the fundamental dignity
of man to be free from coercion in matters religious
- “All men are called in freedom to Jesus Christ and to his
Church, which has a divine mission...to evangelize the whole
world... so that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bend...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord...”
(Phil 2:10–11)
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- Dignitatis Humanae states: “... the human person has a right
to religious freedom. This freedom means that:
o all men are to be immune from coercion on the
part of individuals or social groups and of any
human power
o no one is to be forced to act in a manner
contrary to his own beliefs
o Not to be restrained from acting in accordance
with his own beliefs, whether privately or
publicly, whether alone or in association with
others, within due limits
- The right to religious freedom has its foundation in the very
dignity of the human person, as this dignity is known through
the revealed word of God and by reason itself.”
c) FIDELITY TO PROCLAIM THE KINGDOM OF GOD
- The Church received the mission of proclaiming and
establishing among all peoples the Kingdom of Christ and of
God, and she is, on earth, the seed and the beginning of
that Kingdom.”
- The Church‟s mission is the same as it was yesterday,
today, and tomorrow:
o to evangelize the whole world
o “It is the duty of the Church, therefore, in her
preaching to proclaim the Cross of Christ as the
sign of God‟s universal love and the source of all
grace
Unit II LESSON B: Building Christian Communities through
Renewed Integral Evangelization
THE VISION-MISSION OF THE 2ND PLENARY COUNCIL OF THE
PHILIPPINES
- “We, as church in the Philippines, with total trust in god‟s
love, envision ourselves as the community of disciples, who
firmly believe in the Lord Jesus and joyfully live in harmony
and solidarity with one another, with creation, and with God
- Following the way of our Lord, we opt to be a Church of
the Poor, which demands evangelical poverty of us all...
- ...we shall embark on a renewed integral evangelization
and witness to Jesus Christ‟s Gospel of salvation and
liberation through our words, deeds and lives
- As bishops, priests, religious and laity, we together commit
ourselves to implement the spirit and decrees of the second
plenary council of the Philippines in order to inculturate
gospel values in our milieu by this shall kaayusan (order in
harmony) be achieved through persons who are maka-Diyos,
maka-tao, makabayan and maka-buhay.”
a) COMMUNITY OF DISCIPLES
- faith in Jesus is expressed in a Church in mission that
includes Asia and the whole creation patterned after the
Holy Trinity where the three divine Persons:
o unique
o equal
o united are in constant sharing and in mission
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 THEOLOGY 3

- it also approximates the early apostolic Christian Unit II LESSON C: NATURE OF THE SOCIAL TEACHING OF THE
communities CHURCH

