Exploring Catholic Social Teaching

EXPLORING
CATHOLIC
SOCIAL TEACHING
SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS

EXPLORING
CATHOLIC
SOCIAL TEACHING

About Sophia Institute for Teachers
Sophia Institute for Teachers was launched in 2013 by Sophia Institute to renew and rebuild Catholic
culture through service to Catholic education. With the goal of nurturing the spiritual, moral, and
cultural life of souls, and an abiding respect for the role and work of teachers, we strive to provide
materials and programs that are at once enlightening to the mind and ennobling to the heart;
faithful and complete, as well as useful and practical.
Sophia Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1983.
©2021, Sophia Institute for Teachers. All rights reserved. Portions of this publication may be
photocopied and/or reproduced within schools for educational use only. Written permission must
be secured from the publisher to use or reproduce any part of this book outside a school in any
medium.
The lessons in this supplemental guide are taken from the catechetical series Spirit of Truth.
Excerpts from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, ©
1994, 1997, 2000 by Libreria Editrice Vaticana–United States Catholic Conference, Washington, D.C.
All rights reserved.
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991,
1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C., and are used by permission of the
copyright owner. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any
form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
We thank all copyright holders for their permission to use their material in this publication. Every
attempt was made to secure permission to reprint any protected material used in this publication.
Any omissions or errors were unintentional, and we will make adjustments immediately upon
request.
Printed in the United States of America
Design by Perceptions Design Studio
Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
ISBN: 978-1-64413-554-9

Contents
Acknowledgments ......................................................................ii
How to Use This Guide .................................................................iii
Sacred Art and Catechesis ...............................................................v
Lessons
Note: The grade levels listed with each lesson are suggestions. We encourage you to read each lesson
and use the ones that will work best with your students.
Lesson 1: Jesus Teaches Us to Love Him and Others, Lower Elementary ....................1
Lesson 2:
God Calls Us to Love Him above All Else and to Love One Another
Out of Love for Him, Lower Elementary .......................................15
Lesson 3: Respect for Life, from the Unborn to the Elderly, Middle Elementary .............37
Lesson 4: Care for the Resources of the Environment, Middle Elementary ................ 45
Lesson 5:
Exploring the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy with Sacred Art,
Middle Elementary ........................................................ 59
Lesson 6: Introduction to the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, Middle Elementary ...67
Lesson 7: Jesus Teaches Us How to Live the Corporal Works of Mercy, Middle Elementary ..77
Lesson 8:
The Human Person, Made in the Image and Likeness of God,
Middle School and High School ............................................. 85
Lesson 9: Society, Middle School and High School ..................................... 95
Lesson 10: The Citizen and Government, Middle School and High School ..................107
Lesson 11: Just War, Middle School and High School ....................................133
Sample High School Theology Chapter
Different Types of Justice ......................................143
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING OVERVIEW
i

Acknowledgments
Teacher Authors
Tom Acemoglu
Fr. Ed Broom, OVM
Veronica Burchard
Jackie Dielbold
Jose Gonzalez
Anna Maria Mendell
Catherine Petrie
James Sartino
Melissa Stancato
Kelly Vardakas
Talia Westerby
Editors
Veronica Burchard
Mike Gutzwiller
Academic Advisors
Monsignor John Cihak, S.T.L., S.T.D.
Michel Therrien, S.T.L, S.T.D.
Illustrations
John Folley
Mary MacArthur
Patrick Nunes
Copy Editors and Consultants
Nora Malone
Jane Cavolina
Design
Perceptions Design Studio
Amherst, NH
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How to Use This Guide
No textbook or teacher’s guide can replace your own witness. Each and every day, offer students
your own personal examples and stories. Most of all, pray often with your class. Sharing and
modeling how to treat others with respect and charity will help them grow in understanding of
how Christ calls us each to treat our neighbors and engage in the public square.
Each lesson in this Teacher’s Guide has a recommended grade range, but feel free to use them
outside of these suggestions, and/or to adapt them for use with older or younger learners.
Each lesson is designed as a supplement. Lessons are also designed to be self-contained, so that
you may just as easily present a single lesson or all of them. Feel free to choose the version that
would be appropriately challenging for your students.
Each lesson includes:
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Lesson overview, suggested grade level, learning goals
Scripture selections
Connections to the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Warm-ups
Activities and handouts
Formative assessments
Answer keys
Tips
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You know best what your students already know, so keep that in mind when
approaching warm-up exercises, which are meant to recall prior knowledge and/or
create a mindset for the lesson.
Whenever possible, have students use their own copies of the Holy Bible to do readings.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING OVERVIEW
iii

Occasionally, references are made to additional resources including:
Sophia SketchPad Videos
ӹ Found at SophiaSketchPad.org
ӹ Catechetical videos developed for use in Catholic classrooms
ӹ Viewing guides and other supplements
Catholic Curriculum Exchange
ӹ Found at SophiaInstituteforTeachers.org/Curriculum
ӹ Teacher-written resources for all subjects and grade-levels
ӹ Rate and review lessons, then share your own
Sacred Art Library
ӹ Found at SophiaInstituteforTeachers.org/Art
ӹ Digital images of art included in this guide, and much more
ӹ Suggestions for discussion starters
A note on scriptural selections
The translation of the Bible used in this teacher’s guide is the New American Bible, Revised
Edition (NABRE). For the sake of readability on certain student handouts, we have removed
biblical line breaks, line numbers, footnotes, and other references. Whenever possible, we
encourage you to have students use their own copies of the Holy Bible to do readings.
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Sacred Art and Catechesis
How to Use the Works of Art in This Guide
This Teacher’s Guide uses sacred art as a means of teaching
young people about the Catholic Faith. Beauty disposes us to
the Divine, and sacred art helps lead students to love what is
good, beautiful, and true. Art can be viewed and appreciated
by all students, no matter their grade, reading ability, personal
background, or level of sophistication. Feel free to use these
works of art with students of all grade levels. Add
your own questions if these are too hard. Say them
out loud if students cannot read the questions
themselves. Have older students compose their own
questions. Have fun.
HANDOUT A
Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet
BY FORD MADOX BROWN (1856)
City of Manchester Art Galleries, Manchester, UK.
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Before presenting artwork, we recommend
you gather relevant Scripture passages and
sections of the Catechism to contextualize
discussion.
We recommend projecting a full-screen
image of each work of art, and/or handing
out color copies for each student or small
group of students.
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62
HANDOUT A
Madonna with Child
By Sassoferrato
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Allow students to view the art quietly for several minutes — or for as long as you can.
Encourage them to appreciate it for its own sake before beginning any analysis.
Begin your discussion by asking questions that are easy to answer. This may help “prime
the pump” for future discussion.
Be willing to share your own response to the painting. Allow your students to see
the painting move you. Sharing the feelings and ideas the artwork evokes in you may
encourage your students to be more willing to take risks in the ways they contribute to
the discussion.
Add your own favorite works of art. Don’t be limited to paintings. Think about using
sculpture, wood carvings, stained glass, and so forth. Your enthusiasm for works of art
will be contagious.
When appropriate, talk with your students about how sacred art, unlike other forms of
artwork, is meant to draw our attention not the particularities of the figures in the work,
but to universals: truth, beauty and goodness, and most of all, to the Author of beauty
who is God Himself.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING OVERVIEW
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Jesus Teaches Us to Love
Him and Others
LESSON 1
Suggested Grade Levels
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Pre-K–2nd grade
Learning Goals
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God is love.
God loves us.
Good parents love and protect their
children; we are God’s children, and He
loves and protect us.
Guardian Angels help God protect us.
The love of our family is like God’s love,
and God’s love is even greater.
Connection to the
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
ӹ CCC 221
ӹ CCC 352
Vocabulary
ӹ Guardian Angel
BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONE
God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his
only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.
1 JOHN 4:8B-9
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Lesson Plan
Materials
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Handout A: Madonna with
Child Look and Learn
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Handout D: The Guardian Angels
Teacher Resource: God Is
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Handout B: Madonna with
Love Puzzle Template
Child Coloring Page
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Handout E: God Is Love
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Handout C: The Banjo
Lesson Look and Learn
DAY ONE
Warm-Up
A. Have the class stand and make the Sign of the Cross, saying the words together slowly.
B. Lead students in ten minutes of stretching and easy calisthenics. As you do each exercise
together, do a call and response along the following lines:
C. Stand with arms raised high, then bend and touch toes. You say, “God loves me and He gave me
ten…” Students respond “Toes!”
D. Extend arms to the sides, wiggling fingers. You say, “God loves me and He gave me ten…”
students respond, “Fingers!”
E. Crouch down in a squat four or five times. Point to your knees as you do so. You say, “God loves
me and He gave me two…” Students respond, “Knees!” And so forth.
Activity
A. Have students get into a circle. Using the class angel to moderate discussion, go around the
circle giving each student a few moments to tell the class about someone or something they
love. Encourage students to say two different things: first, who or what it is they love, and
second, one way they show their love.
B. Ask for a show of hands for how many students mentioned someone in their families.
C. Discuss with students how our families are a sign of God, who is the Blessed Trinity. God is a
communion of Persons — an unbreakable bond of life-giving love. Our families are unbreakable
bonds! Your parents love you even when you disobey. The love of our families gives us a taste of
what God’s love is like. His love is even greater — His love is the greatest thing in the universe!
D. Wrap up the discussion by connecting the exercises you did together a few moments ago to the
way we show love. God created our bodies, and everything He made is good. We use our bodies
to show love to our family — Mothers carry their babies in their womb, they nurse their babies,
both parents feed their babies, change diapers, tuck them in at night, give hugs, reassuring pats,
and so forth. Have students raise their hands and list other ways they use their bodies to show
love. In addition to the ideas student generate, you could add:
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LESSON PLAN
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They hug their parents and siblings.
They do chores to help around the house.
They pick up after themselves.
They hold hands when they cross the street.
Formative Assessment
A. Hold up the image on Handout A: Madonna with Child. You may want to let them know that
madonna means “My Lady” in Italian. We use the title to refer to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Tell
them to look at the painting for a few minutes in silence, and to notice whatever they like about
it.
B. Read aloud and discuss the questions on Madonna with Child Look and Learn (Handout A),
then read aloud from A Parent’s Love (Handout B).
C. Have students color Madonna with Child Coloring Page (Handout B). As they are coloring,
remind students of the Blessed Trinity and note that we call God our heavenly Father. We are
God’s children. God loves us so much that He gave us His son, Jesus. Jesus gave his life for us.
Giving your life for someone else is an act of love.
DAY TWO
Warm-Up
A. Have the class stand and make the Sign of the Cross, saying the words together slowly.
B. Have students turn to the The Banjo Lesson Look and Learn (Handout C). Discuss the
questions. Then, invite a volunteer to tell aloud a creative story about who the people in the
painting are, and what they are doing. Call on a few students to share their creative stories.
Activity
A. Ask students to compare and contrast this painting with Madonna with Child. How are they
similar, how are they different?
B. Discuss with students how you have been looking at examples of good parents with these two
paintings. What are qualities of a good parent? What does a good parent do? What does a good
parent believe?
C. Encourage students to raise their hand and offer one example. Repeat back each example as
you write a simplified version on the board. For example, a good parent: prepares meals for his
child, cares for him, provides clothing and shelter, helps him when he is hurt, and so forth. A
good parent believes that his child is important, can learn, and should be loved.
D. Summarize all the examples that students give by stating that good parents put the needs of
their child above their own needs. A good parent sacrifices for the good of his or her child.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 1 3

LESSON PLAN
Invitation to witness: Tell a story about a time that you knew God loved you and was
protecting you. Frame the story using terms you have been using throughout the lesson.
Include in your story that Jesus sacrificed Himself for our good.
Formative Assessment
A. Connect the way parents protect their children to another way God protects His children — the
Guardian Angels.
B. Make sure students are quiet because you are about to share with them God’s word in
Scripture. Reassure students that they don’t need to understand every word.
C. Read aloud from Psalms 91:10-13:
No evil shall befall you,
no affliction come near your tent.
For he commands his angels with regard to you,
to guard you wherever you go.
With their hands they shall support you,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You can tread upon the asp and the viper,
trample the lion and the dragon.
D. Talk with students about how every single person has a guardian angel who helps protect us
from evil and preserve us from sin.
E. Continue to reinforce this information as children color in the picture on The Guardian Angels
(Handout D).
F. Close with the Prayer to Your Guardian Angel:
Angel of God, my Guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here, ever this day be at my
side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
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LESSON PLAN
DAY THREE
Warm-Up
A. Before class, use the template on Teacher Resource: God is Love Puzzle Template (page 14
in this guide) to make a puzzle set for each student.
B. After creating a quiet and prayerful atmosphere, together make the Sign of the Cross and then
read aloud from 1 John 4:8b-9:
God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the
world so that we might have life through him.
C. Enter into a dialogue with students in which you go over the following information: This Bible
verse tells us that God is love. Love isn’t just something that God does; love is what God is. God is
also the greatest thing in the universe. How do we know? He created everything in it. That means
He is greater than anything in the universe! If God is the greatest thing in the universe, and God is
love, then what is one way we can become like the greatest thing in the universe? Love! When we
love someone, we are sharing in God’s divine life.
D. Take a moment to look at and read aloud some of the things you wrote on your “Classroom of
Love” bulletin board.
E. Explain that Scripture tells us something like this as well. Read aloud from 1 Corinthians 13:13
“So faith, hope, love remain, these three, but the greatest of these is love.”
Activity and Assessment
Distribute a God Is Love Puzzle set to each student and give them time to complete the puzzle.
Then have them color and decorate their own version of the puzzle on God Is Love (Handout E).
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 1 5

HANDOUT A
Madonna with Child
By Sassoferrato
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HANDOUT A
Madonna with Child
Look and Learn
What do you like about this painting?
Where is the light coming from in the painting?
Does the lady look like a good
mother? Why or why not?
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HANDOUT B
Madonna with Child Coloring Page
His mother kept all these things in her heart.
(Luke 2:51b)
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A Parent’s Love
The lady in the painting is Mary.
Mary loves her baby Jesus very much.
She would do anything for Him.
Parents love their children more
than themselves. A parent would
give her life for her child.
We are God’s children. God loves us so
much that He gave us His son, Jesus.
Jesus gave his life for us.
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HANDOUT C
The Banjo Lesson
By Henry Ossawa Tanner
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HANDOUT C
The Banjo Lesson
Look and Learn
Who do you think the people
in the painting are?
What do you see in the background?
The two people might be a father
and son. Do you think the man is a
good father? Why or why not?
What are they doing?
What do you think they were doing
earlier? What will they do next?
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HANDOUT D
The
Guardian
Angels
12
He commands his
angels with regard
to you, to guard you
wherever you go.
(Psalms 91:11)
October 2 ~ Guardian Angels
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HANDOUT E
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God is Love Puzzle Template
TEACHER RESOURCE
Directions:
Copy the puzzle pieces below onto heavy paper and laminate them. Then cut out the
pieces, keeping sets together. Distribute a set to each student.
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God Calls Us to Love Him above All Else and
to Love One Another Out of Love for Him
LESSON 2
Suggested Grade Levels
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2nd–5th grade
Learning Goals
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Jesus teaches us the two Great
Commandments: to love God and to love
our neighbor.
The Great Commandments are a summary
of the Ten Commandments and the whole
Law of God.
To love our neighbor means to love
everyone we encounter.
To love God means to love our neighbor,
which is a sign of being a disciple of
Christ.
Connection to the
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
ӹ CCC 278 ӹ CCC 1967
ӹ CCC 459 ӹ CCC 2055-
ӹ CCC 1064 2063
ӹ CCC 1337 ӹ CCC 2196
ӹ CCC 1473 ӹ CCC 2608
ӹ CCC 1878 ӹ CCC 2738
Vocabulary
ӹ Commandment
ӹ Ten Commandments
ӹ Pharisee
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Blasphemy
Samaritan
Disciple
BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONES
He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your
God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and
with all your mind. This is the greatest and the
first commandment. The second is like it: You
shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole
law and the prophets depend on these two
commandments.”
This is how all will know that you are my
disciples, if you have love for one another.
JOHN 13:35
MATTHEW 22:37-40
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Lesson Plan
Materials
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Handout A: The Great
Commandments
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Handout E: How Can I
Love My Neighbor?
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Handout B: Loving God and
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Handout F: We Are Called
Loving Our Neighbor
to Love Assessment
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Handout C: The Good Samaritan
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Teacher Resource: Ten
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Handout D: Readers
Commandments Cards
Theater: The Parable of
the Good Samaritan
DAY ONE
Note: In advance, print enough copies of Teacher Resource: Ten Commandments Cards (page 33 in
this guide) and cut out enough cards for every student to receive one card.
Warm-Up
A. Begin by leading your students in the following prayer:
Dear God, You call us to be part of the Christian family and members of your Catholic
Church. Help us to be one people who live for you. Give us the opportunities to love you and
to love our neighbor. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
B. Begin by explaining to your students that in the Old Testament God gave Moses Ten
Commandments to give to His people. A commandment is a rule or law that God gave to
His people to learn to love Him and to love each other. Then ask if your students can name
any of the Ten Commandments. Write correct answers on the board until you list all ten. If
your students have trouble naming commandments, ask them questions such as “Is there a
commandment about lying?” or “Is there a commandment about listening to our parents?” The
Ten Commandments are:
1. I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the LORD’s day.
4. Honor your father and mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
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LESSON PLAN
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
C. Distribute to each student one of the Ten Commandments Cards. (Some students will have the
same cards.) Then have your students read their assigned commandment and write on the line
what it teaches us about loving God or others. Circulate around the room to assist as needed,
particularly with concepts students may not understand. (Explain to students who have the
Sixth Commandment that adultery refers to being faithful to one’s spouse and respecting our
bodies. Explain to students who have the Ninth and Tenth Commandments that coveting refers
to wanting something that someone else has, to the point of being jealous of what they have.
Note: The Ninth and Tenth Commandments have been combined onto one card for the sake of
simplicity.)
D. After your students have completed their activity, go through each of the Ten Commandments
and call on students who were assigned to each commandment to share and discuss what they
wrote. Emphasize during this time that the Ten Commandments were laws that God gave to us
to teach us how to love.
Activity and Formative Assessment
A. Explain to your students that Jesus gave us one of His most well-known teachings when He
was challenged by a Pharisee. The Pharisees were religious leaders in Jesus’ time, and many
of them were enemies of Jesus. This Pharisee hoped to catch Jesus saying something that was
against the Law of Moses. Then he could have had Jesus arrested for blasphemy. Blasphemy
was a religious crime that involved insulting God or the things of God, or saying or teaching
things that went against God’s Law. In response to the Pharisee, Jesus gave us two special
commandments.
B. Distribute copies of Handout A: The Great Commandments to your students and have them
follow along as you read aloud. Then discuss the focus questions.
C. Emphasize that the two Great Commandments Jesus gave are in fact a summary of all the Ten
Commandments. The first three of the Ten Commandments teach us how to love God, which is
the first of Jesus’ Great Commandments. The other seven of the Ten Commandments teach us
how to love our neighbor, or each other, which is the second of Jesus’ Great Commandments.
Formative Assessment
A. Distribute a copy of Handout B: Loving God and Loving Our Neighbor. Have students read
each statement and decide whether it is an example of loving God or loving our neighbor.
Then have them write or say two of their own examples of loving God and two examples of
loving our neighbor.
B. When they have finished, call on students to share and discuss their answers.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 2 17

LESSON PLAN
DAY TWO
Warm-Up
A. Distribute a copy of Handout C: The Good Samaritan to your students.. Project an image of the
painting by Jacapo Bassano. Give your students a few minutes to observe the painting. Then ask
them the following questions:
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What do you first notice about this painting?
How does this painting make you feel?
What do you think is happening in this painting?
ӹ Read aloud the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-35:
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I
do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”
He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your
being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on
the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite
side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the
instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall
repay you on my way back.’
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How does this painting illustrate the parable? Who are the figures in the front of the
painting? What are they doing? Who are the two figures in the background? What are they
doing? This painting shows the Samaritan helping the robbery victim onto his horse to take
him to the inn. The figures in the front are the Samaritan and the robbery victim. The figures
in the background are the priest and the Levite walking away.
What question did the scholar of the law ask of Jesus? How was this question answered?
Who in the parable lived this command? Why? The scholar asked Jesus “What must I do to
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LESSON PLAN
inherit eternal life?” Jesus asked the scholar what he thought the answer to the question was,
to which he answered “You shall love the lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your
being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” The
Samaritan lived this command by caring for his neighbor and attending to his wounds. By
doing so, he was also showing his love for God by following His command.
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Explain that the Samaritans were outcasts in society during Jesus’ time and were considered
to be less than others. In fact, it was against the law for upstanding Jewish citizens to even
speak to a Samaritan. How did the Samaritan in this parable exemplify Jesus’ teaching in
this parable? The priest and the Levite failed to love their neighbor. The Samaritan, who was
considered an outcast and even an enemy, disregarded this and helped a person in need.
Have your students turn to a neighbor and discuss a time when they did the right thing for
someone else, even when they didn’t want to. Accept reasoned answers.
B. Explain to your students that this parable comes from the Gospel of Luke. In it, Jesus deepens
His teaching about loving our neighbor as ourselves by dramatically demonstrating to us that
“our neighbor” doesn’t refer only to those people we like or who are our friends. God calls us to
love everyone. Everyone we meet gives us an opportunity to love.
Activity
A. Distribute copies of Handout D: Readers Theater: The Parable of the Good Samaritan. Assign
roles to various students, and then lead your students in a dramatization of the Parable of the
Good Samaritan. Use the “stage direction” from the script to help direct your students in what
to do and say.
B. After completing the Readers Theater, ask:
ӹ
ӹ
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What does this parable teach us about love for one another?
Why do you think Jesus made the Samaritan the hero of the story and not the priest or the
Levite? Help students recognize that the parable teaches us that everyone is deserving and
capable of giving and receiving love.
What other thoughts, questions, or new learning do you have about this parable? Accept
reasoned answers.
Formative Assessment
Give students a copy of Handout E: How Can I Love My Neighbor?. For each suggested neighbor,
have your students draw a picture of one way they can love that person, and then write a sentence
describing their drawing.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 2 19

LESSON PLAN
DAY THREE
Warm-Up
A. Read aloud to your students John 14:15, 21:
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. …Whoever has my commandments and
observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.
B. Then ask your students the following questions:
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
What does Jesus tell us loving Him involves? Keeping His commandments.
What are His commandments? “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all
your soul, and with all your mind,” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
What do these Great Commandments have to do with the Ten Commandments? They are a
summary of the Ten Commandments (and, in fact, the whole of God’s Law).
Therefore, what should we do in order to love God? Follow all of His commandments — the
Great Commandments Jesus taught and all of the Ten Commandments.
C. Next, read aloud 1 John 4:20-21:
If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not
love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the
commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
D. Then, ask your students the following questions:
ӹ
ӹ
This Scripture passage comes from the first letter of John. What does John say makes one a
liar? Saying “I love God,” but hating one’s brother (or neighbor).
What will someone who loves God do? Love his neighbor.
E. Last, read aloud John 13:35:
This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
F. Then ask your students the following question:
ӹ
A disciple is a student or follower of someone. Jesus had many disciples, and He calls us to
be His disciples. How will others know that we are Jesus’ disciples? By our love for another.
G. Explain to your students that our love for God is made known by our love for others. In fact, the
Bible makes it clear that we cannot love God without loving our neighbor. This is a requirement
of our Christian Faith. When we love our neighbor, we show our love for God. We make God’s
love for us known here on earth. Loving in this way helps to make us disciples of Jesus.
Activity and Assessment
A. Give your students a copy of Handout F: We Are Called to Love Assessment and have them
circle the correct answer to each question.
B. When your students have finished, review and discuss the correct answers.
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HANDOUT A
The Great Commandments
Directions:
Listen as your teacher reads aloud the story of the
Great Commandments from the Gospel of Matthew.
Then answer the focus questions.
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced
the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one
of them [a scholar of the law] tested him by asking,
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the
greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord,
your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and
with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first
commandment. The second is like it: You shall love
your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the
prophets depend on these two commandments.”
(Matthew 22:34-40)
1. What question did the Pharisee ask Jesus?
______________________________________________________________________ __
______________________________________________________________________ __
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2. To the people of Jesus’ time, all of the Ten
Commandments were equally important to follow. The
Pharisee hoped that Jesus would choose one over
the others and therefore break the Law. What two
commandments did Jesus give as an answer to the
Pharisee?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. Think about the first three of the Ten Commandments.
Whom do they teach us how to love?
______________________________________________________________________
4. Think about the other seven of the Ten
Commandments. Whom do they teach us how to
love?
______________________________________________________________________
5. How do Jesus’ two Great Commandments sum up the
Ten Commandments?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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HANDOUT B
Loving God and Loving
Our Neighbor
Directions:
Read each statement below. If it is an example of
loving God, write “God” on the line. If it is an example
of loving our neighbor, write “Neighbor” on the line.
Then write two of your own examples of loving God
and two examples of loving our neighbor.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
1. Praying
2. Going to Mass on Sunday
3. Cleaning the kitchen for your
parents
4. Saying kind things about
someone
5. Being happy for a friend who just
got a new video game that you
don’t have
6. Reading the Bible every day
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_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
7. Telling a friend that he or she did
a good job on something
8. Helping your elderly neighbor
with household chores
9. Borrowing a book and returning it
in good condition
10. Hanging a crucifix on the wall in
your bedroom
11. Write two of your own examples of how to love God:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
12. Write two of your own examples of how to love our neighbor:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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HANDOUT C
The Good Samaritan
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HANDOUT D
Readers Theater: The Parable
of the Good Samaritan
Directions:
Act out the Parable of the Good Samaritan according
to the instructions below.
Roles
Narrator 1
Narrator 2
Narrator 3
Man
2 Robbers
Priest
Levite
Samaritan
Innkeeper
Crowd (the rest of
the class)
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Narrator 1:
Narrator 2:
Narrator 3:
In the Parable of the Good Samaritan
Jesus tells us to love everyone.
Jesus teaches us that everyone is our
neighbor and that everyone we meet
gives us a chance to love.
Jesus also teaches us that to love
means to act. We love when we help
and serve others.
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Crowd:
Narrator 1:
Narrator 2:
Narrator 3:
Priest:
This is the Parable of The Good
Samaritan.
A man was traveling on the road from
Jerusalem to Jericho.
(The Man should walk from one side
of the classroom to the other as if he is
traveling.)
He was attacked and badly beaten by
robbers, who left him on the side of the
road to die.
(The Robbers should “attack” the Man,
and the Man should fall to the ground.
The Robbers should then walk away.)
Another traveler, a priest, came along.
He saw the man lying in the road.
(The Priest should walk from one side
of the classroom to the other and stop
briefly when he comes to the man.)
Look at this man! I can’t bear to look at
him. I should walk on the other side of
the road so I don’t have to help him.
(The Priest should then walk away.)
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Crowd:
Narrator 1:
Levite:
Crowd:
Narrator 2:
Samaritan:
And the priest passed by.
Another traveler, a Levite, also noticed
the man lying in the road.
(The Levite should walk from one side
of the classroom to the other and stop
briefly when he comes to the man.)
Surely this man will die! I wonder what
he did to deserve that. It’s not my
problem, though. I should walk on the
other side of the road.
(The Levite should then walk away.)
And the Levite passed by.
Then a Samaritan traveler came along.
Even though the Samaritans and the
Jews were not friends, he showed mercy
to the man.
(The Samaritan should walk from one
side of the classroom to the other and
stop when he comes to the man.)
Oh, you poor man! Let me help you.
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Narrator 3:
Samaritan
(to the
Innkeeper):
Innkeeper:
Crowd:
The Samaritan bandaged the man’s
wounds and helped him up. He took him
to an inn and paid for his care.
(The Samaritan should help the Man to
his feet and walk with him to the other
side of the room. The Samaritan should
“hand over” the Man to the innkeeper.)
Here is some money. Please take care
of this man. If you spend more than what
I have given you, I will pay you back
when I return.
I will do as you say.
This is the Parable of the Good
Samaritan. How can you be a good
neighbor?
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HANDOUT E
How Can I Love My Neighbor?
Directions:
In each box, draw a picture of how you can show love
for that person. Then write a sentence describing your
drawing.
A Family Member
A Classmate
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
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A Stranger
A Needy Person in
the Community
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
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HANDOUT F
We Are Called to Love Assessment
Directions:
Draw lines to match each question to the correct
answer.
1. Who taught
us the Great
Commandments?
The Ten Commandments
2. What do the Great
Commandments
summarize?
3. Which parable
is an example
of the Great
Commandments?
The Good Samaritan
A disciple
4. Whom are we
called to love?
Jesus
5. What is a follower
of Jesus called?
Our neighbor
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Ten Commandments Cards
TEACHER RESOURCE
1
I am the LORD your
God: you shall not have
strange gods before me.
2
You shall not take the
name of the LORD your
God in vain.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
3
Remember to keep holy
the LORD’s day.
4
Honor your father and
mother.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 2 33

