“Social Teachings: The Hidden Treasures of the Church – Emphasis on Hidden”

As a long-time member of a Catholic charismatic community in Manila (a major aspect of my life which was interrupted when I came back home in 2016), I have been fortunate to listen to innumerable talks about the Christian faith. I eagerly absorbed them all. But when I listened to the social teachings of the Catholic church for the first time, I literally got dizzy trying to wrap my head around them. 

The talk was delivered by a very young but very able priest at the time, Rev. Fr. Rany P. Geraldino. 

Since the talk was a much-condensed version of what should have been delivered in several sessions, we in the audience had to deal with information overload owing to the novelty of the subject. On top of that, I had to grapple with this internal dialogue all along that said, "Filipino leaders who are Catholic never seem to pay attention to these," which of course upset me, as the negligence is one reason we live with such a degree of backwardness as a society. 

As a compulsive note-taker, I was not in my best element, as I was able to take down maybe only about 50% of the outline of the discussion, but I was still glad to take in as much.

“𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 – 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧 '𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧'”

(𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝑪𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔, 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒂𝒇𝒇𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔.)

“The social teachings of the Catholic Church are the Church’s hidden treasure – emphasis on hidden,” Fr. Rany P. Geraldino says, by way of introduction to his talk on the admittedly heavy subject. And this, the Academic Prefect at the Archdiocese of Manila points out, is unfortunate, "because the social teachings of the Church are not a by-the-way or an add-on, but a constitutive part of the message of Jesus Christ.”

“Everything boils down to Jesus Christ’s message of love of God and of neighbor. These two are related, one can’t stand without the other. For how can you love God whom you can’t see, if you don’t love your neighbor whom you can see?” he goes on.

But who exactly is our neighbor? "The definition of ‘neighbor’ has evolved,” he explains, “from the Old Testament times, when neighbor meant ‘fellow Jew,’ to the Christian era, when ‘neighbor’ means ‘everyone in need’ (refer to the Good Samaritan story).” “And in modern times, ‘neighbor’ is expanded to mean the whole of society and the environment that influences the person.”

In other words, no one can afford to be "apolitical." No matter their station in life, “persons have a social responsibility. All actions have social consequences. There is an interdependent web of life. ‘Ang sakit ng kalingkingan ay sakit ng buong katawan.’ Everyone is considered our neighbor, a part of our family, a brother and a sister.”

(Being apolitical itself is, I guess, being political.)

“In 1891, Pope Leo XIII released the document ‘Rerum novarum’ to address a pressing social situation at the time of industrialization and rising socialism.”

“Eventually, the Compendium of the Social Teachings of the Church was crafted so that the kingdom of God may be felt even here on earth. (“Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”) Life on earth should be the beginning or foretaste of heaven.”

He then outlines the four sources of Catholic social teachings: scripture, Magisterium, experiences of the church, and dialogue with branches of knowledge.

For a quick backgrounder:

- "Even though the Bible is not a book of morality, not everything is in Scripture. Social teaching is always contextualized; not all issues emerged during Biblical times."

- "The Magisterium or teaching authority of the Church, includes papal encyclicals and pronouncements. We believe in the papal infallibility ex-cathedra, i.e., official positions in terms of faith and morals. Despite the Dark Ages the Church went through (14th-16th centuries), the Church’s faith and morals were preserved, the Church being both human (wicked, frail, weak) and divine, including the teachings of authorized Church bodies in the Second Vatican Council."

- "Experiences of the Church include the lives and teachings of the saints, and the engagements of the Church in present issues.

- "Dialogues with other branches of knowledge include consulting with experts in psychology, philosophy, medicine, bioethics, sociology, etc."

“Catholic social teachings are jokingly called the ‘hidden treasures of the Church’ because most people are not aware of them or ignore them. Understandably, there is the danger of Catholic social teachings becoming liberation theology, as in the case of priests like Oscar Romero who were reduced to being (leftist) activists. Catholic social teachings are not liberation theology!” he emphasizes.