b) THE CHURCH OF THE POOR
- Our priority must be programs for the conscientization,
evangelization, and organization of the marginalized poor
o First, into small communities of faith and
discernment
o Second, into sectoral groups to attend to specific
needs in cultural, political, economic, and
religious institutions
- This is empowerment of the laity especially the poor for
active participation and leadership in the Church‟s life and
mission
c) BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITIES (BEC) AS COMMUNITY
OF DISCIPLES
- BECs are small communities whose members are in unity and
solidarity with one another and with their pastors
- Patterned after the Domus Ecclesia or House Church which
was the Church known to the early Christians
- The members have a strong sense of belongingness and
responsibility for one another
o They share the Word of God and are guided by
regular catechesis
o They gather around the Eucharist and have a
vibrant celebration of life in the liturgy
o They share not only their spiritual concerns but
also the material concerns
o Their poverty and their faith lead them to
involvement in action for justice and social
transformation
The Nine (9) Pastoral Priorities of the Catholic Church in the
Philippines
1. Integral Faith Formation
2. Empowerment of the Laity toward Social Transformation
3. Active Presence and Participation of the Poor in the
Church
4. The Family as the Focal Point of Evangelization
5. Building and strengthening of Participatory Communities
that make up the Parish as a Community of Communities
6. Integral Renewal of the Clergy
7. Journeying with the Youth
8. Ecumenism and Inter-religious Dialogue
9. Animation and Formation for “Missio Ad Gentes”
NEW EVANGELIZATION
New evangelization is doable through:
a) Evangelization by Attraction
b) Evangelization in a digital world
c) Evangelization and Conversion
NATURE OF THE SOCIAL TEACHING OF THE CHURCH
- The Social Teaching of the Church is at the core of
Christianity.
- It needs to be pointed out that Jesus is an active agent in
the renewal of the Society
o His proclamation of the Kingdom of God means
that certain practices in the community would
even have to be renewed in order to show to the
people that indeed God‟s reign is at hand, even
if at the same time, it cannot be fully fulfilled in
the present
1. THE TRUTH OF FAITH
- The First Christians were true followers of Christ in the
sense that they have endeavored to persevere in the
ministry that Christ has started
o This is especially shown in their commitment to
equality, respect and love for each other
o Moreover, decisions in their communities are
done “in remembrance” of the memory of Christ
- The Middle Ages Church, despite the infamous abuses of
some members of the hierarchy and the clergy, remains
faithful to Christ‟s call to bring about the reign of love in our
communities
o Important thinkers in the Middle Ages especially
Thomas Aquinas continues to talk about justice
and charity for the poor.
- The challenge to aid the needy in the community has
become more pressing with the emergence of modern
ideologies that were brought about mainly by the Industrial
Revolution
- Capitalism and Socialism were two ideologies that were
both supposedly aimed at improving the conditions of every
person‟s life
- However, because of their neglect to talk about God in their
endeavors, they have instead also contributed to the
increasing problems of poverty and injustice in the
community
- Hence, the modern social encyclicals were Catholic
contributions to the talk about human flourishing pointing out
especially the important points from these two ideologies
- The Catholic Church has issued important documents in order
to officially announce its stand on pertinent social issues
that confront our communities at particular moments in
history.
o These are Catholic contributions to the talk about
human flourishing based on important principles
such as:
 the dignity of the human person
 Subsidiarity
 Solidarity
 the preferential option for the poor