5
You shall not kill.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
6
You shall not commit
adultery.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
7
You shall not steal.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
8
You shall not bear false
witness against your
neighbor.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
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9
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10
You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 2 35

Answer Key
Handout A: The Great Commandments
Note: Remember you can discuss these questions as a class, or you can have your students write their
answers. Assign only as many questions as would be appropriately challenging.
1. “Which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
2. “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind,” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
3. God.
4. Others or our neighbor.
5. The Ten Commandments teach us how to love God and how to love others (or our neighbor).
Jesus’ Great Commandments teach us to do the same thing. They summarize the Ten
Commandments.
Handout B: Loving God and Loving Our Neighbor
1. God
2. God
3. Neighbor
4. Neighbor
5. Neighbor
6. God
7. Neighbor
8. Neighbor
9. Neighbor
10. God
11. Accept reasoned answers.
12. Accept reasoned answers.
Handout C: We Are Called to Love Assessment
1. Jesus
2. The Ten Commandments
3. The Good Samaritan
4. Our neighbor
5. A disciple
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Respect for Life, from the
Unborn to the Elderly
LESSON 3
Suggested Grade Levels
ӹ
3rd–5th grade
Learning Goals
ӹ
ӹ
Respecting life means defending and
protecting those who cannot defend and
protect themselves.
Respecting life means recognizing the
dignity of every person.
Connection to the
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
ӹ CCC 2258-2301
Vocabulary
ӹ Dignity
ӹ Rebuke
ӹ Leprosy
BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONES
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.
JEREMIAH 1:5
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and
took a child and placed it by his side and said to
them, “Whoever receives this child in my name
receives me, and whoever receives me receives
the one who sent me. For the one who is least
among all of you is the one who is the greatest.”
LUKE 9:47-48
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Lesson Plan
Materials
ӹ
ӹ
Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss
Handout A: Jesus’ Friends
DAY ONE
Warm-Up
A. Have your students help you come up with a list of people who work to defend us and keep
us safe. Keep a list on the board for the class to see. Examples may include police officers,
firefighters, lawyers, nurses, doctors, military/soldiers, and so forth.
B. Have each of your students choose one of the jobs listed on the board and pretend that it is his
or hers. Arrange your students in groups based on the job they chose. (Doctors sit with doctors,
soldiers with soldiers, and so forth.) If some students chose jobs that don’t fit exactly with
others, try to arrange them with other similar jobs.
C. In their groups, have students take turns sharing why they chose the job they did and explain
why it is appealing to them. Then, have each group determine whom they would be defending
or keeping safe if they had that particular job. Have one person from each group share with the
rest of the class, and write this list of different types of people on the board for all students to
see.
D. Have your students return to their seats. Explain that you are going to read a story about
someone/thing you might not expect to be a defender and protector, but who will defend and
protect an entire city!
Activity
A. Read the book Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss aloud to your students. Facilitate the following
discussion by asking the following questions:
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Who is the defender/protector in the book? Horton, who is an elephant.
Who is Horton protecting? The city of Whoville, which is populated by tiny people called
Whos.
Who is trying to destroy or harm the Whos? All of the other jungle animals, who ridicule
Horton for his beliefs.
Horton keeps saying, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” What does that mean?
Accept reasonable answers, but be sure to make the point that it does not matter about a
person’s size or age or ability. Every single person has something to offer the world! Everyone
should be respected!
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LESSON PLAN
B. Ask your students to think about what could have happened if some parts of the story were
different and then ask the following questions:
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
What would have happened if Horton did not hear the Whos in the first place and they had
no one to defend them? Accept reasoned answers.
What would have happened if Horton gave up on the Whos when they were stolen? Accept
reasoned answers.
What would have happened if the mayor had not made sure to have every voice heard from
Whoville? Accept reasoned answers.
Formative Assessment
Tell your students to pretend that they are the mayor of Whoville, and have them write on their
own paper a letter to Horton’s attackers. What would they, as the mayor, say to those attackers
to make them understand how important Whoville really is? What would they say to defend the
Whos?
DAY TWO
Warm-Up
A. Find online and project photos that correspond to the following examples:
ӹ
a baby making a silly face.
ӹ
a homeless person in America.
ӹ
a well-known athlete.
ӹ
Pope Francis.
ӹ
an elderly person smiling.
ӹ
someone sick in a hospital bed.
ӹ
a well-known musician or band.
ӹ
African orphans.
ӹ
someone with Down syndrome.
ӹ
a prisoner.
B. Show each photo one by one, and ask your students to describe each person or group of
people. Ask them how they would describe the person or people in each photo to someone who
was not looking at the photo.
C. After you have shown all of the photos, ask your students what every single one of these people
has in common. Accept reasoned answers, and help your students come to the conclusion that they
are all God’s children. They all have dignity. (Define dignity as being worthy of honor and respect.)
These are the people whom God calls us to defend and protect, as Horton did with the Whos!
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 3 39

LESSON PLAN
Activity
A. Ask your students to think about who Jesus would have spent time with if He lived in our world
today. Call on volunteers to share their thoughts about the people Jesus would have surrounded
Himself with. Accept reasoned answers.
B. Explain to your students that in this lesson, they are going to look in the Bible to see who Jesus
hung out with when He lived on the earth.
C. Distribute a copy of Handout A: Jesus’ Friends to your students. Call on volunteers to read
aloud the three stories from Scripture about the people Jesus spent His time with, and have
the rest of your students follow along on their worksheets. Then ask the discussion questions
following each story to get your students thinking about how Jesus did not always surround
Himself with the most popular, healthy, or perfect people. Have your students record the
answers as you discuss them.
Formative Assessment
Arrange your students in groups of three or four. Have each group come up with a list of people
Jesus might surround Himself with if he were living today. Allow one person per group to share
them with the class, and make a list on the board for the entire class to see.
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HANDOUT A
Jesus’ Friends
Directions: Read or listen to the three stories from Scripture. Discuss the
question following each story with your classmates.
Scripture Story #1: Read Matthew 19:13-15.
Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and
pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to
me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as
these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away.
Explanation:
To rebuke means to scold harshly.
At this time in history, children were not encouraged to speak to adults
unless they were spoken to. In this passage, children also meant really little
ones, mainly babies. The disciples might have thought that bringing babies to
Jesus would delay His teaching and interrupt what He was there to do.
Discussion Questions
1. Who was Jesus spending time with in this passage?
2. Are you surprised that Jesus spent time with children? Why or why
not?
3. How do you think the disciples reacted when Jesus asked them to
bring the babies to Him?
4. How do you think the parents of the babies felt when Jesus was
willing to bless their children?
5. What does this story teach you about Jesus?
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Scripture Story #2: Read Matthew 8:1-4.
When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And
then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you
can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will
do it. Be made clean.” His leprosy was cleansed immediately. Then Jesus said
to him, “See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer
the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”
Explanation:
Leprosy is a terrible skin disease. In biblical times, people with leprosy were
made to live outside the city, away from everyone else. This was because
leprosy was easy to catch, and if you had leprosy, you would die from it. A
person with leprosy was thought to be “unclean.” In fact, people thought
that if you had leprosy, you were being punished because you probably did
something really bad.
Discussion Questions
1. Who was Jesus spending time with in this passage?
2. Why is this surprising?
3. Can you imagine what it would be like not to be allowed to be
touched at all and to be blamed for something that is not your fault?
How do you think the leper felt when Jesus actually touched him?
4. What does this teach you about Jesus?
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Scripture Story #3: Read Luke 19:1-10.
He came to Jericho and intended to
pass through the town. Now a man
there named Zacchaeus, who was a
chief tax collector and also a wealthy
man, was seeking to see who Jesus
was; but he could not see him because
of the crowd, for he was short in
stature. So he ran ahead and climbed
a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way. When
he reached the place, Jesus looked up
and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come
down quickly, for today I must stay
at your house.” And he came down
quickly and received him with joy.
When they all saw this, they began
to grumble, saying, “He has gone to
stay at the house of a sinner.” But
Zacchaeus stood there and said to the
Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions,
Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I
have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.” And
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has
come to this house because this man
too is a descendant of Abraham. For
the Son of Man has come to seek and
to save what was lost.”
Explanation:
Tax collectors were considered to be sinners in biblical times. They would go
to peoples’ houses to collect their taxes and often take more than they should
so that they could get rich. They were not known for sharing their riches,
either. So, many people hated tax collectors for being greedy and selfish.
Discussion Questions
1. Who was Jesus spending time with in this passage?
2. Why was this surprising?
3. Jesus did not just talk to Zacchaeus. What else did He do that was
so surprising?
4. How did Zacchaeus react to getting to meet with Jesus? What did
Jesus inspire him to do?
5. What did this teach you about Jesus?
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Notes
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Care for the Resources of
the Environment
LESSON 4
Suggested Grade Levels
ӹ
3rd–5th grade
Learning Goals
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Everything good on the earth was created
by God to glorify Him.
If we love God, we will take care of His
creation.
Caring for the resources of the
environment is something that we can all
do every day.
Connection to the
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
ӹ CCC 293
ӹ CCC 339
ӹ CCC 354
ӹ CCC 1147
ӹ CCC 2405
ӹ CCC 2415-1418
Vocabulary
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Observe
Creation
Natural Resources
Conserve
BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONES
God looked at everything he had made, and found
it very good.
GENESIS 1:31
All things came to be through him, and without
him nothing came to be.
JOHN 1:3
45

Lesson Plan
Materials
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Handout A: St. Francis Journal
Teacher Resource: Oil Spill Experiment Instructions (materials listed on
resource page)
Saint Cards
DAY ONE
Warm-Up
A. Allow students to have a show-and-tell time. Ask them to bring in a material possession that
means a lot to them. Give each student an opportunity to talk about the item and why it
matters so much to him or her.
ӹ
Adaptation: If bringing in items will not work, ask students either to talk about a material
possession that means a lot to them or to draw a picture of it and then explain in the same
way they would if they had the object in the classroom.
B. After all your students have had a chance to share, ask them the following questions:
ӹ
ӹ
How would you feel if this item were broken, stolen, dirty, or mistreated in some way?
How would you feel if you realized that the person who mistreated it was someone you love
very much? How much more would that hurt you or surprise you?
C. Explain to your students that the earth is something that God loves, much as they love their
special item. We are called to take care of the earth, because we love God and He loves us!
Activity
A. Make and distribute enough copies of Handout A: St. Francis Journal for each student. They
will be using this journal throughout the entire set of lessons.
B. Have your students gather around a table (they should leave their St. Francis Journals at their
desks for now) on which you will perform the experiment explained in Teacher Resource: Oil
Spill Experiment Instructions (page 58 in this guide). Conduct the experiment as outlined.
Formative Assessment
After observing the oil-spill experiment, students should return to their seats to complete the Oil
Spill Experiment (page 50) pages in their St. Francis Journals. Allow students to share their
observations with the class.
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LESSON PLAN
DAY TWO
Warm-Up
A. Have your students turn to God’s Creation in their St. Francis Journal.
B. Read Genesis 1:1-31 aloud. Ask your students to write down everything they hear that God
created as you read the story. You may need to read the passage twice to give your students a
chance to compile a more complete list.
C. After you have finished reading, create a class list on the board. Call on students to name the
things that God created. Allow your students to write on their worksheet the parts of creation
that they may have missed so their list is complete. Explain that they will be using this list later
in the lesson.
Activity
A. Make a special note of the name of your students’ journal, the “St. Francis Journal.” Distribute to
each student the St. Francis of Assisi Saint Card downloaded from SophiaInstituteforTeachers.
org/SpiritofTruthSupplements (or read the card aloud) to give them some background on
St. Francis: he is well known for respecting and loving all of God’s creation in nature. He would
even talk to the birds and often heard God’s voice just by appreciating all of the beautiful parts
of creation around him.
B. Have your students turn to Natural Resources (page 53) in their St. Francis Journal. Explain
that the items listed on the page are natural resources. From these resources we can make
everything else! Make sure the students understand where they might see each resource in
their own lives, homes, school, and so forth.
C. Have your students choose something from the list of things God made in creation or from the
natural resource list to try to conserve when they go home today. Explain to your students that
to conserve means to protect something from harm or destruction. Have them then turn to
My Plan of Action in their St. Francis Journal. Walk students through the page, and encourage
them to decide on something they can do at home to care for some part of creation or a natural
resource better than they usually do. Give your students time to respond to the questions on
the page.
Note: If your students are struggling for ideas, suggest some of the following: turn off the water
while brushing your teeth, take your pet for a walk, clean up trash from your yard or street, plant
something, turn off the lights when you are not using them, recycle plastics/paper/aluminum, and
so forth.
Formative Assessment
Ask your students, for “homework,” to try their new plan of conservation at home. Tell them that,
during the next lesson, they will be asked to share how their conservation plan went.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, Lesson 4 47

LESSON PLAN
DAY THREE
Warm-Up
A. Have your students turn to My Plan Played Out in their St. Francis Journal. Walk them
through filling out this page, and then call on a few students to share how their conservation/
appreciation efforts went.
B. As students are sharing, make a class list of their conservation efforts on the board.
C. Challenge them to pick something they liked that another of their classmates tried and try it for
fun at home tonight.
Activity
A. Take your students on a walk around your school grounds. Ask them to bring their St. Francis
Journal and a pencil along with them.
Note: If weather does not permit an actual walk around the school grounds, go somewhere in the
building where students can see outside through windows and observe God’s creation around their
everyday environment.
B. As you walk together, pause a few times to let students either write about or draw what they
observe around the school on My Observations. Explain that God created everything simply
because He loves them.
C. If weather permits, stay outside for this last part of the lesson. If not, return to your classroom
and explain to your students that you are going to pray together as a class to thank God for what
you observed when walking around. All students will get a chance to say out loud their favorite
part of creation or natural resource they observed while walking around. Have your students
repeat after you (or project on the board if you are in the classroom) the following prayer:
Heavenly Father, we want to say thank you for all of the ways that you have made our earth
so beautiful simply because you love us. We each want to take a moment to thank you by
naming something we observed today (allow students to share out loud). Thank you, God,
for all of these parts of creation. We ask you for the strength to love you more by taking care
of the gifts you have given us. Amen.
Assessment
Assign students to do the same thing at home that they just did on their observation walk: observe
God’s creation there. Ask them to record their observations on God’s Creation at Home (page
57) or write it down on notebook paper and bring it to class the next day. Make sure they write
a prayer thanking God for His creation, naming as many specific resources or gifts of creation they
observed at home as they can.
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HANDOUT A
St. Francis Journal
___________________________________________
NAME
© SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS 49

Oil Spill Experiment
Directions: Answer the questions below about the oil spill experiment. Share
your observations with the class.
1. What did you observe when the oil was first poured into the water?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What happened to the oil and water after the waves formed?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What happened to the marine life/feathers after the oil moved around?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
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If conducting the optional additional experiment:
1. What different cleaning methods did your class use to try to clean up the
marine life and/or feathers?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What seemed to work the best?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What was surprising to you about this cleaning process?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
© SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS 51

God’s Creation
As your teacher reads the passage from Genesis, listen
for the things God created. List them all below and
create a drawing of them on the right side of the page.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
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Natural Resources
Air
Water
Soil
Plants
Animals
Fossil Fuels
Minerals
© SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS 53

My Plan of Action
Directions: Choose a natural resource that you can conserve at home, and
construct a plan of action by answering the questions below.
1. Which part of God’s creation or which natural resource are you going to
conserve or appreciate when you go home today?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What do you plan to do?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Why are you choosing this part of creation or this natural resource to do
something about today?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
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My Plan Played Out
Directions: Answer the questions below about your conservation efforts.
1. What did you choose to do to appreciate or conserve God’s creation or a
natural resource at your home yesterday?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Was this hard for you to do? Why or why not?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Challenge: After hearing your classmates’ ideas, which additional idea will
you try today?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
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My Observations
As you walk around your school or look out the windows, draw or write
everything you observe that you know God made for you to enjoy:
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God’s Creation at Home
1. As you observe the world around your home, write down what you
observe that God created just for you to enjoy and appreciate:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Write a prayer below that you can say each night to thank God for these
specific gifts of His creation.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
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© SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS 57

Oil Spill Experiment Instructions
TEACHER RESOURCE
Materials Needed
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Glass jar (large)
Distilled water (enough to fill half the jar)
Blue food coloring
Cooking oil (mix well with cocoa powder to
simulate oil, optional)
Rubber duck (or other bath toy to represent
wildlife) or feathers
Optional Materials Needed
(for Additional Experiment)
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Paper towel
Cotton balls
Rag
Sponge
Liquid dishwashing detergent
Procedure
1. Have students gather in an area in which they can all observe the glass jar.
2. Fill half of the jar with distilled water. Add the blue food coloring (to mimic the color of the
ocean).
3. Add the bath toys and allow them to float freely.
4. Pour in the oil, carefully avoiding the “marine life” bath toys. Make sure students see how the
water and oil look before the next step.
5. Now, create “waves” in your “ocean” by gently swaying the water around, making sure the oil
comes in contact with the “marine life.” Tell students to observe what is happening to the bath
toys when the oil starts touching them.
6. Explain to students that this is something that really happens in our oceans! Big ships carrying
oil sometimes leak or sink and spill oil into the ocean, killing wildlife.
Additional Experiment (optional)
1. If you want to see what a long process it is to clean up an oil spill, try to clean up parts of the
water or bath toys with a variety of absorbents, such as paper towels, cotton balls, a rag, a
sponge, or liquid dishwashing detergent.
2. Take turns placing some of the absorbents in the middle of the “oil spill” to see how effective
each method is in cleaning up the mess.
3. After trying many, the students will observe that it takes a lot of effort and work to clean up
even a small oil spill. Make the point that, even though it is hard, it is important that we make
sure to take this kind of responsibility seriously to respect God’s creation!
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Exploring the Corporal and Spiritual
Works of Mercy with Sacred Art
LESSON 5
Suggested Grade Levels
ӹ
3rd–5th grade
Learning Goals
ӹ
Jesus gives us a model for living the
Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.
Connection to the
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
ӹ CCC 2447
BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONES
[N]ot because of any righteous deeds we had
done but because of his mercy, he saved us
through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the
holy Spirit.
TITUS 3:5
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus
answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you
do not understand now, but you will understand
later.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my
feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you
will have no inheritance with me.” Simon Peter
said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but
my hands and head as well.”
JOHN 13:6-9
59

Lesson Plan
Materials
ӹ
ӹ
Handout A: Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet
Handout B: Foot Washing
DAY ONE
Warm-Up
A. Project an image of the painting of Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet (Handout A). Give students
several minutes to quietly view the art before you say or ask anything. Allow them to come up
and stand closer to the image to examine details.
B. Once several minutes have passed, ask:
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
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What do you first notice about this work of art?
What do you like about this work of art?
How does this work of art make you feel?
How do the colors in the work of art draw your eye?
What is happening in this picture?
Give students a little background on the practice of foot washing; for example:
• In ancient times, having your guests’ feet washed was a way to show them honor.
• Foot washing was commonly practiced in desert climates, where sandals were the usual
footwear.
• In these climates, water was rare and precious, yet gracious hosts offered it to their
guests.
• The lowest servant in the household was expected to wash the feet of guests.
Activity
Put students in small groups and distribute a copy of Handout A: Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet. Have
them discuss the questions with each other. During this time, focus on keeping students intent on
the artwork and the discussion questions, letting their conversations go in unexpected ways.
Formative Assessment
A. Circulate among the groups, listening to their discussions, keeping them on task, and offering
insights or clarification where needed.
B. Before moving on to the next activity, have each group write one question they would ask the
artist about his painting and turn it in.
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LESSON PLAN
DAY TWO
Warm-Up
Project once again an image of Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet and read aloud a few of the most
interesting questions offered by the student groups the previous day. Allow students to share their
reactions and other personal responses to the art.
Activity and Formative Assessment
A. Ask students to refer to Handout A: Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet, and have them skim over the
questions they discussed the previous day. Then call on groups in turn to share their answers to
each of the questions.
B. Display the image on Handout B: Foot Washing. Ask students to compare this image with the
Brown painting. As a class, discuss the following questions:
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
What is the pope’s role in the Church?
Why would he imitate Jesus this way?
Whose feet is Pope Francis washing?
Why would the pope wash the feet of prisoners?
C. For homework, have students ask their parents to help them locate and bring in an image of a
pope doing any of the following things:
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Caring for a sick person
Visiting the imprisoned
Feeding the hungry
Helping the poor
Comforting someone
DAY THREE
Warm-Up
A. Have students share the pictures they brought in for homework and explain what is happening
in the pictures. When they are done, they should affix the pictures to a bulletin board or
another display area.
B. Discuss how the pope is Christ’s representative on Earth and is called to imitate Christ in a
special way. Then ask: “Are only priests and religious called to be like Christ?” Of course the
answer is no: we are all called to live as Christ did. In this unit we will study closely what that
means.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, Lesson 5 61

HANDOUT A
Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet
BY FORD MADOX BROWN (1856)
City of Manchester Art Galleries, Manchester, UK.
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HANDOUT A
Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet
Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet, by Ford Madox Brown (1856)
Directions: Take some time to quietly view and reflect on the art. Let yourself be inspired
in any way that happens naturally. Then think about the questions below, and
discuss them with your classmates.
Conversation Questions
1. Who is the man kneeling?
2. What is He doing?
3. Who is the man whose feet are being washed?
4. Who are the people in the background? Where does this scene take place?
5. What event in the Bible does this painting show us?
6. Read John 13:1-20. How does this painting help you understand these verses?
7. Why is Peter surprised that Jesus would wash his feet?
8. How does Jesus respond to Peter’s surprise?
9. What does Jesus tell the disciples in verses 14-15? What are some things He models in
this Gospel?
10. Should we understand the words wash and clean in these verses in a strictly literal
sense? In other words, might they mean something else in addition to their ordinary
meanings? How does Jesus “wash” us? How does He make us “clean”?
© SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS 63

HANDOUT B
Foot Washing
Directions:
Look at the image and answer the questions below.
1. Who is the man kneeling?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How does this image compare with the painting Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet by Ford
Madox Brown?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
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Answer Key
Handout A: Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet
1. Jesus Christ
2. Washing the feet of a man
3. St. Peter
4. The Apostles in the Upper Room at the Last Supper
5. Jesus washing the Apostles’ feet on Holy Thursday
6. Accept reasoned answers.
7. Because he knows that Jesus is God the Son; only lowly servants were expected to wash feet.
8. Unless Peter is washed by Jesus, Peter will not go to Heaven.
9. Jesus tells them that He has given them an example to follow. He models servant leadership,
humility, unconditional love, and mercy. Accept additional reasoned answers.
10. These words remind us how Jesus cleanses our souls of sin. Students may make connections to
the Sacraments of Baptism and Confession and the use of holy water and sacred chrism.
Handout B: Foot Washing
1. Pope Francis
2. Accept reasoned answers
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 5 65

Notes
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Introduction to the Corporal and
Spiritual Works of Mercy
LESSON 6
Suggested Grade Levels
ӹ
3rd–5th grade
Learning Goals
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ӹ
Works of Mercy are concrete ways in
which we can live out our Faith.
There are seven Corporal and seven
Spiritual Works of Mercy.
In Scripture, Christ not only instructs us
on what the acts of mercy are; He also
provides examples in His ministry.
As Catholics, we are called to be Christ in
the world and build His Kingdom through
our actions.
Connection to the
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
ӹ CCC 1966 – 1970
ӹ CCC 2447
Vocabulary
ӹ Corporal
ӹ Mercy
ӹ Spiritual
BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONES
Lord, You are good and forgiving, most merciful
to all who call on You.
PSALMS 65:5
Do to others whatever you would have them do
to you. This is the law and the prophets.
MATTHEW 7:12
67

Lesson Plan
Materials
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Handout A: Hunter’s Story — “Coming Home”
Handout B: The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
DAY ONE
Warm-Up
A. Explain that from what something is, we can tell what we ought to do. For example, say: “A man
is hungry. We ought to feed him,” or “A child is being bullied. We ought to stand up for him.”
B. Call on a student to offer an original “is” statement, and then call on the next student to say the
corresponding “ought” statement. Go around the room, alternating between “is” and “ought.” If
students struggle to come up with original statements, you could offer:
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A man is drowning, and you have a life preserver./You ought to throw it to him.
A new student at your school is lonely./You ought to welcome him.
A friend is struggling in math, and you are good at math./You ought to help him.
A man is dying of thirst./You ought to give him water.
An elderly person is walking onto a crowded bus./You ought to give that person your seat.
A friend is sick in the hospital./You ought to visit and cheer up your friend.
C. When it becomes your turn, make the statement: “You are created in God’s image and likeness.”
D. The class’s response should be something to the effect of, “We ought to live as the Lord lives.”
E. Ask students to volunteer some things they know about how Jesus lived. Accept reasoned
answers that evidence Jesus’ self-giving love and sacrifice on the Cross for our salvation. Lead
students to the conclusion that in addition to suffering death, Jesus gave us many concrete
examples of how to show love to one another. We will study those in this unit and learn about
how we can live them ourselves.
Activity
Distribute copies of Handout A: Hunter’s Story — “Coming Home” to each student and have them
read the story and answer the questions.
Formative Assessment
A. Have a student summarize the story.
B. Invite students to share their responses to questions 2 and 3. As they do so, record the answers
in two columns on the board: “Needs” and “How someone could answer those needs.”
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LESSON PLAN
C. Ask students to connect the needs from the first column with the concrete acts in the second
column (e.g., the need for food; soup kitchen).
D. Transition the conversation toward why we act charitably. Encourage students to connect this
activity to Jesus’ teachings: the greatest commandment, to love one another as He has loved us.
DAY TWO
Warm-Up
A. Ask students to recall “Hunter’s Story” from yesterday’s lesson, then ask whether they think there
was anything mysterious about determining what Hunter needed and how someone could meet
those needs. Students should respond that it was not a difficult process.
B. Tell students how through the gift of our consciences, God has written His law on our hearts.
If we listen to God’s voice in quiet and stillness, He will help us live out His mercy and love each
other as He has loved us.
Activity
A. Distribute and have students complete Handout B: The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
individually. They should then pair up and discuss their responses.
B. Call on a few students to share their responses with the class, providing correction as needed.
C. Ask again if there are any of the Works of Mercy that are mysterious or hard to figure out?
Aren’t these all what we would want someone to do for us if we needed them to?”
D. Write on the board the Golden Rule that Jesus gives us in Matthew 7:12:
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.”
E. Connect Jesus’ teaching to the Works of Mercy, reminding students that the Church believes
these works to be essential to the Christian life
DAY THREE
Warm-Up
A. Go around the room and have each student draw a slip from the shoe box or container with
the students’ definitions of mercy . Ask them to consider whether the definition fits with the
one they had in mind. Call on a few students to read their definitions aloud and comment on
whether they think the definition is correct and complete.
B. Write on the board the definition of mercy provided in the glossary of the Catechism of the
Catholic Church:
Mercy: The loving kindness, compassion, or forbearance shown to one who offends.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 6 69