“Catholic social teachings are more of principles than concrete lines of actions.”

“The main principles of Catholic social teaching are as follows. (Actually there are seven, to be more specific: 1. life and dignity of the human person; 2. call to family, community, and participation; 3. rights and responsibilities; 4. option for the poor and vulnerable; 5. the dignity of work and the rights of workers; 6. solidarity; and 7. care for God's creation).”

I. Primacy and Dignity of Human Person

“This means the person is the ultimate end, not the means to an end. Society is ordered to the person. He or she is created in the image of God. Christ died for each one of us. Christ redeemed us. Therefore, we have to respect one another.”

“For example, in the mentality espoused by certain local TV shows, people are exploited for their poverty for entertainment purposes and for money.”

“Human rights are inviolable. This is the basis of Christian social teaching.”

“If God respected us, so should we respect one another. As Fr. Ron Rolheiser put it, ‘If God went down to our level, why can’t we go down to the level of our fellow human beings?’”

“Each human is destined for participation in the divine life.”

In the Philippines, dark spots on the dignity of human person can be seen in "the upholding the right to life (who decides who is worthy of life?); extrajudicial killings; abortion (contraception mentality leads to the slippery slope of condoning abortion); euthanasia (this also happens through “waivers” in hospitals); care for the handicapped, mentally ill, aged (are we friendly to the other-abled?); lack of decent living conditions for the poor, who are worthy of being children of God; lack of right for each employable to work; [suppressed] right to truth (are we against ‘envelopmental’ journalism, do we support the Freedom of Information Act?); and [violation of the] right to vote."

(Speaking of elections, I might add: While politicians always get hit for being "corrupt," voters' expectation of receiving money and other means of "support" from politicians in exchange for their votes makes them just as culpable, since such an implicit understanding forces politicians to fulfill the unwritten expectation. And speaking of elections, let's not forget the rampant cases of slander, calumnies, and defamation by many candidates who profess to be Christian, as though the gravity or level of depravity of such an act is not equal to physical murder.)

II. Common Good

“This means the sum of social conditions that enable persons to achieve their full human potential.”

“Stewardship is a spirituality, meaning we are not the real owners of our properties." ... “Private ownership is not absolute. We seek the will of the real owner, who is God.”

These statements remind me of this Biblical passage: "The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common... There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. Thus, Joseph, a Levite,..., sold a piece of property that he owned, then brought the money and put it at the feet of the apostles." (Acts 4:32-37, New American Bible version)

Thanks to this sense of community of the earliest Christian church, a dog-eat-dog world suddenly turned into some kind of a utopia, a paradise-on-earth. Which makes us wonder what happened all along that the result today is a yawning gap in socioeconomic status in supposedly Christian communities and nations like ours.

(But a quick qualification: Neither does Christianity advocates a classless society -- after all, can anyone imagine a viable society in which everyone is an owner of a major company or everyone is a lowly staff? Even many insect species have complex hierarchical societies.)

“To whom much is given, much is expected,” he continues as a reminder to all. “In terms of politics, we must have participation.” “In economics, we observe the principle of the universal distribution of goods.”

In the Philippines, he continues, dark spots in the area of common good, include the “widening gap between rich and poor, forests and corals exploited for profit, irresponsible mining practices, laws that benefit only foreign interests and those of the elite, globalization, graft and corruption, and slums as a symptom of uneven development.”

III. Solidarity

“Solidarity is based on the idea that we are interconnected and interdependent to each other. Solidarity equals love. In the Church, solidarity is expressed by being a church of the poor. The principle of solidarity is evident in the case of creation and ecology itself.”

“To check our application of solidarity: Do we have a mind-your-own-business mindset? Are we too family-centered or group-centered (ethnocentrism)? Remember that we also have obligation to others. Are we narrow-minded, do we have narrow concerns, or are we too locally focused (regionalism)? Think globally, act locally. No to parochialism. Do we exhibit only momentary acts of solidarity (for example: people power/EDSA revolution, flooding of donations after ecological disasters), instead of sustained efforts?"