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 THEOLOGY 3
o Moreover, each of these documents, while
sensitive to the historical conditions of particular
times, are grounded in the Tradition of the
Church that finds its beginning in the person and
ministry of Jesus Christ
a) THE HUMAN PERSON AS THE IMAGE OF GOD
- Church‟s understanding of human dignity:
o is the conviction that the human person occupies a
central role in the creation of God
o the human person is the only creature that is
created in the image and likeness of God, and is
the only creature that has the capacity for God
- Human dignity is a core-concept in the social teaching of
the Church
- The Church believes that the human dignity is a concept that
is both inviolable and inalienable, that is, it can never be
compromised regardless of the circumstances and
consequences of the action
- The apex of the affirmation of human dignity is the coming
of Christ
- Christ embraces humanity through the mystery of
Incarnation, which affirms that humanity is central to God‟s
plan
- The centrality of the dignity of the human person is even
highlighted more with the Paschal Mystery of Christ.
o He showed us that the cross is not a meaningless
symbol, but is rather a testimony of God‟s love
b) CELEBRATING OUR SHARED HUMANITY, OUR
HUMAN INTERCONNECTEDNESS
- Yahweh‟s covenant with Abraham and the people of Israel
is Yahweh‟s own initiative and gift which is even beyond
what humanity deserves
o The covenant is an expression of Yahweh‟s
willingness to reach out to His people
o In fact, by the covenant, Yahweh makes himself
bound to fulfill his promises to His people
o In turn, the covenant becomes the people‟s
assurance that Yahweh will never abandon
them
- Moreover, “there comes from the Decalogue a commitment
that concerns not only fidelity to the one true God, but also
the social relations among the people of the Covenant...
The gift of freedom and the Promised Land, and the gift of
Covenant on Sinai and the Ten Commandments are
therefore intimately linked to the practices which must
regulate, in justice and solidarity, the development of
Israelite society.
- A society that wishes and intends to remain at the service of
the human being at every level is a society that has the
common good – the good of all the people and of the
whole society – as its primary goal
- In the diversity of cultures, the natural law unites peoples,
enjoining common principles
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- Since something of the glory of God shines on the face of
every person, the dignity of every person before God is the
basis of the dignity of man before other men
c) TOWARD A JUST AND HUMANE SOCIETY
ACCORDING TO GOD‟S PLAN
- God destined the earth and all it contains for all men and
peoples so that all created things would be shared fairly by
all mankind under the guidance of justice (CSDC, 165).
- The Universal Destination of Goods is an invitation to
develop an economic vision inspired by moral values that
permit people not to lose sight of the origin or purpose of
these goods, so as to bring about fairness and solidarity
- Everyone has the right to enjoy the conditions of social life
that are brought about by the quest for the conditions of
social life that are brought about by the quest for the
common good
- Pope Pius XI: „the distribution of created goods, which, as
every discerning person knows, is laboring today under the
gravest evils due to the huge disparity between the few
exceedingly rich and the unnumbered property less, must be
effectively called back to and brought into conformity with
the norms of the common good, that is, social justice. This
then prompts the Church to call for a more just distribution of
the world‟s wealth (CSDC 171)
- Man, then, must never forget that his capacity to transform
and in a certain sense create the world through his own
work... is always based on God‟s prior and original gift of
the things that are.
2. THE PARADIGM OF LOVE AND JUSTICE VERSUS THE
WAY OF VIOLENCE
- Love is the most identifying value of the Church's social
teaching.
o It is what makes us uniquely Christians
o It is, in fact, unachievable without grace, but the
grace is freely supplied to the willing, which is
grace itself
a) THE WAY OF LOVE AND JUSTICE
- In the Church‟s perspective, love as a value is “the highest
and universal criterion of the whole of social ethics.” (CSDC,
171)
o “From the inner wellspring of love the values of
truth, freedom, and justice are born and grow.
Love is what makes us able to see the other as a
friend, as another self, so that the needs and
requirements of others seem as one's own.”
(CSDC, 205)
- Love presupposes and transcends justice.
o This means that love builds upon justice just like
grace builds upon nature.
- For what happens when love meets justice, look at the cross
of Christ, the cross of Christ which is our law.
o Without justice, there is no love
o Without justice, love does not survive. Justice is
the prerequisite of love.
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 THEOLOGY 3
o Justice is fulfilled by love.
- Kant insisted that, in justice, the law of punishment was a
categorical imperative which admitted no exception.
o For if justice goes, there is no longer any value in
human beings living on the earth.
o A world without justice is, to be sure, too horrible
to behold.
o However, a world with justice but without love is
equally as bad or worse.
- Human relationships cannot be governed solely by the
measure of justice
- The prophet Malachi tells us that God requires more than
doing justice
o He requires us to love mercy and to walk
humbly with Him (Malachi 3:3)
- Summum ius, summa iniuria was a Roman maxim mentioned
by Cicero
o It is a brilliant, ambiguous saying which can be
translated, “extreme justice is the greatest
injustice,” or an "extreme justice is an extreme
wrong
- Here is a truly radical challenge: to take love, which, as St.
Thomas mentions in his Summa Theologiae, is the form of
the virtues, and to socialize it or institutionalize it into social
and political charity
o This task is the modern challenge of our time
- Social charity makes us love the common good
o It makes us effectively see the good of all
people, considered not only as individuals or
private persons but also in the social dimension
that unites them. (CSDC, 207)
- We need a new world order that is grounded not only on
secular values but on Christian love, on social and political
charity, which is identical with solidarity such as:
o a direct demand of human
o Christian brotherhood
- Social and political charity is not exhausted in relationships
between individuals, but extends to the network formed by
communal relationships, which is precisely the social and
political community
o It intervenes in this context seeking the greatest
good for the community in its entirety. (CSDC,
208)
b) VERSUS THE WAY OF VIOLENCE
- The Church does not approve the use of violence and the
use of arms because it is aware that violence only leads to
more violence, which often results only in new forms of
oppression