LESSON PLAN
C. You might simplify this definition by explaining that mercy is love that keeps on loving even
when it is rejected. When we sin, we reject God, but He never stops loving us. His mercy (or His
love) is infinite. This is how we are called to love as Christians.
D. Explain that the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy are charitable acts we can do for our
neighbors. As Catholics, we are called to be Christ in the world and build His Kingdom through
our actions. We love God above all, and we love one another as God has loved us.
Activity and Assessment
A. Give students a few minutes to practice writing out the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
on their own papers.
B. After a few minutes, call on students one at a time to write one Work of Mercy on the board
(without peeking at their papers!) until you’ve completed the full lists.
ӹ
If time permits, conclude by having students draw a picture of their favorite Work of Mercy.
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HANDOUT A
Hunter’s Story — “Coming Home”
Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions below.
Hurricane Katrina struck Biloxi,
Mississippi on Monday, August 29,
2005. Before it hit, our family decided
to pack up some things and leave to
stay with relatives away from the coast.
When we left our house, the water
was already covering the street. We
didn’t think the water would rise any
higher — it hadn’t ever in history. We
were wrong.
After the storm, my mom and dad and I
returned home to the back bay in Biloxi.
As we drove down the streets, we saw
houses pulled off their foundations and
fishing boats sitting in trees. I heard
that my school downtown had been
flooded with over 17 feet of water and
would not be able to reopen. As we
pulled into our neighborhood, my house
looked almost perfect. A window had
blown out in the front. Had we been
spared the worst?
I hopped out of our Jeep, my dog, JP,
trailing close behind me. We walked
through our yard to get out of the hot
sun. As I opened the door to our home,
© SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS 71

it was clear that my life had changed
forever. During the storm, several feet
of muddy water had filled the entire
house, destroying nearly everything. As
the water left the house, it dragged all
our clothes, photographs, and furniture
out with it. We found some things in our
backyard or at the bottom of the canal
that ran behind our house. The items
were too broken to be worth saving.
Most of our things were lost forever.
In the weeks that followed, we worked
from sunup to sundown in extreme heat
emptying our house of the muck and
debris. For about two weeks, there was
no electricity, and it was even longer
before we had running water. The
government made everyone live under
a curfew because without lights on the
streets — and with most streets filled
with wrecked homes and businesses — it
was too dangerous to drive anywhere.
Wallowing in pity was not an option.
You have to want to help yourself get
back up. I didn’t have time to think
about anything else. Life moved pretty
fast after that.
Focus Questions
1. What happened to Hunter’s home?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What does Hunter need?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
3. How could someone answer those needs?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
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HANDOUT B
The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
Directions: Read the Works of Mercy, looking up any words you don’t know. Then
write them out on the lines provided. Finally, answer the questions
that follow.
The Corporal Works of Mercy are:
Write the Corporal Works of Mercy:
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Feed the hungry.
Give drink to the thirsty.
Clothe the naked.
Shelter the homeless.
Visit the sick.
Visit the imprisoned.
Bury the dead.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
The Spiritual Works of Mercy are:
Write the Spiritual Works of Mercy:
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Instruct the ignorant.
Counsel the doubtful.
Admonish the sinner.
Bear wrongs patiently.
Forgive offenses willingly.
Comfort the afflicted.
Pray for the living and the dead.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
© SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS 73

Focus Questions
1. What does corporal mean?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What does spiritual mean?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What does mercy mean?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
4. From where do we get these lists of Works of Mercy?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Reflection Question
Why do we need both Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy? Why
wouldn’t one or the other be enough?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
The Works of Mercy are not optional but are absolutely essential to
living the Christian life of holiness and goodness.
CCC 2447
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Answer Key
Handout A: Hunter’s Story — “Coming Home”
1. Hunter’s home was destroyed by the hurricane, and he lost everything.
2. Hunter needs shelter, clothing, food, and drink.
3. Students might offer: a refugee center, a soup kitchen, or a food bank, or people might donate
food, clothing, money, and their own service to support agencies or provide direct assistance.
Handout B: The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
1. Relating to the body
2. Relating to the soul
3. Mercy is love shown to someone who rejects that love.
4. From the teachings and example of Jesus Christ.
Reflection Question: Accept reasoned answers.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 6 75

Notes
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Jesus Teaches Us How to Live
the Corporal Works of Mercy
LESSON 7
Suggested Grade Levels
ӹ
3rd–5th grade
Learning Goals
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ӹ
ӹ
We must be open to God’s saving love and
keep His commandments if we want to
have eternal life.
He has commanded us to love one
another as He has loved us.
Works of Mercy are concrete ways in
which we can love one another as Jesus
loved us.
Christ not only instructs us on what
the acts of mercy are; He also provides
examples in His ministry.
As Catholics, we are called to be Christ in
the world and build His Kingdom through
our actions.
Connection to the
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
ӹ CCC 1966 – 1970
ӹ CCC 2447
BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONES
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger
and abounding in mercy.
PSALMS 145:8
Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of
these least brothers of mine, you did for me.
MATTHEW 25:40
77

Lesson Plan
Materials
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ӹ
Handout A: Note-Taking Aid
Teacher Resource: Christ Our
ӹ
Blank paper, colored pencils,
markers
Teacher
ӹ
Optional: Computers/iPads
ӹ
Saint Cards
DAY ONE
Warm-Up
In an interactive discussion where you allow students to jump in with answers as you speak, go over
the meaning of the New Commandment. For example:
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
God is love. Jesus gave us the New Commandment to love who? One another.
Should we love our neighbor as long as he is not annoying us, or as long as he looks the same
as we do, or as long as we feel lovingly towards him? No.
How does Jesus commands to love one another? As He has loved us.
Activity
A. Explain that Jesus’ earthly ministry is full of examples of what it means to love one another. If
we imitate Jesus, we are building His Kingdom in the world. This is what we are called to do as
Christians. The Works of Mercy are essential to the Christian life.
B. Read Matthew 25:31-46 as students follow along in their Bibles.
C. Prepare to read the passage aloud again, and this time give students a copy of Handout A: Note-
Taking Aid.
D. Have students write down the Corporal Works of Mercy as you read.
E. Discuss how, since each human being has dignity as the image and likeness of God, when we
help or do not help someone, we are helping or ignoring Christ.
F. Students might wrongly object that “not helping” is not an action and therefore cannot be
sinful. Have a brief discussion about acts of omission — if you choose not to help someone, you
are in fact choosing to ignore him.
Formative Assessment
Have students respond to the questions on the bottom of Handout A: Note-Taking Aid.
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LESSON PLAN
DAY TWO
Warm-Up
A. Have students call out the seven Corporal Works of Mercy as you write them on the board.
B. Recall yesterday’s Scripture reading and explain that Jesus not only stated the Works of Mercy
but also provided examples by doing them Himself.
C. Demonstrate looking up a Scripture passage, reading it, and identifying which Corporal Work(s)
of Mercy is illustrated.
ӹ Passage: Mark 5:22-24, 35-42 or Luke 8:41-42, 49-55.
ӹ
ӹ
Summary: Jesus comforts Jairus and his family.
Work: Comfort the afflicted, bury the dead.
Activity
A. Give each student one of the three cards on Teacher Resource: Christ Our Teacher (page 83
in this guide) to complete independently.
B. Circulate around the room to offer assistance with looking up and interpreting passages.
C. Select students to share their responses with the class. Summarize the passage and identify the
Corporal Work of Mercy.
Formative Assessment
A. Select and distribute appropriate Saint Cards from those available at SophiaOnline.org/SaintCards.
Choose several saints who performed Works of Mercy, such as Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta,
Bl. Miguel Pro, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and others. You could read their stories aloud or have
students explore them in small groups.
B. Have students write on an index card, in response to the reading:
ӹ
ӹ
How this saint performed Works of Mercy
Two or three ways in which they themselves can live out that act in their community
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 7 79

LESSON PLAN
DAY THREE
Warm-Up
Prepare a Corporal Works of Mercy bulletin board. Read a few responses from the index cards
from the last class. Then, as a class, identify a corporal work of mercy students could complete that
would engage the whole class or school (e.g., a food or clothing drive, illustrating place mats for a
nursing home, or assembling kits for a homeless shelter).
Activity and Assessment
A. Have students select one of the Scripture passages that they read (or another that illustrates
the work of mercy the class has chosen) and illustrate it. Above the image, students should
write the Scripture reference. Beneath the image, students should summarize the Scripture
passage and identify the corporal work of mercy.
B. Alternatively, you may give students time with computers or iPads to find portrayals of
their selected biblical passage in a work of fine art that could be displayed with their
commentary — creating a gallery of sorts.
C. When completed, the bulletin board will provide not only artworks generated or located by
students but also information about the agency or people served and how students might
participate in this event.
Send home the following note:
Dear parents,
Your child has identified a corporal act of mercy to carry out in his/her community. Please
help your child to accomplish this goal or another act of mercy and talk about the experience.
Then help your child think of some other ways in which he or she might perform corporal acts
of mercy in your neighborhood and parish community.
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HANDOUT A
Note-Taking Aid
Directions:
Listen as your teacher reads aloud from Matthew’s Gospel. Write out the
Corporal Works of Mercy on the lines below:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. How would you describe Jesus’ tone in this passage? (Tone means a speaker’s attitude
toward his subject.) Does it sound as if Jesus is teaching us something optional or
something very serious? How do you know?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. At Holy Mass, we ask forgiveness for what we have done, as well as for what we have
failed to do. Can we love God if we fail to do Works of Mercy for our neighbors?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What do you think Jesus means by “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of
these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40)?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
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Reflection Question
Have you ever performed any of the Works of Mercy that Jesus describes? Has
anyone ever done them for you? Tell a story about that time on your own paper.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
But you, brothers, do not be remiss in doing good.
2 THESSALONIANS 3:13
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Christ Our Teacher
TEACHER RESOURCE
Teacher Note:
Differentiate the lesson by offering different versions to different students.
Version 3 is more challenging than versions 1 and 2.
1
Directions
1. Look up the Bible passage and read it.
2. Write a 2-3 sentence summary of the passage.
3. Identify the Corporal Work of Mercy referenced in the passage.
Passages
A. Luke 18:35-43 _____________________________________________________________
B. Matthew 14:15-21__________________________________________________________
2
Directions
3. Look up the Bible passage and read it.
4. Write a 2-3 sentence summary of the passage.
5. Identify the Corporal Work of Mercy referenced in the passage.
Passages
A. Luke 10:29-37 _____________________________________________________________
B. Matthew 8:1-3_____________________________________________________________
3
Directions
3. Look up the Bible passage and read it.
4. Write a 2-3 sentence summary of the passage.
5. Identify the Corporal Work of Mercy referenced in the passage.
Passages
A. Mark 5:2-15________________________________________________________________
B. John 8:1-11_________________________________________________________________
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 7 83

Answer Key
Handout A: Note-Taking Aid
1. He sounds serious, as He is talking about what will happen to souls at the end of the world.
Accept reasoned answers.
2. No. Jesus is very clear that how we treat those in need is how we treat Him.
3. How we treat the poor, the hungry, the lonely, those people the world considers “least” is how
we treat Him.
Reflection Question: Accept reasoned answers.
Teacher Resource: Christ Our Teacher
Version 1
ӹ
ӹ
Luke 18: 35-43: Visit the sick. Jesus speaks with a blind beggar even though others ignore the
man. Jesus heals the beggar of his blindness.
Matthew 14:15-21: Feed the hungry. Jesus had many people following him, and they are growing
hungry. Jesus provides food for them in the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
Version 2
ӹ
ӹ
Luke 10: 29-37: Shelter the homeless; also, visit the sick, feed the hungry. In the parable of the
good Samaritan, the Samaritan helps the man and brings him to an inn to care for him when
others would not do so.
Matthew 8: 1-3: Visit the sick. Jesus was asked to heal a leper. Jesus did so when others in His
society would not even consider touching someone with leprosy.
Version 3
ӹ
ӹ
Mark 5: 2-15: Visit the sick. Jesus visits the sick—in this case someone who is mentally ill and
possessed by demons. Christ offers comfort to him and heals him of his affliction.
John 8: 1-11: Visit the imprisoned. A woman has broken a law and is condemned to death. Jesus
forgives her and asks her accusers if they have ever committed a sin.
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The Human Person, Made in the
Image and Likeness of God
LESSON 8
Suggested Grade Levels
ӹ
5th–8th grade
Learning Goals
ӹ
ӹ
Every human being possesses intrinsic dignity
because he or she is made in God’s image and
likeness.
Being created in the image and likeness of a
Trinitarian God means that we are made for
communion with others. This should manifest
itself in a sense of fraternity toward all persons.
Connection to the
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
ӹ CCC 355-360
ӹ CCC 1691
ӹ CCC 1701-1709
ӹ CCC 1878-1885
ӹ CCC 2777-2785
Vocabulary
Prayer for the Lesson
Lead your students in praying the Glory Be each day
of the lesson:
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the
Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now, and
ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Explain, that, though this is a simple prayer, it is a
great way for us to glorify God, who made all good
things, including each one of us, whom He made in
His image and likeness.
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Dignity
Self-Knowledge
Self-Possession
Self-Gift
BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONES
God created mankind in his image; in the image of
God he created them; male and female he created
them.
GENESIS 1:27
See what love the Father has bestowed on us that
we may be called the children of God. Yet so we
are.
1 JOHN 3:1
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Lesson Plan
Materials
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Handout A: The Dignity of the Human Person
Handout B: Made for Communion
Connection to a local organization that serves a neglected or marginalized
group (e.g., a nursing home, homeless shelter, children’s hospital)
Construction paper and markers/and or colored pencils
DAY ONE
Warm-Up
A. Read the story of creation from Genesis 1 aloud to your students, or, if Bibles are available, have
all students follow along or take turns reading aloud. After reading, acknowledge that this is a
familiar story with a familiar pattern. Then ask your students the following questions.
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
What happens at the end of each of the first five days of creation? God looks at what He
made and calls it good.
What’s different about the sixth day of creation? God calls it very good.
The sixth day is the day God created man and woman. Something about that creation is
different, right? What is it? God makes man and woman in His image and likeness.
B. Explain to your students that this teaching — being made in the image and likeness of God — is
foundational for our understanding of who we are. If we really believe that every single person
is made in God’s image, we must live our lives accordingly.
Activity
A. Explain to your students that before we look at how we are to live our lives we need to
understand what it means to be made like God. Distribute a copy of Handout A: The Dignity of
the Human Person to each student. Have them read the text and answer the focus questions,
or read and discuss the activity together as a class.
B. When they have finished, review and discuss the correct answers.
Formative Assessment
A. Read aloud the following statements and have your students assess whether the persons being
spoken of are being viewed with dignity. Have students raise their hands if the answer is yes.
Call on a student who “voted” for the correct answer to explain his or her reasoning.
ӹ
ӹ
Gus says such stupid things all the time. Yeah, I make fun of him, but he brings it on himself.
No — Gus is seen as less valuable because of his comments.
I like to volunteer at the food pantry. The people who come through don’t have much, but
they should still be treated with respect. Yes — the persons are valued despite their income level.
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LESSON PLAN
ӹ
ӹ
Jenny sits alone at lunch every day. No one makes fun of her, but no one goes and sits with
her either or invites her to sit with them. No – Jenny is seen as not valuable enough to include
at the lunch table.
Older students only: Melissa discovers that she is pregnant. She is unmarried and works
two jobs to pay her bills. She and her boyfriend are considering getting an abortion. No –
Melissa and her boyfriend are not valuing the life of their unborn child, which has dignity and
value regardless of her parents’ income level.
B. Project the following prayer on the board and pray together:
Dear God, thank you for creating us out of love. Thank you for making us in your image
and likeness. Thank you for creating each of us as someone, not something. Help us to
know that we are loved by you. We pray for those who do not see themselves as valuable
or worthy of love. Help them to know that you love them, and help us to treat each person
according to his or her dignity. Help us to show each person we meet today the love he or
she deserves. Amen.
DAY TWO
Warm-Up
A. Show students the one-minute video “Our Deepest Identity” found at SophiaOnline.org/
DeepestIdentity.
B. After the video is over, ask students what they thought the main idea was. Possible answers: we
need other people, we can help each other, we’re not alone, etc.
Activity
A. Begin with a review of the previous day’s lesson and a review of many years of past religious
classes by asking the following questions:
ӹ
ӹ
Yesterday we talked about how we are made as human beings. What do you remember?
Possible answers: our dignity, image and likeness of God, our value doesn’t depend on anything
besides God’s love. Draw out the “image and likeness of God” idea specifically.
What do we do before every prayer? Make the Sign of the Cross.
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
What does the Sign of the Cross symbolize? Students might mention the Cross of Jesus, but draw
out the idea of the Trinity.
What is the Trinity? Three Persons in one God.
If we are made in the image and likeness of God and God is a Trinity of persons, what does that
mean for us? We are not made to be alone.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 8 87

LESSON PLAN
B. Explain to your students that as human beings we are made for community. Alone, we are
just one person, but together, we make a community of persons. Give each student a copy of
Handout B: Made for Communion and have them work on it silently, or read and discuss the
activity together as a class. Circulate around the room to ensure understanding and to help with
their lists if needed.
Formative Assessment
When students have finished, review and discuss Handout B: Made for Communion together.
After finishing the discussion on the passage from 1 John, recall your students’ attention to the five
things they listed. Direct students to choose one thing from the list and consider: “If my focus was
on loving the person who helped me, what would my interaction with him or her look like?” With a
partner, have students take turns sharing responses to this question for each person on their list.
DAY THREE
Warm-Up
A. Quiet the class and explain that you are going to begin class with a prayer and that part of the
prayer is a song.
B. Play the song “Sing Over Your Children” by Matt Maher found at SophiaOnline.org/SingOver.
C. When the song is finished, pray aloud the following:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet
so we are (from 1 John 3:1).
God, You have invited us to call You our Father. That makes us brothers and sisters. We pray
together: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come; Thy
will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil. Amen.
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LESSON PLAN
Activity
A. Remind your students how you have been talking a lot about human dignity over the past few
days, and how every person is made in the image and likeness of God. God loves all people; He
wants us all to live as His children, and to go to Heaven. Draw students into conversation with
the following questions.
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Do you think everybody feels as if he or she is a part of the human family?
Who might feel excluded or alone? Possible answers: people without a family, people alone
at nursing homes, homeless people, and so forth. If they struggle to come up with responses,
suggest some of those possible answers yourself.
Think about your own family. Are you allowed to go into your room and ignore everybody,
or do you have responsibilities? Draw out the idea that their immediate family does some
things together; they have some responsibilities to one another.
B. Explain that a family means we are responsible for each other. Bring up the idea of solidarity:
we are all one in Christ. Not only do we recognize that we are one family, but we work toward
the good of others.
C. Tell your students that for this lesson, you wanted to give them an opportunity to show
solidarity with people who might feel excluded from God’s family. Each student will make
a “thinking of you” card for someone at a local organization. If possible, pull up the website
for the organization, such as a nursing home, a hospital, or a homeless shelter that you have
previously selected. Explain the basics of the mission of the organization and show students
some photos.
D. Distribute to each student a piece of construction or drawing paper and make markers and/
or colored pencils available. After you have distributed the supplies, circulate around the
room. As students work, ask questions to determine their exposure to people in need (“Have
you ever volunteered at a place like this?” “Do you know anyone who is lonely?”). Encourage
students to put care and effort into the cards. If students aren’t sure what to write, have a list of
encouraging quotes on hand to get them started.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 8 89

HANDOUT A
The Dignity of the Human Person
Directions:
Read the following and respond to the questions that follow.
We read in Genesis 1:27 that “God created
mankind in his image; in the image
of God he created them; male and female
he created them.” The human person has a
unique place in creation. We were specifically
created by God in His image and likeness.
This is a gift no other creature possesses.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 357
explains this idea more:
Being in the image of God the human
individual possesses the dignity of a
person, who is not just something, but
someone.
What does it mean to have dignity? Dignity is
the unique worth and value that we possess
simply for being human, for being created
like God. In being created like God, we are
capable of certain things that God is capable
of. First of all, we can know ourselves. We can
reflect on our memories, our personality, and
our behavior. Secondly, we have the gift of
free will, meaning we can choose our actions.
Sometimes it might feel as if we are acting
on instinct, such as when we are surprised or
when we are intensely focused on something.
But ultimately, we have control over what we
do. Finally, we are able to give of our time and
our energies to other people out of love. We
call these three things self-knowledge, selfpossession,
and self-gift.
This dignity is something we all have, no
matter what. We are valuable simply because
we exist. God created us out of love, and He
sustains us by His love. That alone gives us our
dignity. Our dignity does not depend on how
popular we are or what we look like. It does
not depend on how much money we have or
what country we were born in. A human life
has dignity from the moment of conception.
Our dignity does not depend on how old we
are, or how sick or close to death we might be.
Our dignity does not depend on any of those
things. It does not even increase because of
the good we do or decrease because of the
mistakes we make. We have dignity simply
because we are created in the image and
likeness of God. Every single person is valuable
because he or she is loved by God.
1. How are human beings created in relation to God?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What do you think it means to be someone rather than something?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
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3. What is self-knowledge? ________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is self-possession?_________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What is self-gift?_________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Where does our dignity come from? ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Where doesn’t our dignity come from? _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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HANDOUT B
Made for Communion
Directions:
Read the information below, then create a list as directed.
Genesis 2 describes the creation of man
and woman in detail. Interestingly, after
God created Adam, He says, “It is not good for
the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18a). God did
not mean we should never be alone, of course.
Sometimes being alone is helpful so we can
rest and gather our thoughts. In the next line
it is made clearer what God meant: “I will
make a helper suited to him” (Genesis 2:18b).
God knew that Adam could not live by himself
on the earth forever. It would be too lonely.
The same truth applies to us today.
1. Think about your week. In the space below, write five things you could not have done this
week if it were not for other people.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
It’s not enough simply to be around people.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 1878
describes the need for unity like this: “There
is a certain resemblance between the unity
of the divine persons and the fraternity that
men are to establish among themselves in
truth and love.”
You may have heard the word fraternity to
describe men’s groups in college. That’s not
what the Catechism is talking about here. The
word fraternity comes from the Latin word
frater, which means “brother.” If we want to
imitate God as a communion of persons, we
need to have a communion with the people
around us, like a family. Another word for this
is solidarity. This is the principle of unity in
Christ among the human race. We recognize
that we are united in one human family, and
we commit ourselves to working toward the
good of others. The Catechism of the Catholic
Church no. 1878 goes on to say this: “Love of
neighbor is inseparable from love for God.”
St. John the Evangelist wrote a letter to an
early Church community and said something
similar: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates
his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does
not love a brother whom he has seen cannot
love God whom he has not seen. This is the
commandment we have from him: whoever
loves God must also love his brother” (1 John
4:20-21).
2. What point do you think John is emphasizing?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Answer Key
Handout A: The Dignity of the Human Person
1. Created in His image and likeness.
2. We each are a person, not an object.
3. Not only self-awareness, but the ability to reflect on who we are (our memories, our
personality, and our behavior, and so forth).
4. Free will, the ability to choose our actions.
5. The ability to give of ourselves (our time, energy, and so forth) to other people out of love.
6. God/God’s love/being created in God’s image and likeness.
7. Any other factor (e.g, wealth, appearance, popularity, good decisions/poor decisions).
Handout B: Made for Communion
1. Possible answers for the list include: driving to school, getting food from the grocery store,
having a house to live in, playing a video game, and so forth. Essentially this is to drive home the
point that everything we do depends on other people in some capacity.
2. Possible answers for John’s point include: that we love God by loving other people; that if we
don’t love other people, we’re not really loving God or living as He does: in love.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, Lesson 8 93

Notes
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Society
LESSON 9
Suggested Grade Levels
ӹ
5th–8th grade
Learning Goals
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Relationships are a necessary and valuable
part of human life.
Relationships help us to understand
ourselves, others, and God better.
Society is a group of persons bound
together organically by a principle of unity
that goes beyond each one of them.
Solidarity is a direct demand of human
and Christian brotherhood, in which we
are called to the distribution of material
and spiritual goods.
Connection to the
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
ӹ CCC 1877-1888
ӹ CCC 1936-1937
ӹ CCC 1939-1942
Vocabulary
ӹ Society
ӹ Solidarity
BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONES
Whoever has two tunics should share with the
person who has none. And whoever has food
should do likewise.
LUKE 3:11
I give you a new commandment: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you also should love one
another. This is how all will know that you are my
disciples, if you have love for one another.
JOHN 13:34-35
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Lesson LESSON PLAN Plan
Materials
ӹ
ӹ
Handout A: Social Experiment
Handout B: Group Activity
ӹ
ӹ
Handout C: Elijah and the Widow
Handout D: Solidarity
DAY ONE
Warm-Up
A. Project Catechism of the Catholic Church nos. 1878-1879, and have a student stand and read
them aloud.
All men are called to the same end: God himself. There is a certain resemblance between the
unity of the divine persons and the fraternity that men are to establish among themselves in
truth and love. Love of neighbor is inseparable from love for God.
The human person needs to live in society. Society is not for him an extraneous addition but
a requirement of his nature. Through the exchange with others, mutual service and dialogue
with his brethren, man develops his potential; he thus responds to his vocation.
B. Lead your class in a discussion about the quotations and what they mean for our relationships.
Use the following questions/topics for discussion.
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
What is the main idea of these paragraphs? Being in relationship with others is an essential
part of being human. The relational nature of man resembles the relational nature of God.
What is meant by “there is a certain resemblance between the unity of the divine persons and
the fraternity that men are to establish among themselves”? God is a Trinity of Persons (Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit) who are in eternal relationship, an eternal exchange of love, with each
other. The relationship human beings are called to have among each other is meant to resemble
God Himself and to be an exchange of love.
Why do you think living in a society is a necessary part of human nature? What do you
predict would happen if humans were isolated? Accept reasoned answers.
What are some examples of how relationships help us to develop our potential? Accept
reasoned answers.
C. Explain to your students the following in a mini-lecture:
A society is a group of persons bound together organically by a principle of unity that goes beyond
each one of them. For example, think of a group of men who belong to a construction company
called on to rebuild after the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City. They are
called to do something that is “bigger” than them. In fact, what they are called to do is bigger than
the sum of them as well. When we come together for a mutual goal, we can accomplish much
more than we could if we were alone. We are all called to give to society in our own unique ways.
Everyone has special gifts and talents to offer.
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LESSON PLAN
Ideally, society develops positive qualities in a person and helps him to grow in self-initiative
and responsibility. Although we do not always see this in our world today, society ought to help
guarantee man his rights.
Each community is defined by its purpose and therefore obeys certain “rules” of that society. For
example, if you join the basketball team, you are expected to show up at all practices and games. If
you are late to practice, the coach might have you run laps. If you don’t follow the rules of double
dribbling or physical contact in a game, you might get kicked out of the game by the referee.
D. Ask your students what other communities or societies they can think of and what rules
are associated with these communities. Why do your students think that specific rules are
necessary for each group? Accept reasoned answers.
Activity
A. Distribute copies of Handout A: Social Experiment to each student. Have them answer the
first set of questions. Then show the video found at the following link: SophiaOnline.org/
SocialExperiment.
B. After the video is finished, have your students answer the next set of questions. Once students
have finished, review and discuss their answers and their reactions to the video.
Formative Assessment
Have your students take some time to think about today’s lesson. Then have them answer the
following questions in a three- to five-sentence paragraph on their own paper:
ӹ
ӹ
What is a society? Give examples.
Why is it important for people to be a part of a community? Give examples.
DAY TWO
Warm-Up
A. Project John 13:34-35, and have a student stand and read it aloud:
I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love
one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
B. Have your students journal on their own paper for 5 to 10 minutes using the following prompts:
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
What do you think Jesus was thinking of when He said this?
Why would it be important for the outside world to see Jesus’ disciples loving one another?
Imagine that you are one of Jesus’ disciples present when He says this. What do you feel or
think when you hear Him say this?
Why is the commandment to “love one another” so counter-cultural today?
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 9 97

LESSON PLAN
Activity
A. Arrange your students in groups of three or four. Distribute Handout B: Group Activity in their
workbooks. (Note: Make sure students do not turn to the page until instructed because this will be
a timed activity.) Explain that each group will need to choose one member to be the writer for
this activity, but all members of the group must contribute to the activity.
B. Once all groups have designated a writer, set a timer for five minutes. When you say “Go,” have
each group turn over their paper and start writing. Have your students STOP and put down their
pencils when the time is up.
C. Have your students leave their papers at their desks and walk around the room with their group
and look at the work of the other groups. They should look to see if other groups had answers
similar to theirs or were able to come up with more examples. When groups have all seen each
other’s work, have your students return to their original desks.
D. Lead your students in a class discussion about the topic of working in a group. Ask the following
questions:
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
What was it like to work in a group?
Was there anything that you noticed about your group? Did anyone find that certain people
took leadership or support roles?
What do you think this activity would have been like if you had done it on your own? Would
you have been able to come up with as many examples?
What did this group activity teach you about being part of a society?
Formative Assessment
Have your students take some time to think about today’s lesson. Then have them answer the
following questions in a three- to five-sentence paragraph on their own paper:
ӹ
ӹ
Why is it important for a Christian community to be and look different from other
communities?
What do you think the ideal Christian community should look like?
DAY THREE
Warm-Up
A. Arrange your students in pairs or trios. Distribute copies of Handout C: Elijah and the Widow.
Have each group read the Old Testament story of Elijah’s visit to the widow in 1 Kings 17:7-16 and
then discuss and answer the questions.
B. When your students have completed Handout C: Elijah and the Widow, call on groups to share
some of their answers.
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C. Next explain the following to your students in a mini-lecture:
The principle of solidarity (or “social charity” or “friendship”) is a direct demand of human and
Christian brotherhood. We all have the same origin. We are all made in the image and likeness of
God. This origin brings us together as a society of people sealed by the sacrifice of Christ.
Solidarity is made known by the distribution of material and spiritual goods. As Christians, we are
called to give to those who have nothing. Jesus said, “Whoever has two tunics should share with
the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise” (Luke 3:11). And He commands
us, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
Solidarity “also presupposes the effort for a more just social order” in which tensions are more
easily reduced and “conflicts more readily settled by negotiation” (CCC 1940). Therefore, each small
(and large) community should be able to resolve problems within themselves. “If your brother sins
[against you], go and tell him his fault between you and him alone” (Matthew 18:15).
Activity
A. Distribute copies of Handout D: Solidarity and explain that you are going to show two video
clips, each pertaining to a set of questions on the page.
B. Project the first video, “Les Misérables — Look Down” found at SophiaOnline.org/
LesMisLookDown (or show the first 3:42 of the film Les Misérables from the DVD). After viewing
the clip, have your students answer the “Part I” questions on Solidarity.
C. After your students have completed “Part I,” project the second video, “Les Misérables (Look
Down)” found at SophiaOnline.org/LesMisLookDownBeggars (or show the segment from
scene 10, 1:06:43-1:09:33 of the film Les Misérables from the DVD). After viewing the clip, have
your students answer the “Part II” questions on Solidarity.
D. When your students have completed both sections of the worksheet, review and discuss their
answers as a class.
Assessment
On their own paper, have your students write two five- to seven-sentence paragraphs about what
they have learned in this lesson on society. Students must use examples from Scripture, their own
lives, and society. They may use their notes and their Bibles, as well as references to any videos and
stories shared in class.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 9 99