IV. Subsidiarity

“The big does not take over the small, the big enables the small, and allows the small to do what it can on its own, allows growth from within, respects and allows associations, unions, and civil societies, to act on their own.”

“The big fish doesn’t swallow up the small fry. A good example is the case of [some big businesses that swallow up everything in their path].”

“The principle of subsidiarity protects the people from abuses by higher-level social authorities imposed by these authorities to help individuals and intermediate groups to fulfill their duty.”

“This principle is imperative because every person and even intermediate group has something original to offer the community.”

“The principle of subsidiarity is opposed to certain forms of centralization and welfare assistance and to the unjustified and excessive presence of the state in public mechanism.”

“One example is Vietnamese and Chinese governments' control of the practice of religion, where people can't have public declaration of their religious belief.”

“For applications in parochial and corporate settings, problems should be solved with respect to the lower levels.”

“In the Philippines, dark spots in the area of subsidiarity include the following: feudalism and padrino system; paternalism, or the patronizing approach in helping others through a dole-out mentality (giving without care as to the outcome after), or providing technology/products on donor's terms; and lack of entrepreneurship, resulting in overdependence on authority, and people not being allowed to control their own destiny.” “Even in families, parents who are too dictatorial violate the principle, since children should be allowed to grow on their own (pace of) maturing.”

***

In conclusion, he says that, “as Filipinos, our commitment and concerns should not be limited to our own family only, but should be extended to the community, and (according to our capacity, sphere of control/influence), even to the bigger community.”

Personal Commentary

It is teachings like these that touch souls profoundly and make them want, or will, and decide to be Catholic or Christian by choice in the face of such negative realities in the secular world and in our relentlessly capitalist society, whose ways and values are, more often than not, inimical to these thoughts, or even the reverse of what these teachings say as ways forward.

In these teachings of Christ through the Church, which seems to espouse "downward mobility" in so many ways, to paraphrase Henri Nouwen, one feels loved as a person and as a member of society, one feels secure in being cared for for who he or she is and gets a sense of hope to live out the best version of oneself according to God's will and God's plan, instead of being constantly alienated by "the world's" pervasive ethos of one-up-man-ship, pressured in so many ways that are instinctively revolting deep within.

Another insight one gains from this set of principles is that Christianity, as an -ism or philosophy, is neither completely capitalist, nor democratic, nor socialist, nor communist, but more of a "civilization of love," in the words of St. Pope John Paul II. It can never be boxed in like a convenient ideology, it is neither conservative nor liberal, for what could be more liberal than "upholding the primacy of human beings"? A reversal of the law of the jungle ("a tooth for a tooth," "to each his own," "survival of the fittest"), at its heart is the law of love, we could say, which should, in theory, result in a caring society and a just social order, where "everyone outdoes everyone in caring service," and yet without the forcible legislation of 'love' and equality the way socialist and communist societies understand it, since the moment 'love' is forced via legislative acts or government policy, it immediately ceases to be a case of "loving thy neighbor as oneself."

With these social teachings, Christianity quietly makes this proposition of affirming life and humanity in the here and now, short of bringing heaven on earth, or a version of utopia, if you will, but only as a precursor to what is expected beyond life as we know it. ...While at the same time, it constantly eggs on its followers to focus on life eternal or "the four last things" (death, judgment, heaven, hell). I haven't encountered any philosophy this strange and at the same time attractive.

Of course, in the real world, these social teachings are one thing, and the application of these teachings or their "translation into action" (as Fr. Rany puts it) is another. Their application in the real world comprises the tricky part, for how exactly do we apply these concepts or principles in the complicated world of politics, business, law, public administration, or even in the arts, and so on?

As a famous columnist once said, "There is the rub." Therein lies the hard work. But negotiating this complex middle ground is worth exploring in our quest for alternative solutions to present-day problems that do not, or no longer, work. As a Latin expression goes, "In medio stat virtus." (Virtue lies in the middle.)