- Violence is never a proper response
- The Church proclaims that:
o violence is evil
o violence is unacceptable as a solution to
problems
o violence is unworthy of man
- Violence is a lie, for it goes against the truth, the truth of our
humanity
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- Violence destroys what it claims to defend:
o the dignity, the life, the freedom of human
beings
3. UNDERSTANDING „CRITICAL COLLABORATION‟
WITH THE STATE
- The Church recognizes its autonomy from the State
o However, many understand this to mean that the
Church should not be involved in political issues,
or with politicians and public policies
o This is not the meaning of the separation of
Church and State
a) FROM SEPARATION
- What really is the meaning of this separation? There are
three main ideas:
o the state has no official religion
o the state should not discriminate any religion
o the Church should not control or dominate any
religious group, the police or armed unit of the
State
- The principle of the separation of Church and State is a
reaction to some medieval arrangement of church-sponsored
religions or a State persecution of some undesirable
religions
- In order to respect the autonomy of the Church, the State
shall not establish one religion as the religion of the State.
o It shall not favor one religion over the other
o It shall foster the freedom of all religious
beliefs and should not interfere with their
practices unless these actions become detrimental
to public order
- In order to respect the autonomy of the State, the Church
prohibits its ministers and priests to run for public office or,
if they do, they should resign from their ministry as priests
o This is also done in order to guard the Church‟s
role as agent of unity as exemplified in a
community of different political persuasions
- Separation of Church and State does not mean that the
Church and its ministers cannot take a stand on social,
economic and political issues affecting the welfare of the
people
o And, if taking sides on these issues necessitates
choosing one candidate over another, the Church
can encourage its members to pursue their own
options to address the situation according to its
moral values
- In the end, it is the individual Christian who decides based
on his or her own conscience, not its leaders or ministers
b) TO COOPERATION
- Using a bicycle, one can surely reach his or her destination if
the two wheels are consistent in moving to the same direction
o The same is true with the relationship between
the Church and State, i.e., both have the same
goal of reaching the common good and realizing
the Kingdom of God.
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 THEOLOGY 3
- The distinction between the Church and the State does not
imply a complete separation, nor does it mean that the
Church should restrict her activity to the private and spiritual
sphere
- Certainly the Church “cannot and must not replace the State.
Yet at the same time she cannot and must not remain on the
sidelines in the fight for justice.” (Benedict CVI, Deus Caritas
est)
- The Church has the right and the duty “to teach her social
doctrine, to exercise her role freely among men, and also to
pass moral judgment in those matters which regard public
order when the fundamental rights of the human person or
the salvation of souls require it.” (Gaudium et Spes, 76)
- Both the Church and those who govern society are seeking
to serve mankind (although under different titles), and they
“will carry out this service with greater efficacy, for the
good of all, the healthier and better is the cooperation
between them.” (CSDC, 425)
Unit II LESSON D: THE RESPONSE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
A. RATIONALIZING THE CHURCH‟S INVOLVEMENT
- Due to current challenges and issues that exist in our
contemporary society like:
o massive poverty
o Inequality
o Discrimination
o Racism
o gap between the rich and the poor
o environmental degradation
- the Church is called to be involved in responding and
eradicating those social concerns in order to become
effective herald of the Gospel
B. GLOBAL REALITIES OF THE CHURCH‟S INVOLVEMENT
- Due to global concerns like:
o War
o Hunger
o Poverty
o global warming
o climate change
o apathy
o Other challenges brought about by secularism,
materialism, neo-liberalism and globalization,
the Church is called to be involved in responding
to those issues
C. LOCAL REALITIES OF THE CHURCH‟S INVOLVEMENT
- The Church is also called to be involved in promoting:
o Justice
o Solidarity
o the common good through:
 active participation and cooperation in
community development
 promotion of human dignity, justice,
peace, and environmental education
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Unit II LESSON E: DUTY OF THE LAY FAITHFUL TO THE SOCIETY
1. AS ONE CHURCH
- It is the proper duty of the lay faithful to proclaim the
Gospel with an exemplary witness of life rooted in Christ
and lived in temporal realities:
o the family
o in the world of work, culture, science, and
research
o the exercise of social, economic and political
responsibilities
- The lay faithful are called to cultivate an authentic lay
spirituality by which they are reborn as new men and
women, both sanctified and sanctifiers, immersed in the
mystery of God and inserted in society
o Prompted by such spirituality, the lay faithful are
able to contribute to the sanctification of the
world, as from within like leaven, by fulfilling
their own particular duties
- The role of the laity is in a special way to “seek the
Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and
ordering them according to the plan of God
o As such, lay men and women are in a unique
position to bring their faith into all areas of
society.
o In their own way, the laity participates in the
priestly, prophetic and kingly mission of the
Church by virtue of their Baptism and
Confirmation.
2. PROMOTING THE CULTURE OF DIALOGUE
- The sacred dignity of each person and the call to love
one’s neighbor as an essential element of one‟s love of
God combine to demand that all differences be explored
and all conflicts be addressed through respectful dialogue
o This applies to religious differences as well as
political, economic, social and cultural ones
- Only through patient, respectful dialogue do people grow
beyond the limitations of their experience, perceptions,
opinions and values
- Each person is a unique part of the tapestry of creation, of
the mosaic of the human family
- Only through dialogue can new level of understanding and
appreciation be achieved in the human community
o The art of dialogue is effective among Filipinos
because they are used to start small talk like:
 Saan ka pupunta? (Where are you
going?),
 Kumusta? (How are you?),
 OK ka lang ba? (Are you OK?)
o They are also comfortable to engage with
serious conversation or dialogue
o This is the reason why they have a saying that:
“Walang hindi nadadaan sa mabubuting usapan.”
o Every problem (issue or conflict) can be settled
through a peaceful dialogue
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 THEOLOGY 3