HANDOUT A
Social Experiment
Directions:
Answer the first set of questions below before you watch the video. Then, after
watching the video, answer the next set of questions.
Part I: Answer these questions before watching the video.
1. What do you think binds us together as human persons?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Do you think there are any groups of people who are outcasts of society in America? Who?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What do you think happens when we mistreat people who are on the margins of society?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What would you do if you won the lottery?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Part II: Answer these questions after watching the video.
1. What was your reaction to the video?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What was the difference between the first set of men who were interviewed and the last
three men who spoke?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Why do you think it is important to give back to the less fortunate in our society?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. After watching the video, would you change your answer about what you would do if you
won the lottery? What would be different?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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HANDOUT B
Group Activity
Directions:
In your groups, come up with as many examples as possible for the following
categories. Keep writing until the timer goes off. Then put your pencils down!
A. Bands
B. Colleges
C. State Capitals
D. Restaurants
E. Presidents
F. Countries
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HANDOUT C
Elijah and the Widow
Directions:
Read the story of Elijah and the Widow from I Kings 17:7-16. Then discuss and
answer the questions.
After some time, however, the wadi ran
dry, because no rain had fallen in the
land. So the word of the LORD came to him:
“Arise, go to Zarephath of Sidon and stay
there. I have commanded a widow there to
feed you.” He arose and went to Zarephath.
When he arrived at the entrance of the city,
a widow was there gathering sticks; he called
out to her, “Please bring me a small cupful of
water to drink.” She left to get it, and he called
out after her, “Please bring along a crust of
bread.” She said, “As the LORD, your God,
lives, I have nothing baked; there is only a
handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my
jug. Just now I was collecting a few sticks, to
go in and prepare something for myself and
my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die.”
Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid. Go and
do as you have said. But first make me a little
cake and bring it to me. Afterwards you can
prepare something for yourself and your son.
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar
of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil
run dry, until the day when the LORD sends
rain upon the earth.’ She left and did as Elijah
had said. She had enough to eat for a long
time — he and she and her household. The jar
of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil
run dry, according to the word of the LORD
spoken through Elijah.
1. What do you think is the point of this story?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. If you were in the same position as the widow, would you have used your last bit of flour to
feed a stranger? Why or why not?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What does this story tell us about relationships with others?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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HANDOUT D
Solidarity
Directions:
Read the information below. Then, after you have viewed the video clips, answer
the questions that follow.
God is a Trinity of Persons — the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit — who are
in an eternal exchange of love with each
other. The love of the Trinity is our model
for how human society should be. In fact,
society is part of human nature! From the
beginning God made us in community, as
male and female, so that we are not alone.
In this community we are then called to
imitate the love of God by loving and serving
each other. We often use the word society to
mean “American society” but the word itself
can mean any group of persons who belong
to something greater than any single one of
them. For example, people who belong to
a construction company were called on to
rebuild after the destruction of the World
Trade Center in New York City. They were
called to do something that was “bigger” than
they were. In fact, what they were called
to do was bigger than the sum of them as
well. When we come together for a mutual
goal, we can accomplish much more than
we could if we were alone. We are all called
to give to society in our own unique ways.
Everyone has special gifts and talents to offer.
Ideally, civil society (such as towns, states,
or nations) should develop virtuous qualities
in individuals that help them grow in selfinitiative
and responsibility. And all people
should work to advance the common good of
our human family.
All who follow Jesus are unified in a very
special society of friends in Christ. This
principle is called solidarity. Remember
that we are all members of Christ’s Body,
the Church. Like all the parts of a body
are connected, so too are all the members
of Christ’s body connected. We are called
to build up something greater than all of
us — Christ’s Kingdom on earth. We practice
solidarity when we bear each other’s
sufferings, and when we make sure that
material things, like food, clothing, and other
resources, are distributed justly. Workers
practice solidarity by doing an honest day’s
work. Employers practice solidarity by paying
a just wage. Peace in the world depends on
us all being in solidarity with our Christian
brothers and sisters in other countries. Even
more importantly, we all practice solidarity
when we share spiritual goods, like prayers
and penance. Christ offered Himself as a
sacrifice for all of our sins. We can make
sacrifices and offer prayers to help our fellow
Christians, including the souls in purgatory.
We can ask the saints in Heaven to pray for us.
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Part I: Answer these questions after watching the first video clip.
1. What does this video clip show?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How were the prisoners treated, and how did they feel about this?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What other examples do we see in society of communities being treated in a similar way?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What would be the appropriate Christian response to the prisoners shown in the clip?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Part II: Answer these questions after watching the second video clip.
5. What stands out to you about the little boys and the people in the streets?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. What is the difference between the people in the streets and the people in the carriage?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. How are the people in the streets treated by the upper class?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. What examples of mistreatment of the poor do we see in our society today? Explain.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. How are the prisoners in the first video similar to the group of people in the streets in the
second video?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. What would be the appropriate Christian response to the poor in this video clip?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Notes
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The Citizen and Government
LESSON 10
Suggested Grade Levels
ӹ 5th–8th grade
Learning Goals
Connection to the
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
ӹ
All people have equal rights.
ӹ CCC 672
ӹ CCC 1920-
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Our rights flow from our dignity as persons
created in the image and likeness of God.
Authority is the quality of exercising power
over others and expecting obedience from
them.
All authority comes from God.
Every community needs an authority to
govern it.
Authority is exercised legitimately only when
it seeks the common good of the group
concerned and if it employs morally licit
means to attain it (CCC 1903).
ӹ CCC 1700
ӹ CCC 1706
ӹ CCC 1738
ӹ CCC 1890
ӹ CCC 1892
ӹ CCC 1895
ӹ CCC 1905-
1909
Vocabulary
ӹ Citizenship
1927
ӹ CCC 2242
ӹ CCC 2253-
2257
ӹ CCC 2309
ӹ CCC 2321-
2325
ӹ Natural Law
ӹ
ӹ
Because of the inherent dignity of the human
person as made in the image of God that the
human person must be at the center of society
Authority breaks down when governments
enact unjust laws or take measures contrary
the moral order.
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Golden Rule
Government
Just
Hierarchy of
Values
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Precepts of
the Church
Right
Sacramental
Society
ӹ
Citizens are not bound to obey
unjust laws.
BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONES
[A]nd he said: “LORD, God of our ancestors, are
you not God in heaven, and do you not rule over
all the kingdoms of the nations? In your hand is
power and might, and no one can withstand you.
2 CHRONICLES 20:6
Let every person be subordinate to the higher
authorities, for there is no authority except from
God, and those that exist have been established
by God.
ROMANS 13:1
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 10
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Lesson Plan
Materials
ӹ
Handout A: Law, Justice,
and the Human Person
ӹ
Handout C: What Is Right
vs. What Is Legal
ӹ
Handout B: A Just
ӹ
Handout D: Government,
Hierarchy of Values
Obedience, and Persecution
NOTE: This lesson is designed as a weeklong mini-unit. Before beginning, assign each student one (or
more) of the following saints to research in order to complete the chart on Handout C: What Is Right
vs. What Is Legal. They will complete this assignment on the last day of the unit. (You may also have
each student research every individual on the chart.)
ӹ
St. Catherine of Alexandria
ӹ
St. Thomas More
ӹ
26 Martyrs of Japan
ӹ
Bl. Miguel Pro
DAY ONE
Warm-up
A. As you work through the lessons in this unit, pray as a class the Novena for Faithful Citizenship,
available here: SophiaOnline.org/USCCBCitizenshipNovena.
B. Even if you do not normally say the Pledge of Allegiance, say it today as a class: “I pledge
allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands:
one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
C. Divide the class up into small groups and have each work on an answer to one question of the
following questions:
1. What does it mean to pledge allegiance?
2. What are we pledging allegiance to with this recitation?
3. What is a republic?
4. Why do you think the author of the pledge included the word “indivisible” in 1892? (hint:
think about U.S. history, especially in the 19th century).
5. Why do you think Congress added the words “under God” to the pledge in 1954? (hint: think
about the Cold War.)
6. Why do we emphasize liberty and justice for all in the pledge?
7. Does the pledge mean we put our country above everything? If not, to whom or what do we
owe a higher allegiance?
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LESSON PLAN
D. Invite groups to share responses, and go over the questions with the class. Suggested answers
are below:
1. To promise loyalty
2. To the U.S. flag, and the republic of the United States of America.
3. A society where representatives of the people make and carry out laws.
4. Perhaps because the country had been recently divided when Southern states seceded, and
during the Civil War.
5. To distinguish the U.S. from atheistic communist countries.
6. Because all people are equal under the law.
7. No. God’s law is always higher than man-made law. Man-made laws that contradict the
moral law are unjust and we do not owe those laws obedience.
Activity
A. As a class, quickly brainstorm a list of people who have authority over others. Keep a list on the
board. For example:
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Parents have authority over their children
Teachers have authority over their students
A principal has authority over teachers a
A business owner has authority over employees
Public officials have authority over citizens
B. Project or write on the board the famous line from the Declaration of Independence: “We hold
these truths to be self-evident: that all men [the masculine here includes both males and females]
are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” Call on
a student to summarize this statement. All people are equal and have God-given rights.
C. Now ask the question: If all people are equal, how is it that some people have the ability to tell
others what to do?
D. Explain to your students that all people have equal rights because we are all created in the
image and likeness of God. This truth does not mean that no authority is possible. A chief
example is that parents have a natural authority over their children. The Fourth Commandment
requires us to honor our parents throughout our lives, not only when we are young.
E. Continue to explain that all societies, not just families, need authorities in charge. In the United
States, our system of government is a republic, where the people elect representatives to make
and carry out laws. This is the practice in the U.S., while other countries have other forms of
government. But transcending all time and place, from where does the authority to rule over
others ultimately come from? The answer is that all authority comes from God.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 10
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LESSON PLAN
F. Project and have a student stand and read aloud Romans 13:1:
“Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except
from God, and those that exist have been established by God.”
G. Call on a student to explain the significance of this verse, specifically the truth that all authority
comes from God.
H. Challenge your students by asking: does this mean that everyone in power has God’s approval,
i.e. that all governments are just?
I. To investigate this question, brainstorm and write out a list of government officials from
world history, both good and bad. For example: King Herod, Pontius Pilate, Emperors Nero and
Constantine, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, Mohandas
Gandhi, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedung, Winston Churchill, Adolph Hitler. Transition to recent times:
George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bashar al-Asaad, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, Kim Jong-Un,
and so forth.
J. Choose a few examples to focus on specifically, e.g. Herod who ordered the slaughter of the
innocents; Stalin, Hitler, or Mao who killed millions; or Truman who dropped atomic bombs on
Japan. Ask students if everyone on the list in fact derived his authority from God. What is the
real meaning of authority? Have students work in pairs to attempt to answer these questions.
K. Circulate among groups as they work, helping students understand that authority is the quality
of exercising power over others and expecting obedience from them. So while everyone on the
list indeed derived authority from God, many abused their authority by acting in immoral and
unjust ways. The fact that authority comes from God does not mean that all public officials will
behave justly. All human beings tend to sin, and political philosophers have long observed that
increased power tends to increasingly corrupt those who hold it.
L. Conclude as a large group with a mini-lecture:
All communities need someone or some institution in authority. That required governing authority
comes from God. For example, parents have authority over their children; governments exercise
authority over citizens. That does not mean that God automatically approves of everything done
by people in authority. Government authority is legitimate only if it works for the common good
in moral ways. For example, parents do not have the authority to kill or abuse their children, or
to force them to do immoral things. Corrupt and immoral governments do not have legitimate
authority. Power exercised without authority is tyranny.
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LESSON PLAN
Formative Assessment
A. Have a student stand and read aloud Daniel 2:20-21:
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
for wisdom and power are his.
He causes the changes of the times and seasons,
establishes kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who understand.
B. Have students write a journal response to this verse, incorporating ideas from class discussion,
on their own paper.
DAY TWO
Warm-Up
A. Distribute and have students independently read Part I of Handout A: Law, Justice, and the
Human Person. Then have them answer the four questions at the end of that section.
B. When completed, review and discuss the answers together, clarifying any questions students
have.
Activity and Formative Assessment
A. Project and have a student stand and read aloud from Psalms 9:8-9:
The LORD rules forever,
has set up his throne for judgment.
It is he who judges the world with justice,
who judges the peoples with fairness.
B. Talk briefly about how the world today uses the words “justice” and “fairness” in vague ways, but
the words do have actual meanings. To treat someone fairly or justly means to give him what
he is due. For example, God is due adoration and worship; our parents are due honor; all the
members of our human family are due respect. The poor and the vulnerable, especially babies
in the womb and the elderly, are due special care and charity. If you owe someone $50, he is
“due” that money. If someone breaks a law, he is due a punishment. Justice takes many forms.
C. Emphasize that God is perfectly just, and we can see signs of His justice in His law, especially
the Ten Commandments. Have students complete Part II of Handout A: Law, Justice, and the
Human Person.
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LESSON PLAN
DAY THREE
Warm-Up
A. Remind students that the purpose of government is to work for the common good. With that in
mind, ask students to brainstorm a list of all the ways a government can do that. Keep a list on
the board. Make sure to have a variety of actions, including very important tasks (protecting life,
avoiding war), and less important ones (providing snow removal, or checking parking meters).
B. After the list begins to take up most of the board, ask students how we can know which of these
things are more important. The answer is that, along with knowing them through our own
reason, we can turn to the Church for guidance about what those most important things are.
Activity
A. Distribute and have students read Handout B: A Just Hierarchy of Values and answer the
question at the end of Part I. Clarify any misunderstandings before proceeding to Part II.
B. Have students work to complete Part II with a partner, and go over responses as a class.
DAY FOUR
Warm-Up
A. Begin by recalling the question from the previous day’s reading: what happens when a manmade
law conflicts with the natural law?
B. Have students read the information at the top of Handout C: What Is Right vs. What Is Legal
and have them complete the chart for their assigned individual(s).
Activity
A. After students have filled in their information, spend time comparing and contrasting the types
of unjust laws each person faced, as well as the risk each person took in refusing to obey.
B. As a class, discuss the question of whether people today seem to understand the real meaning
of justice:
ӹ
What unjust laws in history can you recall? The Indian Removal Act (1830) forcing Native
Americans from their land, the Fugitive Slave Act (1850) which required Northerners to return
escaped slaves to their masters, Executive Order 9066 signed by FDR in 1942 forcing Japanese
Americans into internment camps, and so forth.
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LESSON PLAN
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Can you think of any unjust laws in force today? Laws permitting abortion or assisted suicide,
laws requiring employers to provide contraception, sterilization, or abortion-causing drugs in
violation of their conscience, and so forth.
Do people today seem to have the fortitude needed to resist injustice? Do you believe you
would have the fortitude?
Remember that what God commands, He makes possible through His grace. The martyrs
testify to this truth with their lives! Can you imagine a St. Thomas More today? A St.
Catherine of Siena? If so, in what situation can you imagine it? If not, what does our culture
need to do differently?
Formative Assessment
A. Have a student stand and read aloud from 2 Chronicles 20:6: [A]nd he said: “LORD, God of our
ancestors, are you not God in heaven, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations?
In your hand is power and might, and no one can withstand you.”
B. After meditating on this verse for a few moments, students should begin to answer the
scaffolding questions for each document on Handout D: Government, Obedience, and
Persecution.
DAY FIVE
Have students synthesize all they have learned in this unit and craft a well-written response to the
final question on Handout D: Government, Obedience, and Persecution.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 10
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HANDOUT A
Law, Justice, and the Human Person
Part I
Directions:
Read the essay, and then answer the questions that follow.
When God revealed the Ten
Commandments to Moses on Mount
Sinai, He gave us the law, or rules for the
moral life. Jesus fulfilled the law and gave it
even greater meaning in the Beatitudes, and in
His great commandments to love God above
all, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This
is a summary of the law, or, put another way,
the very definition of justice. The Golden Rule
is also a summary of justice: we should treat
others as we would want to be treated.
Made for communion
In addition to teaching us about how to live
a moral life, all of Scripture shows us that
the need for law, society, and government
are written into human nature. Human
beings were created for communion with
God, as well as with each other. The Ten
Commandments and the Beatitudes tell
us about how individual persons should
treat each other, and they also tell us much
about how a just society should be ordered.
Societies, after all, are made up of individual
human beings. In all the societies we live in,
we are called to build the Kingdom of God
here on earth.
The first society we become a part of is
the family. The Lord elevated the dignity of
marriage to a Sacrament. Helped by God’s
grace, the love of a husband and wife becomes
an icon of the life-giving love of the Trinity.
In the normal course of things, their love
creates life. Whether our families live together
or not, every person on this planet was born
to a mother and a father. The family is the
most basic unit of society. Like any society, it
has rules: the fourth commandment requires
children to honor their parents. What is more,
parents have the first and most important
responsibility of teaching their children our
Faith, educating them, and respecting and
encouraging their vocations. Parents should
respect and encourage the vocations of their
children. Parents should remember and teach
their children that the first calling of every
Christian is to follow Christ.
In these ways, parents cooperate with God
not only in bringing forth life, but also in
nurturing creation.
Community and citizenship
The family is also the first place where young
people learn what it means to be a citizen
of the society they live in. What citizenship
means will vary based on the form of
government in a society. Different forms of
government have existed throughout history,
as human beings have struggled with finding
and maintaining the best way of life. Some
of these governments have been good, while
others have been tyrannical and oppressive.
The most important quality of what makes
any society or government good is its
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treatment of the human person. Recall what
we learned in our unit on Church history: if
respect for the dignity of the human person
is not at the center of a society, that society
will soon turn into tyranny. For a society to be
just, governments and all individuals living in
it must put the human person at the center:
they must work for the common good, behave
in moral ways, and respect the natural rights
of all human beings.
Our natural rights flow from our human
dignity and are a gift from God; they are not
given to us by the government. If rights were
“given to us” by the government, then some
people could have more rights than others,
and no one could say there was anything
wrong with that. Pope Benedict XIV wrote in
Caritas in Veritate: “If the only basis of human
rights is to be found in the deliberations of
an assembly of citizens, those rights can be
changed at any time.” This is one reason why
the common good of the whole human family
calls for countries to cooperate with each
other and with international organizations.
Doing so reminds all nations that our human
dignity comes from being made in the image
of and likeness of God, and our rights flow
from our human dignity. If we lose sight of this
truth, Pope Benedict continued, “Governments
and international bodies can then lose
sight of the objectivity and ‘inviolability’ of
rights. When this happens, the authentic
development of peoples is endangered.”
The equal dignity of all human beings does not
mean we are all the same. Everyone is born
with different gifts and talents, whether those
are for academics, sports, art, music, design,
and so forth. Wealth is not evenly distributed
either. Differences in talents, resources, and
other things mean those who have more
must practice charity and help the needy, as
Christ has commanded us: “Amen, I say to
you, whatever you did for one of these least
brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew
25:40). Giving to the poor is an action that
shows the world what it means to love
your neighbor. It is a work of justice that is
especially pleasing to God. These differences
also means governments and citizens have a
very serious responsibility to work to reduce
social and economic inequalities, and end
sinful inequalities. Inequalities are sinful when
some people are unfairly prevented from
reaching their potential. All human beings
have a right to truly develop ourselves. This
development involves our entire being, and
is ultimately about whether each member of
our human family can answer God’s call to
be who He is calling us to be. Because our
rights are God-given, we know human beings
are equal and deserve to be treated justly.
Enslaving human beings, or buying, selling, or
exchanging people like merchandise violates
the moral law.
Justice and the Ten Commandments
Justice is the cardinal virtue that helps us give
God and neighbor their due. Our neighbor is
due our love, and God is due our love above
all. The Ten Commandments reveal the dignity
of the human person, God’s desire for justice,
and the Golden Rule. To give a few examples:
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Christians should not only keep the
Sabbath holy, but should also avoid
making demands on others that would
pressure them to break the Third
Commandment.
Murder is always wrong, but defending
yourself from an attacker does not break
the Fifth Commandment.
Since justice means giving God and
neighbor their due, it often means
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ӹ
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paying a debt of some kind to make up
for a wrong, or injustice committed. The
Seventh Commandment forbids stealing.
Stolen goods must be returned or paid for
in order for justice to be served. Another
example is lying — setting out to deceive
someone by saying something we know is
not true. If we tell a lie, we must make up
for that lie by bringing the truth to light.
The seventh commandment causes us to
remember that everything God has created
is for everyone. Charity compels us to help
the poor in our own communities and all
over the world, making sure resources are
distributed justly.
The seventh commandment also reminds
us that work is good; labor has dignity.
As a young man, Jesus worked with His
earthly father Joseph as a carpenter.
Working is another way, in addition to
raising a family, that we can participate in
nurturing creation as God does.
If we break the eighth commandment by
lying, we must make amends.
The tenth commandment warns us not
to be greedy or desire unjust power over
others.
The Ten Commandments reveal other
responsibilities as well. We must recognize
that our lives are not truly our own: suicide
denies hope and charity and breaks the
fifth commandment. We must do our part
to uphold the right of all to a free, just,
and truthful society by standing up for the
vulnerable, giving of our time and money to
the poor, and exercising virtues of prudence,
temperance, honesty, and modesty in all
our communications, including the use of
social media. Governments must not try to
force priests to reveal what has been told to
them in confession, which is protected by a
sacramental seal. This is only a partial list, of
course.
Remember from our unit on morality that
man-made law is our participation in the
natural law. The natural law is the basis of our
rights and duties. Since the natural law comes
from God’s wisdom and goodness, it makes
perfect sense that we see so much of what
is good and just in the Ten Commandments.
Sometimes man-made law can conflict with
the natural law. In the next lesson, we will
explore what happens if that is the case.
1. What is the definition of justice? _______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the first society we become a part of? _________________________________________________
3. What is the most important quality of what makes any society or government good?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Why is it important that our rights are ours by nature, and not “given” to us by the government?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Part II
Directions:
Justice means giving God and neighbor their due. Complete the chart with at
least one example of how each commandment reveals God’s desire for justice. A
couple have been done for you.
The Commandments
1 I am the LORD your God, who brought you
out of the land of Egypt, out of the house
of slavery.
You shall not have other gods beside me.
How does this commandment reveal
God’s desire for justice?
Because God is God, the only true God,
he is due all our love and respect. Our
faith leads us to love Him about all else,
and to prefer nothing to Him.
DEUTERONOMY 5:6-7
2 You shall not invoke the name of the LORD,
your God, in vain.
DEUTERONOMY 5:11A
3 Observe the sabbath day—keep it holy.
DEUTERONOMY 5:12A
4 Honor your father and your mother.
DEUTERONOMY 5:16A
5 You shall not kill.
DEUTERONOMY 5:17
6 You shall not commit adultery.
DEUTERONOMY 5:18
Married love is total and self-giving. The
spouses do not have this relationship
with anyone else. A wife is due her
husband’s exclusive love, and vice-versa.
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The Commandments
How does this commandment reveal
God’s desire for justice?
7 You shall not steal.
DEUTERONOMY 5:19
Theft is taking someone else’s property
against that person’s reasonable will.
We have a right to our own property;
we must respect the rights of others
to their own property and the fruits of
their labor, which is due to them.
8 You shall not bear dishonest witness
against your neighbor.
DEUTERONOMY 5:20
9 You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
DEUTERONOMY 5:21A
10 You shall not desire your neighbor’s house
or field, his male or female slave, his ox or
donkey, or anything that belongs to your
neighbor.
DEUTERONOMY 5:21B
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HANDOUT B
A Just Hierarchy of Values
Part I
Directions:
Read the essay, then answer the question that follows.
Since no one in society can do everything
at once, and no one has infinite resources,
individuals and governments must make
choices about which values to spend time and
resources on. Therefore, a just society and
government must have the correct priorities.
(To prioritize something means to give it
greater importance, or have it come before
other things.)
Just as some sins are more serious than
others, some values are more important
than others. The greatest example of this is
human life. Life is the most important value.
Without the right to life, no other rights are
possible. Therefore protecting human life
from conception to natural death must be at
the top of any just government’s priorities.
The USCCB’s document Living the Gospel
of Life explains, “[A]bortion and euthanasia
have become preeminent threats to human
dignity because they directly attack life itself,
the most fundamental human good and the
condition for all others.”
Some issues can be honestly debated by
Christians, but some policies must always
be opposed. The policies that must always
be opposed are those that are always wrong,
such as allowing the killing of unborn babies
in the womb or laws permitting euthanasia
or assisted suicide. These actions are always
wrong, no matter what the circumstances.
They also always have direct, clear effects: for
example, in an abortion, a baby always dies.
Euthanasia always results in an elderly, sick,
or disabled person being killed.
Others policies require more discernment
because their effects may not always match
up with their intentions: they may not always
do what they set out to do. For this reason,
they can be honestly debated. For example,
it may be hard to tell if a policy intended to
help the poor actually helps the poor; a law
intended to improve education may actually
harm it; law intended to help the environment
may not actually help it, and/or it might
require balancing with other important
values. Therefore, these policies can and
should be debated by Christians in good
conscience. The Chuch has a responsibility to
make judgments in these matters when the
dignity of the human person and the salvation
of souls is at stake.
What is the difference between those policies that must always be opposed, and those which
can be honestly debated?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Part II
Directions:
A just society must encourage virtue, and not make it harder to be virtuous.
Below is a list of policies that can be honestly debated by Christians. Read
each one and say whether the policy makes it easier or harder to be virtuous.
(Remember that we cannot claim “credit” for the virtuous actions of other
people.)
______________________ 1. “Good Samaritan Laws” that make it impossible to sue someone
who accidentally hurts you while trying to help (for example, you
could not sue a person who was giving you CPR and accidentally
broke your rib).
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
2. Laws that give tax deductions for charitable giving.
3. Laws that impose higher taxes to pay for welfare programs.
4. Laws requiring that restaurants throw away leftover food rather
than giving it to the poor.
5. Laws forbidding high-fat or high-salt foods from being given to
food banks.
6. Laws prohibiting pan-handling
______________________ 7. Laws that give taxpayer money to big banks that suffer financial
losses from bad investments
______________________
8. Laws requiring insurance companies to charge everyone the same
premiums, regardless of whether they smoke, use illegal drugs, or
engage in other health risks.
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HANDOUT C
What Is Right vs. What Is Legal
Directions:
Read the information below and then complete the chart on the pages that
follow for your selected individual(s).
In the Beatitudes, Christ teaches us that the
meek and the merciful are blessed. Also
blessed are those who suffer in the name of
what is right and just: “Blessed are they who
are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew
5:10). That persecution for righteousness sake
sometimes comes from other people and at
other times even from the government. From
ancient philosophers, to St. Thomas Aquinas,
to modern citizens, individuals have regularly
had to wrestle with the conflict between
what is right and what is legal. Faithful and
courageous individuals have chosen to face
the consequences of their refusal to obey
unjust laws.
“The citizen is obliged in conscience not
to follow the directives of civil authorities
when they are contrary to the demands of
the moral order, to the fundamental rights of
persons or the teachings of the Gospel.”
—CCC 2242
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Individual
St. Catherine of
Alexandria
26 Martyrs of
Japan
St. Thomas More
Henry David
Thoreau
What law did this
person break?
Was this law
contrary to the
demands of the
moral order?
Was this law
contrary to the
fundamental
rights of
persons?
Was this law
contrary to the
teachings of the
Gospel?
Was he/she
obliged to disobey
this law? Explain.
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Individual
Bl. Miguel Pro
Rosa Parks
Susan B. Anthony
Edward Snowden
What law did this
person break?
Was this law
contrary to the
demands of the
moral order?
Was this law
contrary to the
fundamental
rights of
persons?
Was this law
contrary to the
teachings of the
Gospel?
Was he/she
obliged to disobey
this law? Explain.
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Individual
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
What law did this
person break?
Was this law
contrary to the
demands of the
moral order?
Was this law
contrary to the
fundamental
rights of
persons?
Was this law
contrary to the
teachings of the
Gospel?
Was he/she
obliged to disobey
this law? Explain.
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HANDOUT D
Government, Obedience, and Persecution
Directions:
Read the excepts and answer the individual document questions. Then
synthesize all you have learned from all the documents in your response to the
question: Should a Christian expect to endure persecution in today’s world? Why
or why not?
A Matthew 5:9-10
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
1. How are they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake blessed?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How do the Beatitudes as a whole help you understand Christian temperament and right
conduct?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
B Romans 13:1-2
Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority
except from God, and those that exist have been established by God.
Therefore, whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed, and those who
oppose it will bring judgment upon themselves.
3. From where does true authority come? ________________________________________________________
4. Does this passage mean that Christians must follow the commands of all government
officials at all times? Why or why not?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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C The Problem of Free Choice, St. Augustine, 395
Can we possibly call these laws unjust, or rather no laws at all? A law which is not just
does not seem to me to be a law.
5. According to St. Augustine, can there be such a thing as an “unjust law”? Explain
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
D Last Recorded Words, St. Thomas More, 1535
I die the King’s good servant – and God’s first.
6. When St. Thomas More was sentenced to death for treason, he stated that the basis for his
conviction was a law “repugnant to God.” How does this help you understand his last words?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
E Evangelium Vitae, Blessed Pope John Paul II, 1995
From the very beginnings of the Church, the apostolic preaching reminded Christians
of their duty to obey legitimately constituted public authorities (cf. Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet
2:13-14), but at the same time it firmly warned that “we must obey God rather than
men” (Acts 5:29). ... It is precisely from obedience to God—to whom alone is due that
fear which is acknowledgment of his absolute sovereignty—that the strength and the
courage to resist unjust human laws are born. It is the strength and the courage of
those prepared even to be imprisoned or put to the sword, in the certainty that this
is what makes for “the endurance and faith of the saints” (Rv 13:10). In the case of an
intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore
never licit to obey it. (EV 72, 73)
7. Does our duty to God mean we do not have to obey laws we don’t like? Explain.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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F
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Excerpts on Human Dignity, 1997
1700 The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of
God; it is fulfilled in his vocation to divine beatitude… .
1706 By his reason, man recognizes the voice of God which urges him “to do what is good
and avoid what is evil.” Everyone is obliged to follow this law, which makes itself heard
in conscience and is fulfilled in the love of God and of neighbor. Living a moral life bears
witness to the dignity of the person.
1738 Freedom is exercised in relationships between human beings. Every human person,
created in the image of God, has the natural right to be recognized as a free and
responsible being. All owe to each other this duty of respect.
8. Where is our human dignity rooted? ___________________________________________________________
9. Because of the human dignity we all possess, how must all human persons recognize each
other?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
G
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Excerpts on the Common Good, 1997
1905 In keeping with the social nature of man, the good of each individual is necessarily
related to the common good, which in turn can be defined only in reference to the
human person… .
1906 The common good concerns the life of all. It calls for prudence from each, and even
more from those who exercise the office of authority. It consists of three essential
elements:
1907 First, the common good presupposes respect for the person as such. In the name of the
common good, public authorities are bound to respect the fundamental and inalienable
rights of the human person... .
1908 Second, the common good requires the social well-being and development of the group
itself... .
1909 Finally, the common good requires peace, that is, the stability and security of a just
order… .
10. The common good can only be defined in reference to what?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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11. What are the three essential elements of the common good?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
12. Using the Catechism’s definition of “peace,” is there peace in your community today? Your
state? Your country?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
H
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Excerpts on the Duties of Citizens, 1997
2242 The citizen is obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities
when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights
of persons or the teachings of the Gospel. Refusing obedience to civil authorities, when
their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience, finds its justification
in the distinction between serving God and serving the political community. “Render
therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
“We must obey God rather than men”:
When citizens are under the oppression of a public authority which oversteps
its competence, they should still not refuse to give or to do what is objectively
demanded of them by the common good… .
13. What are the qualities of an “upright conscience” as opposed to just any conscience?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
14. According to section 2242, under what conditions are people obliged NOT to obey civil
authorities?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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15. What, if anything, is the difference between refusing to obey an unjust law, and actively
resisting the government? Which one do these excerpts from the Catechism discuss?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
16. What must one who refuses to obey an unjust law be willing to accept?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Final Question
Should a Christian expect to endure persecution in today’s world? Why or why not?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
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Answer Key
Handout A: Law, Justice, and the Human Person
Part I
1. Loving God above all, and loving your neighbor as yourself. The Golden Rule is also a summary
of justice. Giving God and neighbor their due.
2. The family.
3. Respect for the dignity of the human person.
4. If rights were “given to us” by the government, then some people could have more rights than
others, and no one could say there was anything wrong with that. Because our rights are Godgiven,
we know human beings are equal and deserve to be treated justly.
Part II
1. Completed for the student.
2. Giving God His due means not using His name in a disrespectful way.
3. Keeping the Lord’s Day set aside for God and family is a way of giving each what is due to them.
4. Our parents are natural authorities over us. They gave us life. We owe them respect and
obedience.
5. Each and every person has a right to life.
6. Completed for the student.
7. Completed for the student.
8. Deceiving our neighbors, or speaking badly about others, are acts that fail to respect them, or
to respect God.
9. Wanting to come between a husband and wife is sinful and unjust for many reasons, including
because each is due the other’s exclusive love.
10. Your neighbor is due his belongings; they rightfully belong to him. Wanting to have them for
yourself is to desire an injustice.
Handout B: A Just Hierarchy of Values
Part I
The policies that must always be opposed are those which are always wrong no matter what the
circumstances. These also always have direct, clear effects: for example, in an abortion, a baby
always dies. Euthanasia always results in an elderly, sick, or disabled person being killed. Others
policies require more discernment because their effects may not always match up with their
intentions. For example, a policy intended to help the poor may not actually help the poor; a law
intended to improve education may actually harm it, and so forth. Therefore, these policies can and
should be debated by Christians in good conscience.
Part II
Accept reasoned answers.
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Handout C: What Is Right vs. What Is Legal
Accept well researched and reasoned answers.
Handout D: Government, Obedience, and Persecution
1. Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
2. Christian conduct is meek, merciful, peace-making. Christians are poor in spirit, hunger for
justice and righteousness, and will be persecuted for the sake of Jesus Christ.
3. From God.
4. No, because God’s law is a higher authority than any human authority.
5. There may be laws passed by men which are unjust. But they would not be binding on
conscience. In other words, they would not truly be the law.
6. St. Thomas More died rather than disobey God.
7. No. Only laws that are truly unjust should not be obeyed.
8. In our creation in the image and likeness of God.
9. As free and responsible beings.
10. The human person.
11. The common good is promoted when public authorities respect the fundamental and
inalienable rights of the human person as well as the social well-being and development of the
group, and there is peace.
12. Accept reasoned answers.
13. An upright conscience is formed according to God’s law.
14. When their directives are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental
rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel.
15. Refusing to obey an unjust law is a personal act. Actively resisting the government may include
public acts of civil disobedience, organized protests, and armed resistance. This Catechism
excerpt discusses the former.
16. The legal and social consequences of his actions.
Final Question: Accept reasoned answers.
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Notes
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Just War
LESSON 11
Suggested Grade Levels
ӹ
5th–8th grade
Learning Goals
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Original Justice is the original state of human
beings before sin, which was lost due to the
Original Sin.
War causes terrible human suffering. Public
officials and all citizens must do all they can
to avoid war.
War, which is the result of sin, can
sometimes be unavoidable. In that case,
the Church offers guidance called Just War
Doctrine.
The moral law does not change or vanish
because of war.
Peace is the stability and security of a just
order. True peace comes from Jesus Christ,
who reconciled us to the Father. He justifies
us (or makes just our relationship with God).
At the end of time, Jesus’s kingdom will come
in all its fullness and perfect justice will be
restored.
Connection to the
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
ӹ CCC 672
ӹ CCC 1909
ӹ CCC 2309
ӹ CCC 2327
ӹ CCC 2328-2329
Vocabulary
ӹ Original Justice
ӹ Just War Doctrine
BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONES
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is
given: and the government shall be upon his
shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be
called children of God.
MATTHEW 5:9
ISAIAH 9:6 (KJV)
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 11
133

