In Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI foresaw that a culture of materialism and utility would lead to violence against the human person and the broader human family. Today’s culture often ignores the consequences of individual actions on the human family, and views people as things to use and discard. This culture of use is the opposite of love. Each person individually is immensely good, created body and soul from love, by Love, for love.
To transcend a throwaway culture, social justice must center on the dignity of the human person. Virtuous development places the human person at the center of every action, questioning what will lead most to the flourishing of this person and their family. Do our businesses allow and encourage employees to prioritize their children? Does governmental aid encourage family life? How can we better uphold the institutions that respect the gift of every human life?
Each human right carries with it responsibilities to our brothers and sisters. Every governmental policy, every company budget, every person’s paycheck should prompt us to recall our duty to support our human family. This brotherhood ties us to the homeless youth of our hometown, to the father working three jobs to feed his children, to the spiritually impoverished young adult, to the mother without medical care in a developing nation.
The individual duty of each one of us expands to a macro scale for the Body of Christ. Walking in the footsteps of Jesus, each individual, family, and institution can uphold the dignity of our universal family.
Molly works in the Office of Life, Justice & Peace for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
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Such a poignant piece, enjoyable to read while encompassing a gentle reminder of this real Goliath in our society. Thank you for publishing And sharing.
We are excited to invite you to join the Napa Institute for our first Virtual Conference, “Finding Hope in the New America.” While we won’t be able to share conversation or a bottle of wine with you this year in person, we invite you to fill your glasses at home and toast the hope we have in the Napa Institute Family and in our Faith. Join speakers such as Cardinal George Pell, Dr. Scott Hahn, Curtis Martin, and many more as they address issues ranging from socialism to how to answer our call to evangelization in a hostile world. In these unprecedented times in our nation, we must view all the critical issues through a Catholic lens, with great hope in Christ.
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