Courtesy of Michael Sean Winters, have a look at this excellent speech Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, entitled “Protecting Human Life and Dignity: Promoting a Just Economy”, recently delivered in Washington DC. How refreshing to see real Catholic social teaching being presented on American soil! There are many good nuggets on this speech, but this is one of my favorites:
“Yes, it is fashionable to be negative, nihilistic, pessimist – it not only leaves one off the hook, but also absent from history, both human and divine. Quite counter-culturally, therefore, we Christians firmly believe that a more just and peaceful world is possible.
If we resign ourselves to fatalism, this can have drastic consequences for our overall wellbeing and for the wellbeing of others. For, despite the naysayers, economic resources exist that could help wipe the tears from the eyes of those who suffer injustice, who lack the basics of a dignified life, and who are in danger from any deterioration in the climate. The poor do benefit from champions in solidarity who believe that injustice can be reduced, that harmonious relationships can be fostered, that our planetary ecology can be made sustainable, that a world of greater communion is possible.”
Quite often in the United States, the notion that we are called upon to create a better world is written off utopianism – the fruit of a secular ideology that is not compatible with a fallen mankind. You see this on the right, but there is no consistency – these same people are quite willing to adopt utopian positions pertaining to the power of free markets and individual liberty. When you dig deeper, you realize that the real problem is not utopianism, but a fundamental disagreement with the tenor of Catholic social teaching since Rerum Novarum. As Cardinal Turkson points out, we called to serve people by “creating the best society possible”. This is non-negotiable, but so often forgotten.
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