Lesson Plan
Materials
ӹ
ӹ
ӹ
Handout A: War and Justice
Teacher Resource: General George Washington Resigning His Commission
Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah (Recording of your choice)
DAY ONE
Warm-up
A. As you work through the lessons in this unit, pray as a class the Novena for Faithful Citizenship,
available here: SophiaOnline.org/USCCBCitizenshipNovena.
B. Read aloud from Isaiah 11:1-9 as students follow along in their Bibles:
But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of
Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A spirit of counsel and of strength,
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the
LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the
LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide fairly for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of
his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay
the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the
young goat;
The calf and the young lion shall browse
together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
together their young shall lie down;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the viper’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.
They shall not harm or destroy on all my holy
mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of
the LORD,
as water covers the sea.
C. Read these verses through again, this time asking students to think about how the Sacred
Author wants us to understand the word justice.
D. Focus on the poetic contrasts in the final lines: wolves and lambs, the leopard and goat, a baby
and vipers, etc. What is the Sacred Author describing with these lines? Discuss how these verses
can help us understand a picture of original justice. Original Justice is the original state of human
beings before sin: there was no suffering or death, man was at peace with himself, there was harmony
between men and women, and there was peace among all of creation. Animals that we consider
natural enemies, such as wolves and lambs, or snakes and children, were at peace and lived in
friendship. There was no threat posed by anything. Original Justice was lost due to the Original Sin.
Creation no longer lived in harmony, but in conflict. The ultimate conflict, war, is the result of sin.
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LESSON PLAN
Activity
A. Ask the class: What is peace? Peace is not only the absence of strife, but more than that, it is the
stability and security of a just order.
B. What causes a lack of peace? Sin was the cause of the loss original justice, and sin is always the
reason for a lack of earthly justice.
C. Explain that war is the ultimate lack of earthly peace. Emphasize that war causes terrible
human suffering, and that public officials and all citizens must do all they can to avoid war. Yet,
war can sometimes be unavoidable.
D. Explain that the Church offers guidance for going to war and waging it justly, called Just War
Doctrine. Just War Doctrine is Church teaching on conditions that all must exist at the same
time for war to be just. These conditions are: the damage by the aggressor(s) must be lasting,
grave, and certain; all other means of avoiding war must have been tried, there must be a real
chance of winning, and the war itself must not result in worse conditions than the conditions
that cause the war.
E. During a war, the moral law remains in force. Civilians must not be targeted, non-combatants
and prisoners must be treated justly, and “following orders” is not a valid reason for committing
atrocities like genocide.
F. After going over these conditions, distribute and have students read and complete Handout A:
War and Justice.
Formative Assessment
When students have completed the activity, review and discuss the correct answers. Then have
students choose a partner and summarize what they have learned with each other.
DAY TWO
Warm-up
A. Project an image of General George Washington Resigning His Commission, by John Trumbull,
available at the following link: SophiaOnline.org/Washington. You may also make copies to
distribute using the image on Teacher Resource: General George Washington Resigning His
Commission (page 142 in this guide).
B. Go over the background information about the painting available on the AOC website. Then, as
a large group, discuss the following questions:
ӹ
What are some things you know about George Washington, in addition to the fact that he
was our first president? Students should be aware that he was the general of the Continental
Army that defeated the British in the Revolutionary War.
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LESSON PLAN
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Why would it be unexpected for a general to resign his commission—to voluntarily give up
power? Historically, almost all people with power had sought to gain more power, rather than
give up what they have.
Washington again gave up power when he was president. He was elected unanimously
in 1788, and won in a landslide four years later. He could have kept running for president
until he died, but he chose to refuse a third term. Why was this an important precedent?
Washington began a tradition that presidents would refuse to run for third terms, ensuring
that presidents did not govern for life. This tradition continued until FDR ran and was
elected to four terms. The 22nd Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1957, preventing
presidents from being elected to more than two terms.
Two key principles of the U.S. government are a) civilian control of the military and b) the
peaceful transfer of power. Why would these be important for preserving liberty and justice
for all? These principles ensure we are governed by civil institutions and not by the threat or
use of military force.
C. Explain how many governments throughout world history including our present day have
been based on the use of force. The U.S. is special for many reasons, including that civilians
have control over the military, we have a peaceful transfer of power from one president to
another every four or eight years, and a similar transfer of power every two or six years in
Congress. Our government has used force on many occasions, of course, beginning with the
Revolutionary War, to the Civil War, to modern wars. Some uses of force in U.S. history may
have been just, while others may have been unjust.
Activity and Assessment
Have students select a war from American history and/or the present day and apply the principles
of Just War Doctrine to determine if it is/was a just war. Some free resources on this topic are
available online at SophiaOnline.org/CurrentEvents..
DAY THREE
Warm-Up
A. Project on the board and have a student stand and read aloud 1 Timothy 2:1-2:
“First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for
everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all
devotion and dignity.”
B. Conduct a brief discussion on what this Scripture verse tells us we should do for our leaders.
Emphasize that even if we do not like our current president, legislators, or local officials, we
should pray for them anyway.
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LESSON PLAN
C. Point out that at each Holy Mass, those gathered pray for a series of intentions during the
Prayers of the Faithful. After praying for the needs of the Church, we pray for public authorities
and the salvation of the whole world. In addition to praying at Mass, Christians should
remember those in authority (from parents to teachers to those at all levels of government) in
their daily prayers.
D. Now ask, for what reason does St. Paul write that should we pray for all in authority? Are we
praying that our nation will be strong and powerful or that we will be rich and prosperous? Of
course the answer is no. We pray for public authorities so “that we may lead a quiet and tranquil
life in all devotion and dignity.” In other words, we are praying for peace — with God, as well as
within our families, with other citizens, and with other nations. The Catechism defines peace
as “the stability and security of a just order” (1909). Good government leads to earthly peace for
individuals and nations.
E. Earthly peace is a good and very important goal — one we must all strive for. But spiritual peace
is an even greater one. What is the stability of a just order, spiritually speaking? Spiritual peace
is man restored to communion with God. Jesus Christ made this peace possible by reconciling us to
the Father by His sacrifice on the Cross. Another way of saying this is that He justifies us — restores
justice to the order between God and man, conferred through the Sacrament of Baptism. He
reconciles us to Himself and the Church when we sin through the Sacrament of Confession. He
also gives us His peace in the Eucharist. One of the last things we say at mass before we receive
the Eucharist is “…Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.” The ultimate
peace is found in being united with Christ. On earth, we receive this gift chiefly in the Eucharist.
Activity
A. Read aloud from Matthew 5:9:
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
B. After meditating on this verse from the Beatitudes for a few moments, have students explain on
their own paper at least one earthly way and one spiritual way that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
For example:
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He restores man to communion with God (the just order between God and humanity) with
His sacrifice on the Cross. (spiritual peace)
He reconciles us to Him and the Church when we sin in the Sacrament of Confession.
(spiritual peace)
He offers us His Body and Blood in the Eucharist, so we can be united with Him and His
Church, the Body of Christ. (spiritual peace)
He commands us to work for a just order between ourselves, that is, rightly-ordered
relationships among families, communities—including special care for the poor—and among
nations. (earthly peace)
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LESSON PLAN
Formative Assessment
A. Reread Isaiah 11:1-9 from the first day of the lesson. Point out the prophet is speaking here in
the future tense: these amazing things will happen in the future. What are we to make of that?
B. The Catechism helps us understand that this passage describes the Kingdom of God, which
Christ will usher in in all of its fullness at the end of time: “to bring all men the definitive order
of justice, love and peace” (672). The world began with Original Justice, and will end in the
perfect justice, love, and peace of Christ.
C. To close this part of the lesson, read aloud from the King James Version of Isaiah 9:6:
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon
his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
D. Then play a recording or a video of the Hallelujah chorus of Handel’s Messiah. You may even
wish to write the lyrics on the board, as they are very short and simple. They come from the
Book of Revelations:
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth [reigns]
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
The kingdom of this world;
is become the kingdom of our Lord,
and of His Christ
and of His Christ
And He shall reign forever and ever
King of kings and Lord of lords
King of kings and Lord of lords
And He shall reign forever and ever
Forever and ever
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Note: This type of music may be unfamiliar to the students. If that is the case, after playing it once
and allow the students to express any reactions, from bewilderment to amusement to dislike. After
hearing them out, ask them to now listen to it a second time, putting aside any personal reactions,
and this time paying attention to the sheer jubilation, awe, and praise the song expresses.
E. On their own paper, have students respond to the prompt:
ӹ
How do the lyrics of this hymn express joy for peace in the reign of Christ?
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LESSON PLAN
F. Finally, give students adequate time to write a thoughtful prayer to Jesus, our Prince of Peace,
for citizens and/or public officials in your town, city, state, or our nation. Hold a prayer service
in which you invite students to share the prayers they wrote.
G. Close with the Prayer for Peace of Pope St. John XXIII:
Lord Jesus Christ, who are called the Prince of Peace, who are yourself our peace and
reconciliation, who so often said, "Peace to you," grant us peace. Make all men and women
witnesses of truth, justice, and brotherly love. Banish from their hearts whatever might
endanger peace. Enlighten our rulers that they may guarantee and defend the great gift of
peace. May all peoples of the earth become as brothers and sisters. May longed-for peace
blossom forth and reign always over us all.
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HANDOUT A
War and Justice
Directions:
Read the essay and then complete the chart on Just War Doctrine.
In addition to our family, our community,
our state, and our nation, we are
members of the human family. International
organizations can help to protect human
rights throughout the world and help
promote Christian solidarity.
Sadly, war between nations, and even
within nations, has been a plague on human
existence since the beginning of human
history. Almost all nations have been born
through conquest. The nuclear arms race,
which began in the 20th century, is a curse
on the human race that threatens millions of
lives and especially hurts the poor. In addition
to the toll war takes on human life, another
evil war brings is the false notion that civil
laws—or even the moral law—do not apply in
wartime. The opposite is true. The moral law
is permanent and always true, even during
armed conflicts. Going to war does not give
governments the right to abridge the rights of
citizens or ignore the moral law.
Because of the suffering, evil, and injustice
war causes, governments must do everything
possible to reasonably avoid war. This does
not mean that all war is immoral. Nations do
have the right to self-defense. Philosopher
St. Thomas Aquinas has guided the Church’s
doctrine on just war.
For a war to be just, all of the following must
be true at the same time:
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“The damage inflicted by the aggressor on
the nation or community of nations must
be lasting, grave, and certain;
All other means of putting an end to it
must have been shown to be impractical
or ineffective;
There must be serious prospects of
success;
The use of arms must not produce evils
and disorders graver than the evil to be
eliminated. The power of modern means
of destruction weighs very heavily in
evaluating this condition.
These are the traditional elements
enumerated in what is called the ‘just war’
doctrine. The evaluation of these conditions
for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential
judgment of those who have responsibility for
the common good” (CCC 2309). Because of
the work nations do in gathering intelligence,
it may not be possible for ordinary citizens
to be able to make an informed judgment as
to whether a war is just. This is one of many
reasons it is important that we pray for our
elected leaders.
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For each condition of just war, explain why it is necessary for justice. One example has been
offered for each condition.
The damage inflicted
by the aggressor
on the nation or
community of nations
must be lasting, grave,
and certain;
It would be unjust to go to war over temporary harms.
Other reason:
Other reason:
All other means of
putting an end to it
must have been shown
to be impractical or
ineffective;
It would be unjust to go to war without trying to use diplomacy
to settle disputes.
Other reason:
Other reason:
There must be serious
prospects of success;
If a nation has no chance of winning, it would be unjust to risk
soldiers’ lives.
Other reason:
Other reason:
The use of arms must
not produce evils
and disorders graver
than the evil to be
eliminated.
It would be unjust if war resulted in worse conditions than those
that caused the war.
Other reason:
Other reason:
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General George Washington Resigning His Commission
BY JOHN TRUMBULL (C. 1824)
Rotunda, U.S. Capitol. Courtesy the Architect of the Capitol.
142
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Chapter at a Glance
Different Types of Justice
High School Chapter
Teacher Introduction
Justice is the moral virtue that disposes us
to give what is due to God and our neighbor.
This virtue is expressed in four basic ways.
Distributive justice pertains to what a society
as a whole owes to its members: rewards and
punishments for good and bad deeds, as well
as the resources necessary for life. Legal justice
obliges those subject to a higher authority
to serve the common good through obedience,
as well as through participation in the political
process. Commutative justice pertains to
agreements between equal parties and requires
us to honor our commitments, as long as
they are reasonable and morally good. Finally,
social justice pertains to the responsibility of
society and its members to respect human
dignity. It requires all levels of society to work
together to ensure the temporal well-being of
all. This fourth type of justice especially calls us
to remember that charity and justice go hand in
hand; a society without love can never be just.
Though they may not always realize it,
many of your students’ impulses to complain
about or change society are rooted in
the sense of justice that arises from their
human dignity. Everyone has something
they feel strongly about and want to act
on, and this chapter is your chance to engage
your students’ concerns through the
virtue that is at the root of their desire. It
will help you clearly lay out the types of
justice, and it will enable you to teach the
truth about how a Catholic ought to live
justly so that as your students go out into
society, they will be a light to the world.
© Sophia Institute for Teachers 143

Chapter at a Glance
Enduring Understandings
In this chapter, students will understand that…
■ Justice is a moral virtue that leads the Christian to give God and neighbor their due.
■ Distributive justice accounts for the needs, rewards, and punishments of a person.
■ Legal justice requires one to obey just laws in the service of their society.
■ Commutative justice is served through honoring contracts and conducting economic and social
matters with fairness.
■ Social justice necessitates that a member of society respects the dignity of other members and
ensures especially the well-being of the poor and vulnerable.
■ Justice must be tempered with love and mercy.
Essential Questions
■ What is justice, and what does it demand of a Christian?
■ What are distributive justice, legal justice, commutative justice, and social justice?
■ Why are regulations alone insufficient for a truly peaceful society?
■ Why is it wrong to believe that justice alone can rightly order society?
Lesson Plan
ACTIVITY
Handout A: Focus and Reflection Questions
Handout B: Straight to the Source Primary Source Material
Warm-Up: Handout C: The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
Activity #1: Handout D: Identifying and Applying the Kinds of Justice
Activity #2: Handout E: Excerpt from “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Activity #3: Handout F: The Need for Conversion
144 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
© Sophia Institute for Teachers

What Your Students Will Learn in This Chapter
Vocabulary
■ Right
■ The Golden Rule
■ Distributive Justice
■ Law
■ Authority
■ Legal Justice
■ Property
■ Civil Law
■ Anarchy
■ Moral Law
■ Civil Disobedience
■ Commutative Justice
■ Contract
■ Economic Justice
■ Covenant
■ Social Justice
■ Socialism
■ Marxism
■ Temporal Welfare
■ Generosity
Scripture Encounters
Students will directly engage with the
following Scripture passages over the
course of the chapter:
■ Proverbs 22:16
■ Proverbs 31:8–9
■ Micah 6:8
■ Matthew 7:12
■ Matthew 22:21
■ Luke 16:19–31
■ Acts 5:29
■ 1 Peter 2:13–16
Straight to the Source
Additional readings from primary
sources
■ Mater et Magistra 34
■ Sollictitudo Rei Socialis 41
■ Quadragesimo Anno 137
Materials
No additional materials are needed for
this chapter.
Lives of Faith
■ St. Martin de Porres
Connections to the Catechism
Students will directly engage with the
following Catechism references over
the course of the chapter:
■ CCC 1807
■ CCC 1928
■ CCC 1932
■ CCC 2236
■ CCC 2238
■ CCC 2239
■ CCC 2242
■ CCC 2243
■ CCC 2410
■ CCC 2411
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High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
145

Chapter Text and Discussion Questions
1 The essay discusses the innate
sense that even young children
have regarding of things that
rightfully belong to us. Toward
what greater truth might this
be pointing us? The foundation
of justice is the nature and dignity
of the human person and the
profound need we have for others
to respect what rightfully belongs
to us and for us to respect what
belongs to others. This goes beyond
our material possession and also
includes our bodily integrity, our
conscience, and so forth.
2 Note the text says children often
rebel at a “perceived” injustice.
Think of a time you saw a child
have this kind of reaction. How
did the adults around them react?
Who/what helps us develop a
more mature sense of justice?
Students will probably say the adults
tried to help the child calm down and
recognize the needs of others. When
we are young, we are entirely selfcentered.
Our parents, the Church,
friends, and family help us develop
this more mature sense that takes
into account the needs of others.
3 What are ways in which society
can be structured to encourage
people to be just? In what ways
is our current society failing
to mold just people? Accept
reasoned responses. Responses might
involve the duty of lawmakers to create
laws that encourage moral growth and
development.
176 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Vocabulary
Right (n.): That to which
someone has a just
claim. Some rights, called
natural rights, are Godgiven,
fundamental to
the human person, and
common to all people. It
is the duty of government
to protect our natural
rights. Other rights, called
political rights or civil
rights, can be given and/
or taken away by civil
authority, such as the
right to vote, serve on
juries, or receive a public
education.
In order to have
a just society,
we first need
just people.
© Sophia Institute for Teachers
From the time we are children, we have an innate sense of justice or fairness.
We do not always grasp what “fair” means, but we do know that we
think life should be fair. Some of a child’s very fi rst protests, usually toward
a sibling or playmate, are against some perceived injustice. The root of
this sense of justice is the innate grasp humans have of the difference
between what one can say is “mine” and what is “yours.” Usually, it begins
with things over which we feel we have some ownership — a toy or an occupied
space, for example — but as we grow, it extends to the boundaries
of our body, mind, and spirit. In these last three, we acknowledge the ownership
we have over bodily integrity, our emotional well-being, conscience,
legitimate freedom, and our relationship to God. The foundation of justice
is the nature and dignity of the human person and the profound need we
have for others to respect what rightfully belongs to us. This need leads to
a corresponding sense of respect we must have for what belongs to others.
In this chapter, we will explore the nature and kinds of justice upon which
any peaceful society depends.
The Moral Virtue of Justice
The simple defi nition of justice is the “moral virtue that consists in
the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor. …
[Justice] disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish
in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard
to persons and to the common good. The just man… is distinguished
by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward
his neighbor” ( CCC 1807). Notice that justice is a virtue that resides within
us by means of the fi rm will to give others their due. The word justice
itself is rooted in a person’s intention to give what is owed or what belongs
to others by right, or ius in Latin. In order to have a just society, we fi rst
need just people. The virtue of justice is primarily about the intention to be
in a right relationship with others by giving them what they are due: love.
Think of justice like the fl oor of a house; it is the ground of any social
order. Without it, people cannot acquire the most elementary goods necessary
to human life. Justice does not require everyone to be friends or even
to like each other. Justice does, however, require love for God and respect
for the dignity of every human person. In other words, justice demands
that we refrain from ever using other people for our own selfi sh gain and
that we honor all people as images of the living God. Justice demands we
ensure that society uphold the legitimate rights of every person. Implicitly,
justice acknowledges that each person we encounter, and every society
in which we participate, belongs ultimately to God, who is the sole owner
of everything and so establishes the standard by which we are to treat all
people. That standard is His love. Because God loves us, we are minimally
146 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
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equired to follow the Golden Rule, which is to treat others as we wish
to be treated — to love our neighbor as ourselves. As Jesus put it, “Do to
others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and
the prophets” ( Matt. 7:12). This command is the foundation of justice.
Distributive Justice
Sermon on the Mount by Ivan Kuzʹmich Makarov (1889).
Over the centuries, great minds have named different forms of justice. The
Church identifi es four basic expressions of this virtue: distributive justice,
legal justice, commutative justice, and social justice. Distributive justice
is the most basic form of social relations. It pertains to what any community
or social organization as a whole owes to its individual members.
This distribution is always proportionate to what the members contribute
to the common good. “Those in authority should practice distributive
justice wisely, taking account of the needs and contribution of each,
with a view to harmony and peace. They should take care that the
regulations and measures they adopt are not a source of temptation
by setting personal interest against that of the community” ( CCC
2236). Distributive justice also pertains to the just allocation of resources
High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
Christ’s command to
treat others as we wish
to be treated is the
foundation of social
justice.
Vocabulary
The Golden Rule (n.):
The rule to “do unto
others as you would have
done unto you.” In other
words, to treat others
as you would wish to be
treated. and to love your
neighbor as yourself.
Distributive Justice (n.):
The most basic form of
social relations pertaining
to what any society owes
its individual members
in proportion to their
contributions and needs.
177
4 Why is following the Golden Rule
the bare minimum? How does fully
embracing God’s will go much
further? Give some examples.
Accept reasoned responses. The
Golden Rule helps us to avoid
doing anything to someone that we
don’t like and to treat them as we
ourselves desire, but love compels us
further to act on their behalf and for
their good as well.
5 How can society be better
structured toward ensuring
distributive justice toward the
poor without simply taking from
those who have more? How can
the economy better accommodate
workers? All salaries must be just in
respect to the type of work involved.
High salaries offered to attract and
retain top-performing executives
cannot come at the expense of
the wages of lower-level workers.
Public policy can also be structured
to encourage charitable giving, to
promote education, and to support
marriage, the latter two of which are
associated with better economic
outcomes.
© Sophia Institute for Teachers
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High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
147