3. TRANSLATING FAITH INTO OUR THOUGHTS, WORDS,

AND ACTIONS
a) FROM CURIOSITY TO ADVOCACY
- As Catholics, we need to witness our faith not only by word
of mouth but by concrete actions.
o Thus, we need to walk our talk
- The first step in translating faith into action is by being
aware of existing social problems and concerns through
series of exposures and immersions
- Followed by personal expression of commitment in
initiating and organizing advocacy projects related to
human promotion and development

b) SALAMANCA PROCESS: DOMINICANS IN THE

PROMOTION AND DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS
- This congress is an integral part of this “Salamanca Process”
in bringing leaders of Dominican intellectual institutions
together for the promotion and defense of human rights.
- Hopefully it will result in a deeper integration of the
intellectual and apostolic life of the Dominican Family
through concrete projects of collaboration with the
following objectives:
o Recover the history of the involvement of
Dominicans in the promotion and defense of
human rights
o identify and evaluate the current engagement
of Dominicans in the promotion and defense of
human rights at the academic level and at a
practical level on the ground
o develop networks and policies that will enable
the promotion and defense of human rights to be
integral to Dominican preaching of intellectual
and apostolic life
o promote networks of collaboration at the zonal,
regional and international levels through
concrete projects in defense of groups whose
rights are violated

c) UST-OCD-SIMBAHAYAN (TOMAS) EXPERIENCE

- The University of Santo Tomas, through the Office of
Community Development – Simbahayan has conducted
community organizing through their partner communities
- UST has been successful in utilizing TOMAS experience in
implementing its projects and programs
- UST offers training in organizing, management, program
and project analysis to become systematic in the field of
community engagement
- UST IR offers training and community building through
CREED, Aral, Asal at Dasal, among others.

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