Stewardship of Elected Stewardship of Elected Public ServicePublic Service

Serving the Common Good,Serving the Common Good,

and Maintaining Public Orderand Maintaining Public Order

Congratulations on Your Election Congratulations on Your Election to Public Office to Public Office

Thanks for saying yes to the tough Thanks for saying yes to the tough process of facing the electorate and process of facing the electorate and other candidatesother candidates

Thanks for educating yourself on the Thanks for educating yourself on the issuesissues

Thanks for learning of the needs of your Thanks for learning of the needs of your fellow citizens and your communityfellow citizens and your community

Thanks for stepping up to be part of the Thanks for stepping up to be part of the solution and to represent the Peoplesolution and to represent the People

Now Comes the Hard Part: Now Comes the Hard Part: GoverningGoverning

• How will you represent the People?

• How will you discern the right path for the community to go?

• How will you balance the competing interests in the community?

• How will you work with the other elected officials at the local, state, and federal level, and toward what ends?

Consider Some of the Purposes of Consider Some of the Purposes of GovernmentGovernment

solving conflicts between people solving conflicts between people satisfying common needs and desires satisfying common needs and desires preserving national security preserving national security preserving culture and beliefs preserving culture and beliefs socializing young people socializing young people protecting rights (minority and majority) protecting rights (minority and majority) protecting the environment protecting the environment ensuring the safety and health of the ensuring the safety and health of the

people and tranquility of society people and tranquility of society Ancient Greeks said only one purpose: to Ancient Greeks said only one purpose: to

improve the lives of its citizensimprove the lives of its citizens

What Can an Elected Official Use as a Basis What Can an Elected Official Use as a Basis for Making Decisions about These Matters?for Making Decisions about These Matters?

Constitutions of Federal & State Constitutions of Federal & State GovernmentsGovernments

Laws and Regulations of Cities and Laws and Regulations of Cities and the Countythe County

Policies of Boards, Committees, and Policies of Boards, Committees, and Regulating Governmental BodiesRegulating Governmental Bodies

Personal Values of What is Fair and Personal Values of What is Fair and Just Just

The Declaration of Independence

• We hold these Truths to be self-evident. That all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness-That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men…

Thomas Jefferson

Can an Elected Official’s Faith Can an Elected Official’s Faith Inform their Actions in Office?Inform their Actions in Office?• The Voters Generally Know the Character and The Voters Generally Know the Character and

Values of the Representative They ChooseValues of the Representative They Choose• There Is Some Expectation that the Elected There Is Some Expectation that the Elected

Official Will Act Consistent with their Higher Official Will Act Consistent with their Higher Values and with Integrity to Safeguard the Trust Values and with Integrity to Safeguard the Trust Shown ThemShown Them

• Perhaps Faith Can Not Directly or Overtly Perhaps Faith Can Not Directly or Overtly Influence an Elected Official’s Actions to Influence an Elected Official’s Actions to Address Public Matters but It Can Have Its PlaceAddress Public Matters but It Can Have Its Place

• The Church Will Not Tell a Public Official What The Church Will Not Tell a Public Official What to Do, Rather It Seeks to Inform about Truth, to Do, Rather It Seeks to Inform about Truth, Goodness and Justice in the Service of OthersGoodness and Justice in the Service of Others

Society

Public Order

•Public Peace

•Basic Rights

•Public Morality

•Freedom

Common Good

Politics

State

Separation of Church and State

Common GoodCommon Good

► It is often Cited as a Guiding Concept in It is often Cited as a Guiding Concept in Catholic Social TeachingCatholic Social Teaching

► It has been described as “ the sum total of It has been described as “ the sum total of conditions of social living, whereby persons conditions of social living, whereby persons are enabled more fully and readily to are enabled more fully and readily to achieve their own perfection.”achieve their own perfection.”11

► Goods that Are only Experienced in Goods that Are only Experienced in Common; They Are Shared, or They Are not Common; They Are Shared, or They Are not Experienced at All: Sunlight, Water, Air, Experienced at All: Sunlight, Water, Air, Freedom, Safety etc Freedom, Safety etc

The Common Good The Common Good and Catholic Social Teachingand Catholic Social Teaching

► This Concept suggests that the good of each This Concept suggests that the good of each person is linked to the good of othersperson is linked to the good of others

► Further, that Human Beings only Flourish in the Further, that Human Beings only Flourish in the context of Communitycontext of Community

► Therefore: each person has an obligation to Therefore: each person has an obligation to contribute to society so life can flourish, and no contribute to society so life can flourish, and no person can be excluded as unworthy of interestperson can be excluded as unworthy of interest

► It says no one should be denied the basic It says no one should be denied the basic goods needed to join in the life of the goods needed to join in the life of the communitycommunity

The Common Good-A Moral The Common Good-A Moral ForceForce

►Many and diverse people could each Many and diverse people could each advocate for different solutions to advocate for different solutions to problemsproblems

►There must be an authority to direct the There must be an authority to direct the energies of all citizens toward the Common energies of all citizens toward the Common Good if the political community is to avoid Good if the political community is to avoid being torn apart w/o dictatorshipbeing torn apart w/o dictatorship

►How? By acting as a moral force which How? By acting as a moral force which appeals to each one’s freedom, & sense of appeals to each one’s freedom, & sense of responsibilityresponsibility