6 Recount or find an example
of someone, or a group, being
given preferential treatment
that another person might not
receive. Why do you think a
rightly-formed conscience is
troubled by such things? Students
may suggest injustices such as
the quality of legal defense that
is provided by overworked public
defenders compared to that which
is provided by expensive private
lawyers, celebrities receiving special
treatment when accused of crimes,
racist policies like segregation
withholding resources from specific
groups, discrimination against Asian
Americans in higher education, and
so forth. Someone with a rightlyformed
conscience is troubled
and, hopefully, moved to action,
whenever a person or group of
people faces injustice.
178 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Vocabulary
Law (n.): An ordinance of
reason promulgated by
a proper authority for the
common good.
to those in need, especially concerning public goods and infrastructure,
such as access to water, energy, transportation, clean air and water, and
green spaces. In addition, the distribution of wealth cannot accrue to the
powerful at the expense of the powerless, as when individuals conspire
to pay an artifi cially low wage to workers.
There are many common examples of distributive justice. For instance,
a nation owes its soldiers honor and gratitude, and we observe this duty
when we erect monuments to our fallen heroes and provide care and support
to our veterans and their families. Governments and judicial authorities
are obliged to uphold and enforce the rule of law for their people and
never oppress them or submit to corruption. If a judge were to go easy in
prosecuting a celebrity yet bring down the full weight of the law on a poor
man who could not afford adequate defense, society would not be distributing
justice fairly. Within the business community, a corporation owes its
workers a just wage and safe working conditions. (And workers owe their
employers an honest day’s work, which we will discuss in the next section).
In the family, parents must provide for the basic needs of their children to
Authority is exercised
legitimately only when
it seeks the common
good and administers
justice accordingly.
Allegory of Justice by Filippo Tarchiani, Matteo Rosselli,
and Ottavio Vannini (1620–1625).
© Sophia Institute for Teachers
148 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
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the best of their ability — i.e., food, shelter, medical care, education, safety,
etc. All of these examples show us how distributive justice pertains to those
in authority over a community. The responsibility of legitimate authority is
to ensure that society treat every person fairly. Those subject to authority
also have responsibilities, which we will discuss shortly.
Distributive justice also pertains to the fairness surrounding rewards
and punishments. In school, for example, a teacher owes students the
grade they deserve — without infl ation or punity. Have you ever suspected
that you received a grade lower than you deserved because a teacher did
not like you? Yet perhaps the opposite has also happened: you may have
received a higher grade than you deserved due to a teacher’s favor. Would
you protest as much in the latter as in the former circumstance? Likewise,
in the criminal justice system, punishments should never be disproportionate
to the crime committed, except perhaps in a case where showing mercy
is appropriate. Furthermore, when people show outstanding success or go
above and beyond the call of duty, we owe such individuals honor through
recognition, awards, and gratitude. As you can see, distributive justice refers
to any situation in which a community gives what is justly due to its
individual members.
Legal Justice
Legal justice is the corollary to distribute justice and pertains to those who
are subject to a higher authority. Individual members of society have an
obligation to contribute to the good of society by building up the common
good. One of the most important ways we do this is by obeying just laws
and respecting those in positions of legitimate authority over us. In general,
to disobey legitimate authority by breaking the law harms the community
and undermines the common good. Those subject to authority “should
regard those in authority as representatives of God, who made them
stewards of his gifts” ( CCC 2238). Scripture teaches that all authority
comes from God and is a participation in God’s own governance of the
world. This is why St. Peter wrote, “Be subject to every human institution
for the Lord’s sake, whether it be to the king as supreme or to
governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the
approval of those who do good. For it is the will of God that by doing
good you may silence the ignorance of foolish people. Be free, yet
without using freedom as a pretext for evil, but as slaves of God” ( 1
Pet. 2:13–16).
Just laws exist to establish a proper ordering of social life to the common
good. For example, when a person disobeys traffi c laws, they often
put others at risk. Laws that protect property rights and people’s financial
High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
Vocabulary
Authority (n.): The quality
of exercising power over
others and expecting
obedience from them.
All communities need
someone or some institution
in authority. Authority is
exercised legitimately only
when it seeks the common
good of the group and
employs morally licit means
to attain it.
Legal Justice (n.): What
each person owes in
fairness to the community,
such as obeying just laws
and respecting legitimate
authority.
Property (n.): Those
things we legitimately
own, including our
material possessions and
the fruits of our labor.
Property helps guarantee
the freedom and dignity
of persons, and helps us
take care of ourselves and
our families. We have a
responsibility to make our
property fruitful and share
its benefi ts with others,
especially our families.
179
7 What comes to mind when you
hear the term “legal justice”?
This question is meant to activate
prior knowledge students may
have about justice under law.
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8 What are some reasons we
should offer gratitude to our
country? A justly governed country
provides the conditions in which
other critical institutions, such as the
family, are able to flourish.
9 Why is the red-light example
one of convention rather than
morality? Traffic laws are a
society’s attempt to ensure order
and safety, but their particulars do
not depend on fundamentally moral
issues such as the dignity of life.
10 What processes does the United
States government have for
ensuring that political leaders
follow the law? Do they always
work? On what do they ultimately
depend? Elections help to ensure
that the public will is respected. If
leaders disobey the laws, they can
face impeachment, removal from
office, censuring, recall elections,
etc. Accept reasoned answers as
to whether these practices and
laws are effective. In a democratic
republic, they ultimately depend on
the will and virtue of the people.
180 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Vocabulary
Civil Law (n.): A rule
of conduct established
by legitimate human
authority. Just civil law
corresponds to right
reason and is derived
from the eternal law of
God. Unjust civil law
is contrary to reason.
Citizens are obligated
to obey just civil laws
because such laws are
in accordance with the
moral order. Citizens are
obligated in conscience
not to follow unjust civil
laws because such
laws are contrary to the
demands of the moral
order. Citizens must also
not cooperate in practices
allowed by civil law that
are contrary to the Law of
God.
resources provide a sense of security that allows the economy to function
properly. It is thus the duty of citizens “to contribute along with the civil
authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity,
and freedom. The love and service of one’s country follow from the
duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. Submission to
legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens
to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community” ( CCC
2239). Obedience to higher authority and concern for the good of all are
the primary expressions of legal justice. Another example is when a worker
puts in a hard and honest day’s work for the pay he or she receives. An
old adage for the laborer is that one “ought not work slow for more dough.”
This violates the virtue of legal justice.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that not every law has the same
gravity or signifi cance. Obviously, murder or dealing drugs is far more
harmful to society than jaywalking. There are even times when it can be
legitimate to break a civil law, especially in the case of an emergency. We
have to distinguish between moral laws that we may never violate — such
as the prohibition against murder, perjury, or treason — and civil laws that
are a matter of convention or custom. The latter laws will often admit exceptions
that do not result in a sin if we have a good and compelling reason
to break them. Think of a husband stopping and then passing through a
red light to get his pregnant wife to the hospital in the middle of the night.
While he breaks a civil law, he does so for a legitimate cause, and thus he
has not violated the virtue of legal justice.
Another function of legal justice is for citizens to participate in the political
process to the extent that they can. This can be through educating
themselves on the issues, voting (in a democracy or democratic republic
such as the United States), paying taxes, and working to ensure that
morally upright men and women govern the commonwealth. Participating
in the political process is an obligation of legal justice and of one’s membership
in a community. We sometimes elect leaders who do not have the
best interest of the commonwealth at heart. Perhaps they mismanage their
responsibilities or, even worse, are engaged in illegal activity. When this
is the case, legal justice obligates the governed to demand reform or a
change of leadership. Everyone is accountable to the rule of law according
to the demands of legal justice, even those in authority. They are not above
civil law, since they are subject to God’s law. In such cases of corruption,
citizens must use legitimate ways to bring about reform.
Legal justice, however, does not necessarily permit citizens to resort to
violent revolution as a means to bring about change. This very often makes
the situation worse by leaving behind a power vacuum filled by a government
even more corrupt. The Church provides several criteria for when a violent
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change of regime may occur. “Armed resistance to oppression by political
authority is not legitimate, unless all the following conditions are met: 1)
there is certain, grave, and prolonged violation of fundamental rights; 2)
all other means of redress have been exhausted; 3) such resistance will
not provoke worse disorders; 4) there is well-founded hope of success;
and 5) it is impossible reasonably to foresee any better solution” ( CCC
2243). Another alternative, anarchy, never brings effective change and is always
contrary to justice, since it completely disregards the rule of law.
One last consideration of legal justice is that we are never obligated
to obey a civil law that violates God’s moral law. In fact, we are directly
commanded not to follow it! “The citizen is obliged in conscience not to
follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the
demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or
the teachings of the Gospel. Refusing obedience to civil authorities,
when their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience,
finds its justification in the distinction between serving God and serving
the political community” ( CCC 2242). This is what Jesus meant, in
part, when he taught that we ought to “repay to Caesar what belongs to
Caesar and to God what belongs to God” ( Matt. 22:21). Civil and divine
Vocabulary
Anarchy (n.): A state of
lawlessness. In political
terms, it is a nation or
polity lacking any authority
and governance.
Moral Law (n.): A rule
of conduct established
by competent authority
for the common good.
In biblical terms, the
moral law is the fatherly
instruction of God, setting
forth the ways that lead to
happiness and proscribing
those that lead to evil.
St. Peter Preaching in Jerusalem by Charles Poerson (1642).
St. Peter declared to the
early Church “we must
obey God rather than
men” (Acts 5:29).
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11 Can you think of other examples
in which a Catholic must
break the law for the sake of
conscience? Accept reasoned
responses that invoke governmental
policies that force people to commit
or condone moral wrongs.
12 Why must an objector face
the consequences of his or
her choice? An objector can
demonstrate resistance to a
particular law while still showing
reverence for the rule of law through
accepting the consequences of
violating the law. This can be a
powerful witness to the Faith.
13 Identify saints who were
persecuted or martyred for their
refusal to follow unjust laws
or authorities. Accept reasoned
responses. Early Christians were
martyred for refusing to abandon
the Faith for pagan practices and
emperor worship. Others might
include St. John Nepomucene,
who was martyred for refusing to
violate the seal of the confessional.
See also St. Thomas More or the
Nagasaki Martyrs.
182 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Vocabulary
Civil Disobedience (n.):
The refusal to obey civil
laws or demands and
the willingness to accept
punishment for this
disobedience, as a form
of nonviolent protest.
Commutative Justice
(n.): The regulation
of exchange between
persons and between
institutions in accordance
with a strict respect
for their rights. It
obligates both parties to
responsibility, requires
safeguarding of property
rights, paying debts, and
fulfi lling obligations freely
contracted. Without it, no
other form of justice is
possible.
Contract (n.): A legally
binding agreement
between two or more
parties that can be
dissolved once the
conditions of the
agreement have been
fulfi lled (or not) or upon
mutual agreement.
Christ on the Cross is
our perfect model
and example in times
when we face the
earthly challenges of
Christian discipleship.
law may differ, and if they ever contradict, we have to follow God’s law. St.
Peter gave us a model for civil disobedience when he refused to obey the
Jewish leaders after they ordered him to stop preaching in the name of Jesus.
Peter declared, “We must obey God rather than men” ( Acts 5:29). We
see examples of this today when a soldier chooses not to carry out an order
that kills innocent or civilian populations, or when a doctor refuses to kill an
unborn baby even if a local law says he must perform abortions. However,
with the obligation to disobey unjust laws comes the accompanying need
to submit to any punishment for that disobedience. This duty, which Christ
models for us perfectly on the Cross, may have the effect of shocking the
conscience of observers and may help bring about the repeal of unjust laws.
Whether or not our disobedience has this effect, this demand of the Church
is one of the harder but undeniable truths of Christian discipleship.
Commutative Justice
The next kind of justice is commutative justice. This form of justice is
common in the marketplace, where people enter into contractual agreements
with each other. “Contracts are subject to commutative justice
which regulates exchanges between persons and between institutions
in accordance with a strict respect for their rights” ( CCC 2411).
Christ on the Cross between Mary and St. John by Albrecht Altdorfer (ca. 1512).
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183
Lives of Faith
St. Martin de Porres
Fifteen-year-old Martin de Porres arrived at the
entrance to the Dominican Priory of the Holy
Rosary in Lima, Peru. His greatest desire was to
follow Christ through a life of service to the poor
and sick in this religious community. But there was
one major impediment to his dream of becoming a
Dominican: he was of mixed race.
Martin had grown up in extreme poverty. His
father, a Spanish gentleman, had abandoned
young Martin and his mother, a freed Panamanian
slave of African or Native American descent. After
a short time in primary school, Martin learned
under a barber who taught him to cut hair and
provide basic medical care. It was this medical
training that Martin hoped to put to good use in
the service of the poor.
At the time, being of mixed race meant that
Martin could not become a professed member of
the Dominicans. But nothing would deter Martin
from serving God. Regardless of the ridicule and
derision that he experienced, he chose to volunteer
as a servant in the priory. He used his medical
training to help those who were sick and injured.
He also cleaned, did laundry, and worked
in the kitchen. He joyfully completed all of these
humble tasks while suffering great injustice at the
hands of many in the community. He was a man
of deep prayer, which gave him the strength to
endure all that God asked of
him in his mission.
The greater the struggle,
the more abundant the
graces that God pours out on
those souls who cooperate
in His plan. After eight
years, Martin was granted
the privilege of becoming
a professed member of the
Third Order of St. Dominic.
After 10 years, he was placed
in charge of the infirmary,
where he served all peoples
[N]othing
would deter
Martin from
serving God.
regardless of race or economic background.
Rather than fall into bitterness, Martin instead
always sought to serve Christ in love.
It was St. Martin’s total surrender to God in
love, and his great love for all people, that gave him
the strength to endure the injustice he experienced
during his life in the sixteenth century. He not only
fulfi lled his dream of becoming a Dominican, but
he also was said to have been given extraordinary
supernatural gifts from God including: bilocation,
aerial flights, instant cures, miraculous knowledge,
spiritual knowledge, and a close relationship with
animals. St. Martin understood that only the love
of God conquers hate.
Photo credit: Pitxiquin (January 4, 2017)
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14 Our Faith often places significant
emphasis on covenants. Why
are contracts also important for
social and economic life? Accept
reasoned responses. Contracts hold
us accountable for our promises and
help us to organize our earthly affairs
and businesses. They govern areas
of less intimacy and importance than
our covenantal relationships but are
nevertheless an important way of
ensuring justice between two parties.
15 What are some ways our society
could better acknowledge
the reality of sacramental
Marriage? On a personal level,
we can recommit ourselves to
understanding what Marriage truly
is, and we can support our friends
and families in their marriages as we
remind them to stay close to Jesus,
who offers the spouses the graces
they need to persevere through
difficulty. From a governmental
standpoint, we can advocate for
repeal of laws such as those that
penalize marriage in economic
terms and those that allow for
no-fault divorce while providing no
recourse for the abandoned spouse,
and we can support those laws and
policies that encourage just living
wages that do not require both
parents of young children to work.
184 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Vocabulary
Economic Justice (n.):
A particular expression
of commutative justice.
It pertains exclusively
to the moral obligations
of individuals, business,
and governments
concerning just wages,
stable currencies, fair
interest rates on loans,
safe working conditions
for laborers, and other
responsibilities associated
with economic life.
Covenant (n.): A sacred
permanent bond of
family relationship. God
entered into a series
of covenants with His
People throughout
Salvation History to
invite us to be part of
His divine family and to
prepare us gradually and
in stages, words, and
deeds to receive the gift
of salvation.
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Commutative justice always involves two parties of equal standing and the
certain shared obligations they have toward each other. It often contributes
to social order through the mutual respect each person has for another’s
property. We see examples of commutative justice whenever we make a
purchase at a store. When you buy something, your obligation is to pay
the agreed price. The seller’s obligation is to give you exactly what you
have paid for. To shortchange a seller, or for a seller not to deliver on the
promised good or service, is a violation of commutative justice.
This type of justice compels us to keep our word and honor our commitments.
It also pertains to lending and borrowing. We must always pay back
a just loan and return borrowed goods in the same condition we borrowed
them. If you borrow your friend’s car with a full tank of gas, you should
return the car with a full tank of gas. This is how the Church explains it:
“Promises must be kept and contracts strictly observed to the extent
that the commitments made in them are morally just. A significant
part of economic and social life depends on the honoring of contracts
between physical or moral persons — commercial contracts of purchase
or sale, rental or labor contracts. All contracts must be agreed
to and executed in good faith” ( CCC 2410). Another form of justice that
you might hear about, economic justice, is a particular expression of
commutative justice. It pertains exclusively to the moral obligations of individuals,
business, and governments concerning just wages, stable currencies,
fair interest rates on loans, safe working conditions for laborers, and
other responsibilities associated with economic life. It also obliges laborers
to work honestly for their pay.
Generally, when one of the parties to a contractual agreement fails
to meet their obligation, the other party is free of the contract. This distinguishes
a contractual from a covenantal relationship. In a covenant,
both parties are obligated to the terms of the covenant, even if one party
fails. Thus, God is always faithful to His covenant, even when we are not.
Likewise, in Marriage, a covenant binds spouses to each other as long
as they both live. Their Marriage is not a contract but a permanent bond
that remains despite the failure of one or both parties. This is what makes
covenants stable and contracts more fl uid. Society needs both covenantal
and contractual relationships. They differ by the nature of the agreement
between two parties. Yet commutative justice is at work in both covenants
and contracts. We are always obligated to fulfi ll what we have promised to
do so long as the agreement is morally sound and reasonable.
In summary of these fi rst three kinds of justice, the Catechism states,
“Commutative justice obliges strictly; it requires safeguarding property
rights, paying debts, and fulfilling obligations freely contracted.
Without commutative justice, no other form of justice is possible. One
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Pope Pius XI articulated
the concept of social
justice as the fourth form
of justice observed by
the Church.
185
16 Why is the term “social justice”
in a way redundant? Because
all justice necessarily involves
more than one person — justice
means giving God and neighbor
their due.
Vocabulary
Social Justice (n.): The
responsibility of each
member of society to
respect the dignity of
every human being, and
the rights which fl ow from
that dignity and guarantee
it. Society must provide
the conditions that allow
people to obtain what is
their due according to
their nature and vocation.
Pope Pius XI by Alberto Felici (1930).
distinguishes commutative justice from legal justice which concerns
what the citizen owes in fairness to the community, and from distributive
justice which regulates what the community owes its citizens in
proportion to their contributions and needs” ( CCC 2411). Historically,
the Church has taught these three as the primary forms of justice. More
recently, however, due to signifi cant changes to the socioeconomic order
and events such as the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and
the growing poverty of the southern hemisphere, Pope Pius XI introduced
a fourth form of justice — social justice.
Social Justice
You will often hear people sum up the Church’s social teaching by referring
to it as “social justice.” This is not an accurate way to speak of Catholic
Social Teaching, however. Social justice is a term that needs clarifi cation
because it is often misunderstood. Note that all justice involves multiple
persons — it is all based on relationships: our relationship with God and
our relationships with one another. Therefore, the term social justice is, in
a way, redundant. All justice is by defi nition social, because it necessarily
involves more than one person.
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17 Can there ever be a personal
good that conflicts with the
common good? Why or why not?
Accept reasoned answers; through
leading questions, help students see
that no true private good can conflict
with the common good.
18 What does it mean to participate
in socioeconomic life? What are
ways in which people are able to
take part in socioeconomic life or
are hindered from participating
in it? Accept reasoned responses.
Examples for how we take part in
socioeconomic life include ensuring
that people are able to vote in a
democratic society, have time for
rest and leisure with family, afford
at least a modest standard of living
on a salary, and find opportunities
for advancement. When wages
are artificially lowered, prices are
artificially raised, voting laws create
barriers to civic engagement,
standards of education are lower
in poorer neighborhoods, or family
structure is threatened through
economic and social ills, there
can be significant difficulties in full
participation.
186 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Vocabulary
Socialism (n.): An
economic and political
philsophy in which the
means of production,
distubtution, and
exchange is owned by the
centralized government.
The individual does
not own the fruits of his
labor, but relies on the
government to distribute
goods.
Marxism (n.): The
political, economic, and
social theory of Karl
Marx, which holds that
all history is the history of
class struggle. The perfect
society to Marx is one
where the workers control
the means of production,
all property is held in
common, with each
contributing according to
his ability, and receiving
according to his need.
Communists later claimed
to base their actions on
Marxist thought.
Temporal Welfare (n.):
The good pertaining to
this earth, as oppossed
to the good pertaining to
Heaven or eternity.
People sometimes wrongly use the term social justice to refer to a
socialist economic order, which abolishes private property and places the
ownership and control of wealth primarily in the hands of a government. In
the Marxist use of the term, socialism refers to a form of government that
seeks to level the economic playing fi eld by force through a centralized
economy that supposedly will abolish every form of social and economic
injustice. Simply put, the idea is that government could somehow equally
distribute goods to everyone. For reasons we will address in a later chapter,
the Church rejects socialism as a socioeconomic system because it is
opposed to a Christian view of the human person and society (CCC 2425).
In short, socialism can never be just because it undermines the basic right
to enjoy the fruits of one’s labor and destroys the right to exercise free
initiative in the economy (CCC 2429). Socialism and communism are also
based on a fl awed view of the human person, viewing all of history as nothing
more than class struggle. Therefore, when the Church speaks of social
justice, she means something very different.
A simple definition of social justice is the responsibility of each member
of a society to respect the dignity of every human being created in the image
and likeness of God. “Society ensures social justice when it provides
the conditions that allow associations or individuals to obtain what is
their due, according to their nature and their vocation. Social justice is
linked to the common good and the exercise of authority” ( CCC 1928).
Most fundamentally, society must ensure that all people can fulfill their basic
human needs, and the primary way to meet these needs is through a full participation
in social life. Yet individuals cannot fully participate in socioeconomic
life without the cooperation of others and just social conditions. Minimally,
what social justice requires is that every sector of society takes responsibility
for creating the conditions for each individual and family to start a business
or find employment, socialize with others, and participate in politics in order
to guarantee our temporal welfare. Social justice requires a collaboration
between governments, businesses, and other institutions to create a stable
economy that allows for just wages, safe working conditions, adequate transportation,
and the ability of people to start businesses and have access to
employment and any education needed to participate in economic activity.
In cases where people are disabled and unable to work, society (that is,
everyone) must also find effective means to see that these individuals have
access to supports that provide for their temporal welfare in the absence of
work (CCC 2426–2436). These services may be provided by extended family,
private charities, government agencies, or a combination of all three. In the
case of vulnerable individuals, such as the unborn, the displaced, and the elderly,
society (again, everyone) must work to provide these groups of people
with special protection, especially from abortion, exploitation, and euthanasia.
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The primary virtue at play in social justice is a sense of personal responsibility
for the basic needs of those who are most vulnerable and struggle
to support themselves. The commitment to social justice is what makes
certain that no one falls through the cracks of society because of extreme
poverty, oppression, or social exclusion. As a virtue, this responsibility obligates
us to help our neighbor if we are able or to support services like food
banks if we have no other way to help.
These acts are not a matter of charity but of justice; each of us is
responsible for ensuring that no one is deprived of their basic needs. As
Scripture teaches us, we are our neighbor’s keeper. Jesus’ parable of the
Good Samaritan illustrated the point beautifully (Luke 10:29–37). And as
the Church teaches, “The duty of making oneself a neighbor to others
and actively serving them becomes even more urgent when it
involves the disadvantaged, in whatever area this may be. ‘As you
did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me’” ( CCC
1932). While this responsibility is a social responsibility for everyone, we
exercise it individually as we do what we can to make sure that social
conditions are not marginalizing or excluding anyone. For each individual,
the practice of social justice depends on their unique circumstances and
social position.
High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
The commitment
to social justice
is what makes
certain that no
one falls through
the cracks of
society because of
extreme poverty,
oppression, or
social exclusion.
187
19 Read the parable. What
prompts Jesus to tell the
parable? How does His
response demonstrate a more
loving and merciful approach
to the definition of neighbor?
Accept reasoned responses. The
man who posed the question
to Jesus was a lawyer, which
indicates that the response he
may have hoped for was less
inclusive than the response
he received. Jesus offered a
different insight that pushed the
man beyond a traditional, easy
definition of neighbor. Ancient
Jews and Samaritans loathed
each other; the wounded man,
presumably Jewish, was ignored
by his own kinsmen and was
rescued by an enemy, and so this
story demonstrates an important
insight regarding how we ought to
see others.
Marx and Engels at the Rheinische Zeitung by E. Capiro (1849).
Karl Marx and Friedrich
Engels published The
Communist Manifesto
in 1848, asserting
therein that the basis
of all human history is
class struggle and social
confl ict.
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20 How would you compare and
contrast justice and charity in
your own words? Both involve
giving, but justice is about giving
another what he is owed (that which
therefore does not rightly belong
to us). Charity is about giving to
others out of generosity what rightly
belongs to us.
21 What characters from literature
or film can you think of who
embody a strict adherence to
justice without charity? In addition
to the ideas students generate, you
may suggest for their consideration
Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles
Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, Javert
from Les Miserables, Chillingworth
from The Scarlet Letter, and others.
188
Catholic Social Teaching
?
Isn’t it more important to work for justice
than to engage in charity?
In the often intense cry for “social justice”
in our political environment, we
hear some people express a disdain for
works of Christian charity. This perspective
originates in a Marxist view of social
life, which maintains that charitable
works create a class of people who are
dependent upon the rich. This leaves
the poor powerless and without a voice,
so some claim. While the Church clearly
acknowledges the reality of oppression
and the social marginalization of the
poor, she also believes, as Jesus taught
us, that social order requires both justice
and charity (Matt. 5–7). We will discuss
this belief at length in the next chapter.
For the moment, keep in mind that
justice and charity are a social responsibility
of Christian discipleship and are
related integrally to each other. In justice,
we give to others what we owe to
them — what belongs to them by right.
In charity, we give to others what belongs
to us by right out of generosity.
Holiness requires both, since each virtue
contributes to the perfection of the
human will in respect to love of God and
neighbor. Society also needs both forms
of self-giving. We must give to others
what is due to them; and situations
exist in which God calls us to give beyond
what belongs to us in charity — as
He has done for us. The primary social
expressions of charity are the fourteen
works of mercy, which we will discuss in
a later chapter.
The other important aspect of how
justice and charity relate to each other
Vocabulary
Generosity (n.): The quality of freely
and abundantly giving to others.
is that without love of neighbor, people
will not act justly toward others but selfishly.
Thus, the idea that justice alone
can rightly order society is misguided.
Justice without charity makes society
harsh and merciless. Human beings
need more than fair treatment; since we
are all sinners, we need the love and
mercy of others.
Pope Benedict XVI explained the
need for charity and justice in his letter
Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love). It
is a long passage worth quoting in its
entirety:
Love — caritas — will always prove
necessary, even in the most just society.
There is no ordering of the State
so just that it can eliminate the need
for a service of love. Whoever wants
to eliminate love is preparing to eliminate
man as such. There will always
be suffering which cries out for consolation
and help. There will always
be loneliness. There will always be
situations of material need where
help in the form of concrete love of
neighbor is indispensable. The State
which would provide everything, absorbing
