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Reference Books 6

ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL MORALITY (The Seventh & Tenth Commandment) 7

The SEVENTH COMMANDMENT … What it forbids, commands and requires. 8

CCC 2401 The seventh commandment forbids unjustly taking or keeping the goods of one's neighbor and wronging him in any way with respect to his goods. It commands justice and charity in the care of earthly goods and the fruits of men's labor. For the sake of the common good, it requires respect for the universal destination of goods and respect for the right to private property. 9

God is the true owner of things. He only entrusts them to us as stewards. (CCC 2402) Although property may be privately owned, its use must be for the benefit of the common good. (CCC 2403, 2404, & 2405) 10

CCC 2402 In the beginning God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, master them by labor, and enjoy their fruits. The goods of creation are destined for the whole human race… 11

CCC 2403 The right to private property, acquired or received in a just way, does not do away with the original gift of the earth to the whole of mankind. The universal destination of goods remains primordial, even if the promotion of the common good requires respect for the right to private property and its exercise. 12

CCC 2404 "In his use of things man should regard the external goods he legitimately owns not merely as exclusive to himself but common to others also, in the sense that they can benefit others as well as himself. " The ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of Providence, with the task of making it fruitful and communicating its benefits to others, first of all his family. 13

CCC 2405 … Those who hold goods for use and consumption should use them with moderation, reserving the better part for guests, for the sick and the poor. 14

CCC 2406 Political authority has the right and duty to regulate the legitimate exercise of the right to ownership for the sake of the common good. 15

SINS AGAINST THE SEVENTH COMMANMENT • • • Theft CCC 2408 Retention of goods lent or objects lost, etc. CCC 2409 CCC 2434 Breach of Contract CCC 2410 Gambling CCC 2413 Enslavement of human beings CCC 2414 16

CCC 2408 (Theft) 2408 The seventh commandment forbids theft, that is, usurping another's property against the reasonable will of the owner. There is no theft if consent can be presumed or if refusal is contrary to reason and the universal destination of goods. This is the case in obvious and urgent necessity when the only way to provide for immediate, essential needs (food, shelter, clothing. . . ) is to put at one's disposal and use the property of others. 17

CCC 2409 (Retention of Goods) • 2409 Even if it does not contradict the provisions of civil law, any form of unjustly taking and keeping the property of others is against the seventh commandment: thus, deliberate retention of goods lent or of objects lost; business fraud; paying unjust wages; forcing up prices by taking advantage of the ignorance or hardship of another. • The following are also morally illicit: speculation in which one contrives to manipulate the price of goods artificially in order to gain an advantage to the detriment of others; corruption in which one influences the judgment of those who must make decisions according to law; appropriation and use for private purposes of the common goods of an enterprise; work poorly done; tax evasion; forgery of checks and invoices; excessive expenses and waste. Willfully damaging private or public property is contrary to the moral law and requires reparation. 18

CCC 2434 (Retention of Goods) 2434 A just wage is the legitimate fruit of work. To refuse or withhold it can be a grave injustice. In determining fair pay both the needs and the contributions of each person must be taken into account. "Remuneration for work should guarantee man the opportunity to provide a dignified livelihood for himself and his family on the material, social, cultural, and spiritual level, taking into account the role and the productivity of each, the state of the business, and the common good. " Agreement between the parties is not sufficient to justify morally the amount to be received in wages. 19

CCC 2410 (Breach of Contract) 2410 Promises must be kept and contracts strictly observed to the extent that the commitments made in them are morally just… All contracts must be agreed to and executed in good faith. 20

CCC 2413 (Gambling) 2413 Games of chance (card games, etc. ) or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others. The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement… 21

CCC 2414 (Enslavement) 2414 The seventh commandment forbids acts or enterprises that – lead to the enslavement of human beings, to their being bought, sold and exchanged like merchandise, in disregard for their personal dignity. It is a sin against the dignity of persons and their fundamental rights to reduce them by violence to their productive value or to a source of profit. 22

Reparation for injustice committed requires the restitution of stolen goods to their owner (CCC 2412). 23

Man’s relationship with the earth: We are its Caretaker (earth conservation) and Master (responsible exploitation) 24

Genesis 2: 15 (Earth) 15 The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. • Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, & United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board. (1996, c 1986). The New American Bible : Translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources and the revised New Testament (Ge 2: 15). Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. 25

CCC 2415 (Earth) 2415 … Man's dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation. 26

Man’s relationship with animals: Animals are created for man. We owe them kindness but not to the extent of affection due only to person. 27

CCC 2416 Animals are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory. Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Philip Neri treated animals.