Catholic Social

Teachings

Rooted in Scripture

Catholic Social

Teachings

Deuteronomy John

Leviticus

Psalms

Matthew

Luke

PaulGenesis

Isaiah

JeremiahMark

Sirach

Rooted in Scripture

Catholic Social

Teachings

Deuteronomy John

Leviticus

Psalms

Matthew

Luke

PaulGenesis

Isaiah

JeremiahMark

Sirach

Laborem Exercens

The Challenge of PeacePolitical Responsibility

Economic Justice for All

Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World

Evangelicum Vitae

Mater et Magistra

Centesimus Annus

Pacem et Terris

Rerum Novarum

Church Documents

Rooted in Scripture

Catholic Social

Teachings

Deuteronomy John

Leviticus

Psalms

Matthew

Luke

PaulGenesis

Isaiah

JeremiahMark

Sirach

Laborem Exercens

The Challenge of PeacePolitical Responsibility

Economic Justice for All

Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World

Evangelicum Vitae

Mater et Magistra

Centesimus Annus

Pacem et Terris

Rerum Novarum

PrinciplesSolidarity

Call to Family, Community and Participation

Life and Dignity of the Human Person

Rights and R

esponsibilities

Dig

nity o

f Wo

rk and

Rig

hts o

f Wo

rkers

Opt

ion

for

the

Poo

r

Care o

f God’s C

reatio

n

Church Documents

Rooted in Scripture

Catholic Social

Teachings

Issues

Deuteronomy John

Leviticus

Psalms

Matthew

Luke

PaulGenesis

Isaiah

JeremiahMark

Sirach

Laborem Exercens

The Challenge of PeacePolitical Responsibility

Economic Justice for All

Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World

Evangelicum Vitae

Mater et Magistra

Centesimus Annus

Pacem et Terris

Rerum Novarum

PrinciplesSolidarity

Call to Family, Community and Participation

Life and Dignity of the Human Person

Rights and R

esponsibilities

Dig

nity o

f Wo

rk and

Rig

hts o

f Wo

rkers

Opt

ion

for

the

Poo

r

Care o

f God’s C

reatio

n

Education

War

Capital

Punishment

Abortion Political

Responsibility

Cloning

Just Wages

RacismEuthanasia

Farming

GlobalWarmingChurch Documents

Major Themes fromCatholic Social Teaching

1. Human dignity

2. Community

3. Rights and duties

4. Option for the poor

5. Participation

6. Economic Justice

7. Stewardship of Creation

8. Solidarity

9. Role of Government

10. Promotion of Peace

The person is sacred,made in the image of God.

1. Human Dignity

The Social Nature of the Human Person

The fact that human beings are social by nature indicates that the betterment of the person and the improvement of society depend on each other…humanity by its very nature stands completely in need of life in society.

Vatican II

The Church in the Modern World

2. Community / Common Good

Every person has a right to the basic material necessities that are required to live a decent life.

Civil, Political, Economic, Social

3. Rights and Duties

Remember the “widows,

orphans, and aliens.”

A necessary element of

the common good.“Deprivation and powerlessness of the poor wounds the whole community.”

National Conference ofCatholic Bishops

4. Option for the Poor

All people have a right to  a minimum level of participation  in the economic, political, and  cultural life of society.

5. Participation

6. Economic Justice

The economy must serve people.  

All workers have a right to productive work, to decent wages, to safe working conditions; and they have a right to organize and join unions. 

People have a right to economic initiative and private property, but these rights are limited by the universal destination of goods.

7. Stewardship of Creation

“It is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say, to the good of all ...because we are all really responsible for all.” 

Pope John Paul II

On Social Concern, 1987

Photo: Courtesy CRSAlemavehu Tadesse

8. The Virtue of Solidarity

The state has a positive moral function. It is an instrument to promote human dignity, protect human rights, and build the common good.

Subsidiarity As small as possible As big as necessary

9. Role of Government

Peace is not just theabsence of war.

“If you want peace, work for justice.”

 Pope Paul VI1972

World Day of Peace Message

10. Promotion of Peace

The Call to Faithful Citizenship

Faithful Citizenship calls Catholics to see civic and political responsibilities through the eyes of faith and to bring our moral convictions to public life.

Faithful Citizenship

The Catholic community enters public life not to impose doctrine, but to act on our moral convictions; to share our experience in serving the poor and vulnerable, and to participate in the dialogue over our nation’s future.

Faithful Citizenship

Our community of faith brings three major assets to these challenges.

1. A Consistent Moral Framework

2. Everyday Experience

3. A Community of People

All Believers Are Called to Faithful Citizenship To become informed, active, and responsible

participants in our society. Our Lord’s example and words demand care

for the “least of these” from each of us. This is the foundation that requires action on a broader scale.

Congratulations on Elected Public Congratulations on Elected Public ServiceService

May the Lord bless you in OfficeMay the Lord bless you in Office

May your Faith in Him be a guide for May your Faith in Him be a guide for you in the many challenges you faceyou in the many challenges you face

Resources Utilized

Catholic Charities Diocese of Beaumont Texas, Office of Parish Social Ministry’s CST PowerPoint Presentation

Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s CST: A Key to Catholic Identity PowerPoint Presentation

Office of Social Justice, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota

Various Documents in Catholic Social Teaching