everything into itself, would
ultimately become a mere bureaucracy
incapable of guaranteeing
the very thing which the suffering
person — every person — needs:
namely, loving personal concern.
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High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice 189
We do not need a State which regulates
and controls everything, but a can live “by bread alone” ( Mt 4:4; cf.
man: the mistaken notion that man
State which, in accordance with the Dt 8:3) — a conviction that demeans
principle of subsidiarity, generously man and ultimately disregards all
acknowledges and supports initiatives
arising from the different social
that is specifi cally human. (28)
We have to remember that we cannot
forces and combines spontaneity
achieve perfect justice in this life. God has
with closeness to those in need. The
reserved that for eternal life, in which He
Church is one of those living forces:
judges all things perfectly. Human beings
she is alive with the love enkindled
do not have the wisdom, power, or the
by the Spirit of Christ. This love does
not simply offer people material
authority to right every wrong — to create
help, but refreshment and care for
a perfect society. Every attempt to do so
their souls, something which often has created the worst social conditions of
is even more necessary than material
support. In the end, the claim totalitarian states. In the next chapter, we
injustice known to human history under
that just social structures would will look more closely at what the Church
make works of charity superfl uous teaches about the necessity of justice
masks a materialist conception of and charity to the social order.
Christ of the Coin by Anthony van Dyck (ca. 1625).
© Sophia Institute for Teachers
22 Why is the Church capable of
ensuring charity and justice
in a way the State is not?
Accept reasoned responses. The
Church is capable of offering
material help through the various
services offered in charity;
more importantly, the Church
offers Christ and the care of
souls. While material support is
important, the Church also offers
a deeper context for that material
support and offers healing to a
broken world. The Church also
has been founded by God to care
for the “least of these.”
23 Why is the pursuit of a perfect
earthly society a tempting but
ultimately flawed project from
the start? Perfect justice is not
possible in this life and in this
world through human effort. Only
God has the power to properly
order a society toward perfection.
While governments and powerful
leaders can forcibly attempt
to shape society, this power is
never absolute and necessarily
falls. The Church, beset as
she is by human weaknesses
and corruption through history,
endures because the Church is
not a merely human institution or
earthly government.
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190 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
The Truth Is…
The topic of social justice has come to be widely misunderstood in our society.
The modern world thinks if we only right every wrong, real or imagined, then we
can achieve a perfect society. At face value, this does not seem so bad. After
all, is justice not giving people their due? If someone is wrong, then correcting
them is an act of justice! The problem is that our society has come to defi ne
what is wrong and what is right without any reference to God’s law. In fact,
God’s law and the natural law have been discarded for the whims of human
fancy — or worse, the schemes of those who have been corrupted by wealth
and power. The modern idea of social justice tends to align itself more with
socialism than with justice, and this is precisely why we as Catholics have a
responsibility to discuss and practice what the Church teaches about authentic
social justice.
The Church has always taught that the social order requires both authentic
justice and charity. Someone who does in fact co-opt the term social justice
as a cover for socialist and communist policies undermines human dignity by
inverting the relationship between the government and the individual and dismissing
the human right to property and autonomy. Handing over the responsibility
of caring for others to the government is not only a dodge, but it leads to
worse treatment of the poor and, ironically, creates more poor people. On the
other hand, someone who totally dismisses social justice as a cover for socialism
ignores the fact that we have a solemn duty as Christians and as human
beings to care for the true dignity of others. We must practice true, Christian
social justice in order to combat both these fl awed points of view, and — as
always — that process begins with conversion to Christ at the individual and
family level. You are at an age now where you can truly begin to exercise justice
in a social context, and you can start by giving a witness of respect and
love to your family, friends, and community.
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Chapter Activities
Handout A
Focus and Reflection Questions
1 What is the foundation of justice? The
foundation of justice is the nature and dignity
of the human person and the need for
others to respect what belongs to us.
2 What do we owe each person in order to
have a just society? Love.
Handout A
Focus and Reflection Questions
1 What is the foundation of justice?
2 What do we owe each person in order to have a just society?
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3 What is the Golden Rule? Where can we
find it in Scripture? “So whatever you wish
that men would do to you, do so to them; for
this is the law and the prophets” (Matt. 7:12).
3 What is the Golden Rule? Where can we fi nd it in Scripture?
4 What are the four basic expressions of justice that the Church identifi es?
5 What makes up distributive justice? Explain two key principles.
6 How do citizens uphold legal justice?
7 When is it morally permissible, and even necessary, to break a law?
4 What are the four basic expressions
of justice that the Church identifies?
Distributive, legal, commutative, social.
8 What does commutative justice regulate? Whom does it involve?
9 What is the difference between a covenant and a contract, and how do both refl ect commutative
justice?
10 What is social justice? Why is social justice incompatible with socialism?
5 What makes up distributive justice?
Explain two key principles. Distributive justice
pertains to what any community or social
organization owes to its individual members.
Distributive justice also pertains to the fairness
surrounding rewards and punishments.
11 Why is supporting those in need not a matter of charity but of justice?
12 What injustices did St. Martin de Porres experience in his family life? In the Dominican community?
What lessons can we learn from his response?
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6 How do citizens uphold legal justice? By
obeying just laws and respecting those in
positions of legitimate authority over us.
7 When is it morally permissible, and even necessary, to break a law? Laws that are a matter of convention
or custom will often admit exceptions that do not result in a sin if we have a good and compelling
reason to break them. When a civil law is unjust, it may actually be not just permissible but necessary to
violate it in order to remain obedient to God’s will.
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8 What does commutative justice regulate? Whom does it involve? Commutative justice regulates
exchanges between persons and between institutions in accordance with a strict respect for their rights.
It involves two parties of equal standing and the certain shared obligations they have toward each other.
9 What is the difference between a covenant and a contract, and how do both reflect commutative
justice? In a contract, when one of the parties fails to meet their obligation, the other party is free of the
contract. This distinguishes a contractual from a covenantal relationship. In a covenant, both parties are
obligated to the terms of the covenant, even if one party fails. Both reflect commutative justice because
they involve the obligation to fulfill what we have promised to do so long as the agreement is morally
sound and reasonable.
10 What is social justice? Why is social justice incompatible with socialism? Social justice is the
responsibility of each member of a society to respect the dignity of every human being created in the
image and likeness of God. Socialism can never be just because it undermines the basic right to enjoy
the fruits of one’s labor and destroys the right to exercise free initiative in the economy.
11 Why is supporting those in need not a matter of charity but of justice? We are our neighbor’s
keeper; we have a Christian responsibility to those in our society, and that obligates us to ensure that no
one is deprived of basic needs.
12 What injustices did St. Martin de Porres experience in his family life? In the Dominican community?
What lessons can we learn from his response? Martin’s father abandoned him and his mother,
a great injustice to them both. In the Dominican community, he faced institutionalized racism: he was not
allowed to become a professed member because he was mixed race. He responded with meekness and
humility, persevering in prayer and service to God and neighbor. Martin always sought to serve Christ in
love rather than fall into bitterness.
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Handout B
Straight to the Source
Primary Source Activity
These optional primary source readings and reflection questions are meant to help root the learning from
this chapter in the documents and tradition of the Catholic Church. The first reading is a more simple
reading, the second is of average difficulty, and the third is intended for more advanced students.
Answer Key
Mater et Magistra 34
1 Between Christianity and communism/socialism.
2 Because socialism is founded on a purely temporal doctrine of human society and focuses only on material
well-being.
3 It restricts liberty too severely and disregards the meaning of true authority.
192
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Handout B
Straight to the Source
ADDITIONAL READINGS FROM PRIMARY SOURCES
Handout B
Straight to the Source
ADDITIONAL READINGS FROM PRIMARY SOURCES
Mater et Magistra 34, An Encyclical Letter of Pope St. John XXIII, May 15, 1961
34. Pope Pius XI further emphasized the fundamental opposition between Communism and Christianity,
and made it clear that no Catholic could subscribe even to moderate Socialism. The reason is that
Socialism is founded on a doctrine of human society which is bounded by time and takes no account of
any objective other than that of material well-being. Since, therefore, it proposes a form of social organization
which aims solely at production, it places too severe a restraint on human liberty, at the same time
flouting the true notion of social authority.
1 In this encyclical, Pope St. John XIII describes the opposition between Christianity and what?
2 Why can Catholics never subscribe even to moderate socialism?
3 What two flaws fl ow from socialism’s sole focus on production?
Sollicitudo Rei Socialis 41, An Encyclical Letter of Pope St. John Paul II,
December 30, 1987
The Church’s social doctrine is not a “third way” between liberal capitalism and Marxist collectivism, nor
even a possible alternative to other solutions less radically opposed to one another: rather, it constitutes
a category of its own. Nor is it an ideology, but rather the accurate formulation of the results of a careful
reflection on the complex realities of human existence, in society and in the international order, in the light
of faith and of the Church’s tradition. Its main aim is to interpret these realities, determining their conformity
with or divergence from the lines of the Gospel teaching on man and his vocation, a vocation which is at
once earthly and transcendent; its aim is thus to guide Christian behavior. It therefore belongs to the fi eld,
not of ideology, but of theology and particularly of moral theology.
The teaching and spreading of her social doctrine are part of the Church’s evangelizing mission. And since
it is a doctrine aimed at guiding people’s behavior, it consequently gives rise to a “commitment to justice,”
according to each individual’s role, vocation and circumstances.
The condemnation of evils and injustices is also part of that ministry of evangelization in the social fi eld
which is an aspect of the Church’s prophetic role. But it should be made clear that proclamation is always
more important than condemnation, and the latter cannot ignore the former, which gives it true solidity
and the force of higher motivation.
Quadragesimo Anno 137, An Encyclical Letter of Pope Pius XI, May 15, 1931
The law of charity, “which is the bond of perfection,” must always take a leading role. How completely
deceived, therefore, are those rash reformers who concern themselves with the enforcement of justice
alone — and this, commutative justice — and in their pride reject the assistance of charity! Admittedly, no
vicarious charity can substitute for justice which is due as an obligation and is wrongfully denied. Yet even
supposing that everyone should fi nally receive all that is due him, the widest field for charity will always
remain open. For justice alone can, if faithfully observed, remove the causes of social confl ict but can
never bring about union of minds and hearts. Indeed all the institutions for the establishment of peace
and the promotion of mutual help among men, however perfect these may seem, have the principal foundation
of their stability in the mutual bond of minds and hearts whereby the members are united with one
another. If this bond is lacking, the best of regulations come to naught, as we have learned by too frequent
experience. And so, then only will true cooperation be possible for a single common good when the constituent
parts of society deeply feel themselves members of one great family and children of the same
Heavenly Father; nay, that they are one body in Christ, “but severally members one of another,” so that “if
one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with it.” For then the rich and others in positions of
power will change their former indifference toward their poorer brothers into a solicitous and active love,
listen with kindliness to their just demands, and freely forgive their possible mistakes and faults. And the
workers, sincerely putting aside every feeling of hatred or envy which the promoters of social confl ict so
cunningly exploit, will not only accept without rancor the place in human society assigned them by Divine
Providence, but rather will hold it in esteem, knowing well that everyone according to his function and duty
is toiling usefully and honorably for the common good and is following closely in the footsteps of Him Who,
being in the form of God, willed to be a carpenter among men and be known as the son of a carpenter.
1 Why are regulations insuffi cient for true cooperation among persons in a society? What more is
needed?
2 Why does the pope invoke Jesus as the son of a carpenter? What point is he making with this
example?
3 The pope refers to “promoters of social conflict” in this passage. What evidence do you see around
you of those seeking to exploit feelings of resentment among workers? How can this be combatted
with charity?
1 What does Pope St. John Paul II say that the Church’s social doctrine is NOT?
2 What does he describe as the main aim of the Church’s social doctrine? What is it aimed at guiding?
3 How does the pope describe the right balance between the condemnation of injustice and the
proclamation of the Gospel within the ministry of evangelization?
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Sollictitudo Rei Socialis 41
1 It is not a “third way” between capitalism and communism; it is not an ideology.
2 To interpret the realities of human existence in the light of faith and the Tradition of the Church. Its aim is to
guide human behavior.
3 We must condemn evils as part of evangelization, but we should also remember that proclaiming the Gospel
is more important; the Gospel is what gives our admonishment meaning, weight, and urgency.
Quadragesimo Anno 137
1 Real cooperation only arises from mutual bonds of minds and hearts among people, which comes from knowing
they are all members of the same body — the Body of Christ.
2 To show that there is nothing wrong with occupying a “lowly” place in society. God Himself, when He assumed
a human nature, chose to be not a rich and powerful ruler but a tradesman. Humble work is honorable and
supports the common good.
3 Accept reasoned answers, encouraging students to apply Pope Pius XI’s teaching to their own lives.
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Handout C
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
Warm-Up
This activity is meant to introduce the chapter’s topic, activate student knowledge, and encourage
students to reflect on their own experience in order to set the stage for the learning in the rest of the
chapter.
Scored _____ / 10
Activity Instructions
A Have students turn to Handout C: The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus and read the Parable of the
Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31) independently or read it aloud to the class.
B Then, have students complete the worksheet with a partner.
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196 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Handout C
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
Directions: Read the following parable. Then answer the questions and prepare to discuss.
______/ 10 pts.
4 Note that in telling this parable, Christ does not condemn the rich man’s wealth itself; what instead does
He show that the rich man has allowed wealth to do to him? What responsibility comes with wealth?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Luke 16:19–31
[Jesus said] “There was a rich man who dressed in
purple garments and fi ne linen and dined sumptuously
each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named
Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have
eaten his fi ll of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s
table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels
to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died
and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he
was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham
far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father
Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the
tip of his fi nger in water and cool my tongue, for I am
suffering torment in these fl ames.’ Abraham replied,
‘My child, remember that you received what was good
during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received
what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas
you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you
a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from
crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you,
father, send him to my father’s house, for I have fi ve
brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come
to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They
have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from
the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham
said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise
from the dead.’”
5 The rich man pleads with Abraham to allow Lazarus to warn his fathers and brothers, who are still living,
of the fate the rich man has suffered. Whom do these fi gures represent? How does Abraham’s response
serve as a warning?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
6 What could the rich man have done to achieve God’s justice? Rewrite the parable into an imagined one
in which Christ instead praises the rich man for his just acts.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
1 Who are the two main characters in the fi rst part of the story? How do the fates of these two characters
compare to the earthly lives they lived?
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___________________________________________________________________________________
2 Why do you think Lazarus is named, and the rich man is not?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
3 How does the rich man’s life demonstrate injustice through his relationship (or lack thereof) with
Lazarus? What did he owe to the beggar at his door?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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C Finally, discuss student answers as a large group. Invite students who wish to share their creative responses
to do so.
D Close by reading aloud Luke 6:20–26 and allowing a few moments of silent reflection.
Answer Key
Accept reasoned answers such as the suggested following:
1 Lazarus, the poor, sick beggar, dies and goes to paradise. The rich man dies and is sentenced to eternal
torment. Their fortunes in life are reversed after their deaths.
2 The rich man represents indifference to the suffering of others; he, like his name, is ultimately forgettable,
though his fate serves as a reminder and a warning. Lazarus, silent in the parable, seems to quietly bear his
suffering and through it comes to know God’s mercy and the great reversal foreshadowed in Luke 6:20–26.
3 Lazarus seems to have been regularly shunned and ignored. The rich man, whether unaware of Lazarus or
indifferent to his suffering, demonstrates a terrible self-absorption. The rich man never came to appreciate that
Lazarus was a neighbor to him and deserved more than his disregard. Lazarus, in a way, was an opportunity
for charity and an instance for righting the social evil of poverty, but he went entirely ignored.
4 The rich man allowed preoccupation with his fine things to make him distant and indifferent. His wealth did not
become an occasion of generosity but instead had turned him inward. Wealth itself is not evil but places its
owner at risk of increased selfishness and greed — of relying on oneself rather than God. Wealth places upon
its owners’ shoulders a greater responsibility to care for others.
5 The figures represent us, still living. Have we hardened our hearts to the words of Moses and the prophets? If
we do not believe them, why would we believe even in the face of a miracle, or even believe in the One who
has risen from the dead — who is Christ Himself?
6 Accept reasoned, creative responses. An example: [Jesus said] “There was a rich man who dressed in purple
garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named
Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s
table. The rich man, hearing of Lazarus, summoned the poor man and dined with him. When the poor man
died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. Hearing of the death of Lazarus, the rich man
gave his own tomb for the burial. He went out and found others who were hungry and thirsty and sick and
brought them to his table. Each week he went out and gathered more to his home. He gave his last silver coin
to feed the hungry of the city. The poor man, who once was rich, also died and was buried, and he was carried
away by angels to the bosom of Abraham, and there found Lazarus, who once was poor.
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Handout D
Identifying and Applying the Kinds of Justice
Activity #1
This activity is meant to help your students work directly with the content of this chapter and think more
deeply about it.
Scored ____ / 10
Activity Instructions
A Have students use the Chapter text to assist
them in completing the chart on Handout D:
Identifying and Applying the Kinds of Justice.
B Independently or with a partner, students will
need to:
1. Identify the four types of justice described in
the chapter.
2. Briefly define the type of justice.
3. Beyond the examples provided in the text,
identify a way in which this form of justice
may be served.
4. Beyond the examples provided in the text,
identify a way in which this form of justice
may be violated.
C When students have completed the chart, discuss
the results. You may wish to project a blank chart
and fill it in together as you debrief the activity.
D Spend a few moments especially taking time to
compare and discuss the ways in which the forms
of justice are observed or violated.
Handout D
Identifying and Applying
the Kinds of Justice
Directions: Use the Chapter text and your own ideas to complete the graphic organizer below.
1 Identify the 4 types of justice described in the chapter.
2 Briefl y defi ne the type of justice.
High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
______/ 10 pts.
3 Beyond the examples provided in the text, identify a way in which this form of justice may be observed.
4 Beyond the examples provided in the text, identify a way in which this form of justice may be violated.
Type of Justice Brief Definition Justice Observed Justice Violated
197
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Answer Key
Example of a completed chart:
Type of Justice Brief Definition Justice Observed Justice Violated
Distributive Justice
Making sure all
people have what
they need and
deserve.
A doctor earns a
high salary because
she contributes rare,
highly sought-after
skills to the common
good.
A criminal receives
a punishment that
is harsh and not
proportionate to the
crime committed.
Legal Justice
Everyone should
obey just laws and
respect those with
legitimate authority.
Recognizing the
authority of political
leaders even if you
didn’t vote for them.
Gerrymandering:
using legal means of
redistricting in order
to deprive certain
groups of voting
power.
Commutative Justice
Everyone should
obey just laws and
respect those with
legitimate authority.
A car mechanic
makes a fair estimate
for a repair and
stands by it.
An employer doesn’t
pay the contracted
salary to her
employees.
Social Justice
Responsibility of
society to respect
the dignity of each
person.
A community makes
resources available to
families struggling to
afford food.
More powerful
members of a
society oppress
another group and
disenfranchise them.
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Handout E
Excerpt from “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Activity #2
This activity is meant to help extend, deepen, or apply the learning that has occurred in this chapter.
Scored ____ / 10
Activity Instructions
A Project or write on the board the quotation:
One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit
that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty
of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing
the highest respect for law. — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Handout E
Excerpt from “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
______/ 10 pts.
4 Considering the last paragraph, why is “legal” not the same as “moral” or “good?” What are examples of
laws in our country today that allow for harmful or immoral behavior?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Directions: Visit SophiaOnline.org/MLKLetter and skim over “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Rev.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King wrote this letter in 1963 from his jail cell, where he had been
incarcerated for his role in organizing nonviolent protests against segregationist policies in
Birmingham, Alabama.
Read carefully from the paragraph beginning “Since we so diligently urge
people to obey the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation
in the public schools” to the paragraph ending “If today I lived in a Communist
country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I
would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws.”
As you read, pay close attention to the ways in which Dr. King echoes
Catholic teachings on just and unjust law in his letter. Then, answer the
following questions and prepare for a discussion.
1 According to Martin Luther King, Jr., why are segregation laws
unjust? What is the origin of segregation, and why is it something
that ought to be resisted?
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Martin Luther King Photo Credit:
Warren K. Leffl er (March 2 1965).
2 Dr. King was not Catholic, but he identifi es two Catholic saints in his description of just law. Identify them
and describe how their teaching refl ects King’s message.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
5 Write a brief refl ection explaining your response to the following quotation:
“One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I
submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the
penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality
expressing the highest respect for law.”
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
3 What does King say that is directly refl ected in your chapter reading on legal justice?
___________________________________________________________________________________
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B Ask the class to put this quote in their own words. Then, using leading questions, help them see that King is
carefully distinguishing here between “a law” (or man-made law) and “law,” by which he means something else
entirely. (Underline the last word of the quotation to emphasize this point.) What might he mean by this? By
“law” King means a higher law — God’s law. Man-made law that contradicts God’s law only purports to be law;
it is not in fact law and is not binding on our conscience.
C Transition to the activity by asking the class what they already know about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Keep
a list on the board of facts and biographical information.
D Ask specifically what they may know about King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” He wrote this letter in 1963
from his jail cell, where he had been incarcerated for his role in organizing nonviolent protests against segregationist
policies in Birmingham, Alabama.
E
F
Distribute and have students refer to Handout E: Excerpt from “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Rev.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Then have them visit SophiaOnline.org/MLKLetter and skim over “Letter from a
Birmingham Jail” and answer the questions on the worksheet. They should carefully read from the paragraph beginning
“Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court’s decision of 1954 outlawing segregation
in the public schools” to the paragraph ending “If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles
dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country’s antireligious laws.”
Review answers and discuss when students have finished the assignment.
Answer Key
Accept reasoned answers such as the suggested answers below:
1 Laws requiring segregation are “politically, economically, and sociologically unsound” and “morally wrong and
sinful.” Segregation “distorts the soul and damages the personality,” and it brings to life in a terrible way the
alienation and separation that occurs through sin. He urges disobedience to segregation laws because they
are intrinsically morally wrong.
2 He quotes St. Augustine: “an unjust law is no law at all” (De Libero Arbitrio i, 5). This reflects the idea that laws
that are inherently opposed to justice are not truly laws. He also paraphrases St. Thomas Aquinas: “an unjust
law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law” (paraphrased from Summa Theologica,
I-II, Q. 91, art. 2–3). In other words, man-made laws are unjust when they contradict God’s laws.
3 He says that someone who breaks an unjust law must do so with a willingness to suffer the consequences. His nonviolent
approach to civil disobedience parallels the Church teachings that a resistance to unjust laws must not be
tainted by recourse to violence. Civil laws that directly contradict God’s moral law demand disobedience. Serving God’s
law sometimes demands disobedience to man-made law when man-made law is contrary to God’s will. Resistance to
unjust law and authority should never lead to lawlessness or anarchy but should rather illustrate the moral failings of
the law — something that innocent people submitting to unjust penalties demonstrates to the world. This is one reason
King also emphasizes the importance of willingly accepting the consequences for civil disobedience.
4 Dr. King uses the example of Nazi Germany as a demonstration that legality is not a measure for morality. War
and atrocity under the Nazi regime demanded resistance. Additionally, the Hungarian resistance was itself
illegal disobedience to unjust rule. Unjust laws allow one group’s immoral views to be forced onto another.
Accept reasoned responses: unjust war, legal abortion, legal slavery, socialism, crony capitalism, etc. can all
reflect ways that unjust laws allow some to profit at the expense of others.
5 Accept thoughtful answers.
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Handout F
The Need for Conversion
Activity #3
This activity is meant to help extend, deepen, or apply the learning that has occurred in this chapter.
Scored ____ / 10
Activity Instructions
A Begin by asking the class if anyone has ever
been forced to volunteer their time for a cause
that they did not really believe in or care about,
for example for “service hours” requirements
or other objectives. Follow up by asking if their
hearts were truly in it — or, at least, if they would
have been more involved with the charitable endeavor
if they had personally chosen it. Answers
will vary, but students will likely answer that being
forced to volunteer did not produce the fruits
that would have come from their own freely chosen
actions.
B Explain that “forced charity” is a contradiction
of terms — love cannot be forced, it can only be
freely offered. God Himself grants us free will;
He loves us and wants eternal life for us, but He
does not force anyone to love Him! Of course,
this is NOT to say that there is no value in doing
charitable works out of obligation — students
should keep doing their service hours if they are
required! It is better to help the needy out of obligation
than not to help them. But enforced acts
of goodwill can never bring about true conversion
toward the good or a truly just society.
200 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Handout F
The Need for Conversion
Directions: Answer the questions and then read the Scripture verses that follow. Finally, answer the
refl ection question.
______/ 10 pts.
1 Have you ever followed a rule grudgingly, even though you disagreed with it? What happened? Did you
come to see wisdom in the rule? Or did you grow more resentful?
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2 Have you ever been required to do a charitable activity or volunteer for a cause you did not personally
believe in? Describe what happened.
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Proverbs 22:16
Oppressing the poor
for enrichment, giving
to the rich: both are
sheer loss.
Reflect
© Sophia Institute for Teachers
Proverbs 31:8–9
Open your mouth in behalf of
the mute, and for the rights of
the destitute;
Open your mouth, judge justly,
defend the needy and the
poor!
Micah 6:8
You have been told, O mortal,
what is good,
and what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do justice and to love
goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.
It is better to help the needy out of obligation than not to help them. That said, why can
enforced acts of charity never bring about a truly just society? What else is needed?
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C Conclude that as you have been learning for the
last three chapters, a society can only be just if it
is made up of just people. Laws, even if they are
good laws, are not enough for a truly peaceful
world. Have students reflect on the questions on
Handout F: The Need for Conversion and write
brief responses.
© Sophia Institute for Teachers
High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
171