CCC 2417 (Animals) 2417 God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Medical and scientific experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice if it remains within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving human lives. 29

CCC 2418 (Animals) 2418 It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. It is likewise unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery. One can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons. 30

The Church and Politics: The church may not involve itself in politics but may make judgment about economic and social matters. 31

CCC 2442 (Politics) 2442 It is not the role of the Pastors of the Church to intervene directly in the political structuring and organization of social life. This task is part of the vocation of the lay faithful, acting on their own initiative with their fellow citizens. 32

CCC 2420 (Politics) 2420 The Church makes a moral judgment about economic and social matters, "when the fundamental rights of the person or the salvation of souls requires it…" 33

Economic & Social Systems To make profit the exclusive norm and ultimate end of economic activity is morally unacceptable and a system that subordinates the basic rights of individuals or groups to the collective organization of production is contrary to human dignity(CCC 2424). 34

Economic & Social Systems Totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in “Communism” and “Socialism” as well as individualism and the law of the market place over human labor associated with “capitalism” must be rejected. 35

CCC 2425 (Economic) 2425 The Church has rejected the totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in modern times with "communism" or "socialism. " She has likewise refused to accept, in the practice of "capitalism, " individualism and the absolute primacy of the law of the marketplace over human labor. Regulating the economy solely by centralized planning perverts the basis of social bonds; regulating it solely by the law of the marketplace fails social justice, for "there are many human needs which cannot be satisfied by the market…" 36

Economic & Social Systems The balance must lean towards solidarity i. e. commitment of oneself to the common good (John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 38). 37

John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 38 “The principle of solidarity can be expressed in this simple formula: human beings are inevitably bound to one another, and depend on one another in many ways. Consequently, they must put these bonds into effect in a fair way for the good of individuals and of the whole. They are responsible in relation to others and to the community, just as the community in its turn must take care of the individual members. ” (A. Gunthor, Call and Response) 38

The TENTH COMMANDMENT … Forbids coveting the goods of others. 39

CCC 2536 The tenth commandment forbids greed and the desire to amass earthly goods without limit. It forbids avarice arising from a passion for riches and their attendant power. 40

1 Timothy 6: 8 -10 (Desire for too much or greed for money, power and things) • If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with 8 that. • Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation 9 and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. • For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some 10 people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains. • Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, & United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board. (1996, c 1986). The New American Bible : Translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources and the revised New Testament (1 Ti 6: 8). Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. 41

Luke 12: 16 -21 (Desire for too much or greed for money, power and things) • Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land 16 produced a bountiful harvest. • He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to 17 store my harvest? ’ • And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns 18 and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods • and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many 19 good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!” • But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be 20 demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong? ’ • Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but 21 is not rich in what matters to God. ” • Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, & United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board. (1996, c 1986). The New American Bible : Translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources and the revised New Testament (Lk 12: 16). Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. 42

CCC 2537 (Those who have a harder struggle against criminal desires) 2537. . . merchants who desire scarcity and rising prices, who cannot bear not to be the only ones buying and selling so that they themselves can sell more dearly and buy more cheaply; those who hope that their peers will be impoverished, in order to realize a profit either by selling to them or buying from them. . . physicians who wish disease to spread; lawyers who are eager for many important cases and trials. 43

CCC 2538 (Envy) 2538 The tenth commandment requires that envy be banished from the human heart… 44

CCC 2539 (Envy) 2539 Envy is a capital sin. It refers to the sadness at the sight of another's goods and the immoderate desire to acquire them for oneself, even unjustly. When it wishes grave harm to a neighbor it is a mortal sin. 45

CCC 2540 (Envy) 2540 Envy represents a form of sadness and therefore a refusal of charity; – Would you like to see God glorified by you? Then rejoice in your brother's progress and you will immediately give glory to God. Because his servant could conquer envy by rejoicing in the merits of others, God will be praised. 46

“Blessed are the poor in spirit. ” … Detachment from riches. 47

Luke 14: 33 (Riches) 33 In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple. • Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, & United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board. (1996, c 1986). The New American Bible : Translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources and the revised New Testament (Lk 14: 33). Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. 48

Matthew 6: 19 -21 (Riches) • “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on 19 earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. • But store up treasures in heaven, where 20 neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. • For where your treasure is, there also will 21 your heart be. • Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, & United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board. (1996, c 1986). The New American Bible : Translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources and the revised New Testament (Mt 6: 19). Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. 49

Holy Abandonment “Abandonment to the providence of the Father in heaven frees us. ” 50

CCC 2547 (Abandonment) 2547 Abandonment to the providence of the Father in heaven frees us from anxiety about tomorrow. 51

Matthew 6: 25 -34 (Abandonment) • • • 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? 27 Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? 28 Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. 29 But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. 30 If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat? ’ or ‘What are we to drink? ’ or ‘What are we to wear? ’ 32 All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. 34 Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, & United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board. (1996, c 1986). The New American Bible : Translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources and the revised New Testament (Mt 6: 25). Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. 52

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