D Then, have them read silently the Scripture verses that follow and respond to the reflection question.
E
Close in a Catholic prayer for justice, such as:
Father, you have given all peoples one common origin.
It is your will that they be gathered together
as one family in yourself.
Fill the hearts of mankind with the fire of your love
and with the desire to ensure justice for all.
By sharing the good things you give us,
may we secure an equality for all
our brothers and sisters throughout the world.
May there be an end to division, strife and war.
May there be a dawning of a truly human society
built on love and peace.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord.
Amen.
Answer Key
Accept reasoned answers for all.
172 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
© Sophia Institute for Teachers

Teacher Notes
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High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
173

High School Chapter
Different Types
of Justice

High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
175
Chapter Overview
We all have a natural impulse toward justice that arises from our human dignity.
But what exactly is justice? While people may use the term justice to mean
different things, properly speaking, justice is the moral virtue by which we give God
and our neighbor their due. Distributive justice requires that society as a whole
give its members what they deserve based on their contribution to the common
good. Legal justice obliges us to obey legitimate authorities and participate in the
political process. Commutative justice holds people to their promises and requires
us to honor the agreements we make. Social justice calls all levels of society to
work together to respect the dignity and ensure the well-being of all people. Finally,
each of these types of justice must be carried out in the spirit of Christian
charity, because without love, there can be no true justice.
In this chapter you will learn that…
■ Justice is a moral virtue that leads the Christian to give God and neighbor their due.
■ Distributive justice accounts for the needs, rewards, and punishments of a person.
■ Legal justice requires one to obey just laws in the service of their society.
■ Commutative justice is served through honoring contracts and conducting economic and social
matters with fairness.
■ Social justice necessitates that a member of society respects the dignity of other members and
ensures especially the well-being of the poor and vulnerable.
■ Justice must be tempered with love and mercy.
Bible Basics
Connections to the Catechism
“Do to others whatever you would have them
do to you. This is the law and the prophets.”
MATTHEW 7:12
“We must obey God rather than men.”
ACTS 5:29
CCC 1807
CCC 1928
CCC 1932
CCC 2236
CCC 2238
CCC 2239
CCC 2242
CCC 2243
CCC 2410
CCC 2411
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176 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Vocabulary
Right (n.): That to which
someone has a just
claim. Some rights, called
natural rights, are Godgiven,
fundamental to
the human person, and
common to all people. It
is the duty of government
to protect our natural
rights. Other rights, called
political rights or civil
rights, can be given and/
or taken away by civil
authority, such as the
right to vote, serve on
juries, or receive a public
education.
From the time we are children, we have an innate sense of justice or fairness.
We do not always grasp what “fair” means, but we do know that we
think life should be fair. Some of a child’s very first protests, usually toward
a sibling or playmate, are against some perceived injustice. The root of
this sense of justice is the innate grasp humans have of the difference
between what one can say is “mine” and what is “yours.” Usually, it begins
with things over which we feel we have some ownership — a toy or an occupied
space, for example — but as we grow, it extends to the boundaries
of our body, mind, and spirit. In these last three, we acknowledge the ownership
we have over bodily integrity, our emotional well-being, conscience,
legitimate freedom, and our relationship to God. The foundation of justice
is the nature and dignity of the human person and the profound need we
have for others to respect what rightfully belongs to us. This need leads to
a corresponding sense of respect we must have for what belongs to others.
In this chapter, we will explore the nature and kinds of justice upon which
any peaceful society depends.
The Moral Virtue of Justice
In order to have
a just society,
we first need
just people.
The simple definition of justice is the “moral virtue that consists in
the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor. …
[Justice] disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish
in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard
to persons and to the common good. The just man… is distinguished
by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward
his neighbor” (CCC 1807). Notice that justice is a virtue that resides within
us by means of the firm will to give others their due. The word justice
itself is rooted in a person’s intention to give what is owed or what belongs
to others by right, or ius in Latin. In order to have a just society, we first
need just people. The virtue of justice is primarily about the intention to be
in a right relationship with others by giving them what they are due: love.
Think of justice like the floor of a house; it is the ground of any social
order. Without it, people cannot acquire the most elementary goods necessary
to human life. Justice does not require everyone to be friends or even
to like each other. Justice does, however, require love for God and respect
for the dignity of every human person. In other words, justice demands
that we refrain from ever using other people for our own selfish gain and
that we honor all people as images of the living God. Justice demands we
ensure that society uphold the legitimate rights of every person. Implicitly,
justice acknowledges that each person we encounter, and every society
in which we participate, belongs ultimately to God, who is the sole owner
of everything and so establishes the standard by which we are to treat all
people. That standard is His love. Because God loves us, we are minimally
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High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
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Christ’s command to
treat others as we wish
to be treated is the
foundation of social
justice.
Vocabulary
The Golden Rule (n.):
The rule to “do unto
others as you would have
done unto you.” In other
words, to treat others
as you would wish to be
treated. and to love your
neighbor as yourself.
Distributive Justice (n.):
The most basic form of
social relations pertaining
to what any society owes
its individual members
in proportion to their
contributions and needs.
Sermon on the Mount by Ivan Kuzʹmich Makarov (1889).
required to follow the Golden Rule, which is to treat others as we wish
to be treated — to love our neighbor as ourselves. As Jesus put it, “Do to
others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and
the prophets” (Matt. 7:12). This command is the foundation of justice.
Distributive Justice
Over the centuries, great minds have named different forms of justice. The
Church identifies four basic expressions of this virtue: distributive justice,
legal justice, commutative justice, and social justice. Distributive justice
is the most basic form of social relations. It pertains to what any community
or social organization as a whole owes to its individual members.
This distribution is always proportionate to what the members contribute
to the common good. “Those in authority should practice distributive
justice wisely, taking account of the needs and contribution of each,
with a view to harmony and peace. They should take care that the
regulations and measures they adopt are not a source of temptation
by setting personal interest against that of the community” (CCC
2236). Distributive justice also pertains to the just allocation of resources
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178 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Vocabulary
Law (n.): An ordinance of
reason promulgated by
a proper authority for the
common good.
to those in need, especially concerning public goods and infrastructure,
such as access to water, energy, transportation, clean air and water, and
green spaces. In addition, the distribution of wealth cannot accrue to the
powerful at the expense of the powerless, as when individuals conspire
to pay an artificially low wage to workers.
There are many common examples of distributive justice. For instance,
a nation owes its soldiers honor and gratitude, and we observe this duty
when we erect monuments to our fallen heroes and provide care and support
to our veterans and their families. Governments and judicial authorities
are obliged to uphold and enforce the rule of law for their people and
never oppress them or submit to corruption. If a judge were to go easy in
prosecuting a celebrity yet bring down the full weight of the law on a poor
man who could not afford adequate defense, society would not be distributing
justice fairly. Within the business community, a corporation owes its
workers a just wage and safe working conditions. (And workers owe their
employers an honest day’s work, which we will discuss in the next section).
In the family, parents must provide for the basic needs of their children to
Authority is exercised
legitimately only when
it seeks the common
good and administers
justice accordingly.
Allegory of Justice by Filippo Tarchiani, Matteo Rosselli,
and Ottavio Vannini (1620–1625).
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High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
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the best of their ability — i.e., food, shelter, medical care, education, safety,
etc. All of these examples show us how distributive justice pertains to those
in authority over a community. The responsibility of legitimate authority is
to ensure that society treat every person fairly. Those subject to authority
also have responsibilities, which we will discuss shortly.
Distributive justice also pertains to the fairness surrounding rewards
and punishments. In school, for example, a teacher owes students the
grade they deserve — without inflation or punity. Have you ever suspected
that you received a grade lower than you deserved because a teacher did
not like you? Yet perhaps the opposite has also happened: you may have
received a higher grade than you deserved due to a teacher’s favor. Would
you protest as much in the latter as in the former circumstance? Likewise,
in the criminal justice system, punishments should never be disproportionate
to the crime committed, except perhaps in a case where showing mercy
is appropriate. Furthermore, when people show outstanding success or go
above and beyond the call of duty, we owe such individuals honor through
recognition, awards, and gratitude. As you can see, distributive justice refers
to any situation in which a community gives what is justly due to its
individual members.
Legal Justice
Legal justice is the corollary to distribute justice and pertains to those who
are subject to a higher authority. Individual members of society have an
obligation to contribute to the good of society by building up the common
good. One of the most important ways we do this is by obeying just laws
and respecting those in positions of legitimate authority over us. In general,
to disobey legitimate authority by breaking the law harms the community
and undermines the common good. Those subject to authority “should
regard those in authority as representatives of God, who made them
stewards of his gifts” (CCC 2238). Scripture teaches that all authority
comes from God and is a participation in God’s own governance of the
world. This is why St. Peter wrote, “Be subject to every human institution
for the Lord’s sake, whether it be to the king as supreme or to
governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the
approval of those who do good. For it is the will of God that by doing
good you may silence the ignorance of foolish people. Be free, yet
without using freedom as a pretext for evil, but as slaves of God” (1
Pet. 2:13–16).
Vocabulary
Authority (n.): The quality
of exercising power over
others and expecting
obedience from them.
All communities need
someone or some institution
in authority. Authority is
exercised legitimately only
when it seeks the common
good of the group and
employs morally licit means
to attain it.
Legal Justice (n.): What
each person owes in
fairness to the community,
such as obeying just laws
and respecting legitimate
authority.
Property (n.): Those
things we legitimately
own, including our
material possessions and
the fruits of our labor.
Property helps guarantee
the freedom and dignity
of persons, and helps us
take care of ourselves and
our families. We have a
responsibility to make our
property fruitful and share
its benefits with others,
especially our families.
Just laws exist to establish a proper ordering of social life to the common
good. For example, when a person disobeys traffic laws, they often
put others at risk. Laws that protect property rights and people’s financial
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180 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Vocabulary
Civil Law (n.): A rule
of conduct established
by legitimate human
authority. Just civil law
corresponds to right
reason and is derived
from the eternal law of
God. Unjust civil law
is contrary to reason.
Citizens are obligated
to obey just civil laws
because such laws are
in accordance with the
moral order. Citizens are
obligated in conscience
not to follow unjust civil
laws because such
laws are contrary to the
demands of the moral
order. Citizens must also
not cooperate in practices
allowed by civil law that
are contrary to the Law of
God.
resources provide a sense of security that allows the economy to function
properly. It is thus the duty of citizens “to contribute along with the civil
authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity,
and freedom. The love and service of one’s country follow from the
duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. Submission to
legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens
to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community” (CCC
2239). Obedience to higher authority and concern for the good of all are
the primary expressions of legal justice. Another example is when a worker
puts in a hard and honest day’s work for the pay he or she receives. An
old adage for the laborer is that one “ought not work slow for more dough.”
This violates the virtue of legal justice.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that not every law has the same
gravity or significance. Obviously, murder or dealing drugs is far more
harmful to society than jaywalking. There are even times when it can be
legitimate to break a civil law, especially in the case of an emergency. We
have to distinguish between moral laws that we may never violate — such
as the prohibition against murder, perjury, or treason — and civil laws that
are a matter of convention or custom. The latter laws will often admit exceptions
that do not result in a sin if we have a good and compelling reason
to break them. Think of a husband stopping and then passing through a
red light to get his pregnant wife to the hospital in the middle of the night.
While he breaks a civil law, he does so for a legitimate cause, and thus he
has not violated the virtue of legal justice.
Another function of legal justice is for citizens to participate in the political
process to the extent that they can. This can be through educating
themselves on the issues, voting (in a democracy or democratic republic
such as the United States), paying taxes, and working to ensure that
morally upright men and women govern the commonwealth. Participating
in the political process is an obligation of legal justice and of one’s membership
in a community. We sometimes elect leaders who do not have the
best interest of the commonwealth at heart. Perhaps they mismanage their
responsibilities or, even worse, are engaged in illegal activity. When this
is the case, legal justice obligates the governed to demand reform or a
change of leadership. Everyone is accountable to the rule of law according
to the demands of legal justice, even those in authority. They are not above
civil law, since they are subject to God’s law. In such cases of corruption,
citizens must use legitimate ways to bring about reform.
Legal justice, however, does not necessarily permit citizens to resort to
violent revolution as a means to bring about change. This very often makes
the situation worse by leaving behind a power vacuum filled by a government
even more corrupt. The Church provides several criteria for when a violent
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High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
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change of regime may occur. “Armed resistance to oppression by political
authority is not legitimate, unless all the following conditions are met: 1)
there is certain, grave, and prolonged violation of fundamental rights; 2)
all other means of redress have been exhausted; 3) such resistance will
not provoke worse disorders; 4) there is well-founded hope of success;
and 5) it is impossible reasonably to foresee any better solution” (CCC
2243). Another alternative, anarchy, never brings effective change and is always
contrary to justice, since it completely disregards the rule of law.
One last consideration of legal justice is that we are never obligated
to obey a civil law that violates God’s moral law. In fact, we are directly
commanded not to follow it! “The citizen is obliged in conscience not to
follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the
demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or
the teachings of the Gospel. Refusing obedience to civil authorities,
when their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience,
finds its justification in the distinction between serving God and serving
the political community” (CCC 2242). This is what Jesus meant, in
part, when he taught that we ought to “repay to Caesar what belongs to
Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (Matt. 22:21). Civil and divine
Vocabulary
Anarchy (n.): A state of
lawlessness. In political
terms, it is a nation or
polity lacking any authority
and governance.
Moral Law (n.): A rule
of conduct established
by competent authority
for the common good.
In biblical terms, the
moral law is the fatherly
instruction of God, setting
forth the ways that lead to
happiness and proscribing
those that lead to evil.
St. Peter Preaching in Jerusalem by Charles Poerson (1642).
St. Peter declared to the
early Church “we must
obey God rather than
men” (Acts 5:29).
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182 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Vocabulary
Civil Disobedience (n.):
The refusal to obey civil
laws or demands and
the willingness to accept
punishment for this
disobedience, as a form
of nonviolent protest.
Commutative Justice
(n.): The regulation
of exchange between
persons and between
institutions in accordance
with a strict respect
for their rights. It
obligates both parties to
responsibility, requires
safeguarding of property
rights, paying debts, and
fulfilling obligations freely
contracted. Without it, no
other form of justice is
possible.
law may differ, and if they ever contradict, we have to follow God’s law. St.
Peter gave us a model for civil disobedience when he refused to obey the
Jewish leaders after they ordered him to stop preaching in the name of Jesus.
Peter declared, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). We
see examples of this today when a soldier chooses not to carry out an order
that kills innocent or civilian populations, or when a doctor refuses to kill an
unborn baby even if a local law says he must perform abortions. However,
with the obligation to disobey unjust laws comes the accompanying need
to submit to any punishment for that disobedience. This duty, which Christ
models for us perfectly on the Cross, may have the effect of shocking the
conscience of observers and may help bring about the repeal of unjust laws.
Whether or not our disobedience has this effect, this demand of the Church
is one of the harder but undeniable truths of Christian discipleship.
Commutative Justice
The next kind of justice is commutative justice. This form of justice is
common in the marketplace, where people enter into contractual agreements
with each other. “Contracts are subject to commutative justice
which regulates exchanges between persons and between institutions
in accordance with a strict respect for their rights” (CCC 2411).
Contract (n.): A legally
binding agreement
between two or more
parties that can be
dissolved once the
conditions of the
agreement have been
fulfilled (or not) or upon
mutual agreement.
Christ on the Cross is
our perfect model
and example in times
when we face the
earthly challenges of
Christian discipleship.
Christ on the Cross between Mary and St. John by Albrecht Altdorfer (ca. 1512).
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Lives of Faith
St. Martin de Porres
Fifteen-year-old Martin de Porres arrived at the
entrance to the Dominican Priory of the Holy
Rosary in Lima, Peru. His greatest desire was to
follow Christ through a life of service to the poor
and sick in this religious community. But there was
one major impediment to his dream of becoming a
Dominican: he was of mixed race.
Martin had grown up in extreme poverty. His
father, a Spanish gentleman, had abandoned
young Martin and his mother, a freed Panamanian
slave of African or Native American descent. After
a short time in primary school, Martin learned
under a barber who taught him to cut hair and
provide basic medical care. It was this medical
training that Martin hoped to put to good use in
the service of the poor.
At the time, being of mixed race meant that
Martin could not become a professed member of
the Dominicans. But nothing would deter Martin
from serving God. Regardless of the ridicule and
derision that he experienced, he chose to volunteer
as a servant in the priory. He used his medical
training to help those who were sick and injured.
He also cleaned, did laundry, and worked
in the kitchen. He joyfully completed all of these
humble tasks while suffering great injustice at the
hands of many in the community. He was a man
of deep prayer, which gave him the strength to
endure all that God asked of
him in his mission.
The greater the struggle,
the more abundant the
graces that God pours out on
those souls who cooperate
in His plan. After eight
years, Martin was granted
the privilege of becoming
a professed member of the
Third Order of St. Dominic.
After 10 years, he was placed
in charge of the infirmary,
where he served all peoples
regardless of race or economic background.
Rather than fall into bitterness, Martin instead
always sought to serve Christ in love.
It was St. Martin’s total surrender to God in
love, and his great love for all people, that gave him
the strength to endure the injustice he experienced
during his life in the sixteenth century. He not only
fulfilled his dream of becoming a Dominican, but
he also was said to have been given extraordinary
supernatural gifts from God including: bilocation,
aerial flights, instant cures, miraculous knowledge,
spiritual knowledge, and a close relationship with
animals. St. Martin understood that only the love
of God conquers hate.
[N]othing
would deter
Martin from
serving God.
Photo credit: Pitxiquin (January 4, 2017)
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184 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Vocabulary
Economic Justice (n.):
A particular expression
of commutative justice.
It pertains exclusively
to the moral obligations
of individuals, business,
and governments
concerning just wages,
stable currencies, fair
interest rates on loans,
safe working conditions
for laborers, and other
responsibilities associated
with economic life.
Covenant (n.): A sacred
permanent bond of
family relationship. God
entered into a series
of covenants with His
People throughout
Salvation History to
invite us to be part of
His divine family and to
prepare us gradually and
in stages, words, and
deeds to receive the gift
of salvation.
Commutative justice always involves two parties of equal standing and the
certain shared obligations they have toward each other. It often contributes
to social order through the mutual respect each person has for another’s
property. We see examples of commutative justice whenever we make a
purchase at a store. When you buy something, your obligation is to pay
the agreed price. The seller’s obligation is to give you exactly what you
have paid for. To shortchange a seller, or for a seller not to deliver on the
promised good or service, is a violation of commutative justice.
This type of justice compels us to keep our word and honor our commitments.
It also pertains to lending and borrowing. We must always pay back
a just loan and return borrowed goods in the same condition we borrowed
them. If you borrow your friend’s car with a full tank of gas, you should
return the car with a full tank of gas. This is how the Church explains it:
“Promises must be kept and contracts strictly observed to the extent
that the commitments made in them are morally just. A significant
part of economic and social life depends on the honoring of contracts
between physical or moral persons — commercial contracts of purchase
or sale, rental or labor contracts. All contracts must be agreed
to and executed in good faith” (CCC 2410). Another form of justice that
you might hear about, economic justice, is a particular expression of
commutative justice. It pertains exclusively to the moral obligations of individuals,
business, and governments concerning just wages, stable currencies,
fair interest rates on loans, safe working conditions for laborers, and
other responsibilities associated with economic life. It also obliges laborers
to work honestly for their pay.
Generally, when one of the parties to a contractual agreement fails
to meet their obligation, the other party is free of the contract. This distinguishes
a contractual from a covenantal relationship. In a covenant,
both parties are obligated to the terms of the covenant, even if one party
fails. Thus, God is always faithful to His covenant, even when we are not.
Likewise, in Marriage, a covenant binds spouses to each other as long
as they both live. Their Marriage is not a contract but a permanent bond
that remains despite the failure of one or both parties. This is what makes
covenants stable and contracts more fluid. Society needs both covenantal
and contractual relationships. They differ by the nature of the agreement
between two parties. Yet commutative justice is at work in both covenants
and contracts. We are always obligated to fulfill what we have promised to
do so long as the agreement is morally sound and reasonable.
In summary of these first three kinds of justice, the Catechism states,
“Commutative justice obliges strictly; it requires safeguarding property
rights, paying debts, and fulfilling obligations freely contracted.
Without commutative justice, no other form of justice is possible. One
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Pope Pius XI articulated
the concept of social
justice as the fourth form
of justice observed by
the Church.
Vocabulary
Social Justice (n.): The
responsibility of each
member of society to
respect the dignity of
every human being, and
the rights which flow from
that dignity and guarantee
it. Society must provide
the conditions that allow
people to obtain what is
their due according to
their nature and vocation.
Pope Pius XI by Alberto Felici (1930).
distinguishes commutative justice from legal justice which concerns
what the citizen owes in fairness to the community, and from distributive
justice which regulates what the community owes its citizens in
proportion to their contributions and needs” (CCC 2411). Historically,
the Church has taught these three as the primary forms of justice. More
recently, however, due to significant changes to the socioeconomic order
and events such as the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and
the growing poverty of the southern hemisphere, Pope Pius XI introduced
a fourth form of justice — social justice.
Social Justice
You will often hear people sum up the Church’s social teaching by referring
to it as “social justice.” This is not an accurate way to speak of Catholic
Social Teaching, however. Social justice is a term that needs clarification
because it is often misunderstood. Note that all justice involves multiple
persons — it is all based on relationships: our relationship with God and
our relationships with one another. Therefore, the term social justice is, in
a way, redundant. All justice is by definition social, because it necessarily
involves more than one person.
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186 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Vocabulary
Socialism (n.): An
economic and political
philsophy in which the
means of production,
distubtution, and
exchange is owned by the
centralized government.
The individual does
not own the fruits of his
labor, but relies on the
government to distribute
goods.
Marxism (n.): The
political, economic, and
social theory of Karl
Marx, which holds that
all history is the history of
class struggle. The perfect
society to Marx is one
where the workers control
the means of production,
all property is held in
common, with each
contributing according to
his ability, and receiving
according to his need.
Communists later claimed
to base their actions on
Marxist thought.
Temporal Welfare (n.):
The good pertaining to
this earth, as oppossed
to the good pertaining to
Heaven or eternity.
People sometimes wrongly use the term social justice to refer to a
socialist economic order, which abolishes private property and places the
ownership and control of wealth primarily in the hands of a government. In
the Marxist use of the term, socialism refers to a form of government that
seeks to level the economic playing field by force through a centralized
economy that supposedly will abolish every form of social and economic
injustice. Simply put, the idea is that government could somehow equally
distribute goods to everyone. For reasons we will address in a later chapter,
the Church rejects socialism as a socioeconomic system because it is
opposed to a Christian view of the human person and society (CCC 2425).
In short, socialism can never be just because it undermines the basic right
to enjoy the fruits of one’s labor and destroys the right to exercise free
initiative in the economy (CCC 2429). Socialism and communism are also
based on a flawed view of the human person, viewing all of history as nothing
more than class struggle. Therefore, when the Church speaks of social
justice, she means something very different.
A simple definition of social justice is the responsibility of each member
of a society to respect the dignity of every human being created in the image
and likeness of God. “Society ensures social justice when it provides
the conditions that allow associations or individuals to obtain what is
their due, according to their nature and their vocation. Social justice is
linked to the common good and the exercise of authority” (CCC 1928).
Most fundamentally, society must ensure that all people can fulfill their basic
human needs, and the primary way to meet these needs is through a full participation
in social life. Yet individuals cannot fully participate in socioeconomic
life without the cooperation of others and just social conditions. Minimally,
what social justice requires is that every sector of society takes responsibility
for creating the conditions for each individual and family to start a business
or find employment, socialize with others, and participate in politics in order
to guarantee our temporal welfare. Social justice requires a collaboration
between governments, businesses, and other institutions to create a stable
economy that allows for just wages, safe working conditions, adequate transportation,
and the ability of people to start businesses and have access to
employment and any education needed to participate in economic activity.
In cases where people are disabled and unable to work, society (that is,
everyone) must also find effective means to see that these individuals have
access to supports that provide for their temporal welfare in the absence of
work (CCC 2426–2436). These services may be provided by extended family,
private charities, government agencies, or a combination of all three. In the
case of vulnerable individuals, such as the unborn, the displaced, and the elderly,
society (again, everyone) must work to provide these groups of people
with special protection, especially from abortion, exploitation, and euthanasia.
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The primary virtue at play in social justice is a sense of personal responsibility
for the basic needs of those who are most vulnerable and struggle
to support themselves. The commitment to social justice is what makes
certain that no one falls through the cracks of society because of extreme
poverty, oppression, or social exclusion. As a virtue, this responsibility obligates
us to help our neighbor if we are able or to support services like food
banks if we have no other way to help.
These acts are not a matter of charity but of justice; each of us is
responsible for ensuring that no one is deprived of their basic needs. As
Scripture teaches us, we are our neighbor’s keeper. Jesus’ parable of the
Good Samaritan illustrated the point beautifully (Luke 10:29–37). And as
the Church teaches, “The duty of making oneself a neighbor to others
and actively serving them becomes even more urgent when it
involves the disadvantaged, in whatever area this may be. ‘As you
did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me’” (CCC
1932). While this responsibility is a social responsibility for everyone, we
exercise it individually as we do what we can to make sure that social
conditions are not marginalizing or excluding anyone. For each individual,
the practice of social justice depends on their unique circumstances and
social position.
The commitment
to social justice
is what makes
certain that no
one falls through
the cracks of
society because of
extreme poverty,
oppression, or
social exclusion.
Marx and Engels at the Rheinische Zeitung by E. Capiro (1849).
Karl Marx and Friedrich
Engels published The
Communist Manifesto
in 1848, asserting
therein that the basis
of all human history is
class struggle and social
conflict.
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Catholic Social Teaching
?
Isn’t it more important to work for justice
than to engage in charity?
In the often intense cry for “social justice”
in our political environment, we
hear some people express a disdain for
works of Christian charity. This perspective
originates in a Marxist view of social
life, which maintains that charitable
works create a class of people who are
dependent upon the rich. This leaves
the poor powerless and without a voice,
so some claim. While the Church clearly
acknowledges the reality of oppression
and the social marginalization of the
poor, she also believes, as Jesus taught
us, that social order requires both justice
and charity (Matt. 5–7). We will discuss
this belief at length in the next chapter.
For the moment, keep in mind that
justice and charity are a social responsibility
of Christian discipleship and are
related integrally to each other. In justice,
we give to others what we owe to
them — what belongs to them by right.
In charity, we give to others what belongs
to us by right out of generosity.
Holiness requires both, since each virtue
contributes to the perfection of the
human will in respect to love of God and
neighbor. Society also needs both forms
of self-giving. We must give to others
what is due to them; and situations
exist in which God calls us to give beyond
what belongs to us in charity — as
He has done for us. The primary social
expressions of charity are the fourteen
works of mercy, which we will discuss in
a later chapter.
The other important aspect of how
justice and charity relate to each other
is that without love of neighbor, people
will not act justly toward others but selfishly.
Thus, the idea that justice alone
can rightly order society is misguided.
Justice without charity makes society
harsh and merciless. Human beings
need more than fair treatment; since we
are all sinners, we need the love and
mercy of others.
Pope Benedict XVI explained the
need for charity and justice in his letter
Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love). It
is a long passage worth quoting in its
entirety:
Vocabulary
Generosity (n.): The quality of freely
and abundantly giving to others.
Love — caritas — will always prove
necessary, even in the most just society.
There is no ordering of the State
so just that it can eliminate the need
for a service of love. Whoever wants
to eliminate love is preparing to eliminate
man as such. There will always
be suffering which cries out for consolation
and help. There will always
be loneliness. There will always be
situations of material need where
help in the form of concrete love of
neighbor is indispensable. The State
which would provide everything, absorbing
everything into itself, would
ultimately become a mere bureaucracy
incapable of guaranteeing
the very thing which the suffering
person — every person — needs:
namely, loving personal concern.
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We do not need a State which regulates
and controls everything, but a
State which, in accordance with the
principle of subsidiarity, generously
acknowledges and supports initiatives
arising from the different social
forces and combines spontaneity
with closeness to those in need. The
Church is one of those living forces:
she is alive with the love enkindled
by the Spirit of Christ. This love does
not simply offer people material
help, but refreshment and care for
their souls, something which often
is even more necessary than material
support. In the end, the claim
that just social structures would
make works of charity superfluous
masks a materialist conception of
man: the mistaken notion that man
can live “by bread alone” (Mt 4:4; cf.
Dt 8:3) — a conviction that demeans
man and ultimately disregards all
that is specifically human. (28)
We have to remember that we cannot
achieve perfect justice in this life. God has
reserved that for eternal life, in which He
judges all things perfectly. Human beings
do not have the wisdom, power, or the
authority to right every wrong — to create
a perfect society. Every attempt to do so
has created the worst social conditions of
injustice known to human history under
totalitarian states. In the next chapter, we
will look more closely at what the Church
teaches about the necessity of justice
and charity to the social order.
Christ of the Coin by Anthony van Dyck (ca. 1625).
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190 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
The Truth Is…
The topic of social justice has come to be widely misunderstood in our society.
The modern world thinks if we only right every wrong, real or imagined, then we
can achieve a perfect society. At face value, this does not seem so bad. After
all, is justice not giving people their due? If someone is wrong, then correcting
them is an act of justice! The problem is that our society has come to define
what is wrong and what is right without any reference to God’s law. In fact,
God’s law and the natural law have been discarded for the whims of human
fancy — or worse, the schemes of those who have been corrupted by wealth
and power. The modern idea of social justice tends to align itself more with
socialism than with justice, and this is precisely why we as Catholics have a
responsibility to discuss and practice what the Church teaches about authentic
social justice.
The Church has always taught that the social order requires both authentic
justice and charity. Someone who does in fact co-opt the term social justice
as a cover for socialist and communist policies undermines human dignity by
inverting the relationship between the government and the individual and dismissing
the human right to property and autonomy. Handing over the responsibility
of caring for others to the government is not only a dodge, but it leads to
worse treatment of the poor and, ironically, creates more poor people. On the
other hand, someone who totally dismisses social justice as a cover for socialism
ignores the fact that we have a solemn duty as Christians and as human
beings to care for the true dignity of others. We must practice true, Christian
social justice in order to combat both these flawed points of view, and — as
always — that process begins with conversion to Christ at the individual and
family level. You are at an age now where you can truly begin to exercise justice
in a social context, and you can start by giving a witness of respect and
love to your family, friends, and community.
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Handout A
Focus and Reflection Questions
1 What is the foundation of justice?
2 What do we owe each person in order to have a just society?
3 What is the Golden Rule? Where can we find it in Scripture?
4 What are the four basic expressions of justice that the Church identifies?
5 What makes up distributive justice? Explain two key principles.
6 How do citizens uphold legal justice?
7 When is it morally permissible, and even necessary, to break a law?
8 What does commutative justice regulate? Whom does it involve?
9 What is the difference between a covenant and a contract, and how do both reflect commutative
justice?
10 What is social justice? Why is social justice incompatible with socialism?
11 Why is supporting those in need not a matter of charity but of justice?
12 What injustices did St. Martin de Porres experience in his family life? In the Dominican community?
What lessons can we learn from his response?
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Catholic Social Teaching
Handout B
Straight to the Source
ADDITIONAL READINGS FROM PRIMARY SOURCES
Mater et Magistra 34, An Encyclical Letter of Pope St. John XXIII, May 15, 1961
34. Pope Pius XI further emphasized the fundamental opposition between Communism and Christianity,
and made it clear that no Catholic could subscribe even to moderate Socialism. The reason is that
Socialism is founded on a doctrine of human society which is bounded by time and takes no account of
any objective other than that of material well-being. Since, therefore, it proposes a form of social organization
which aims solely at production, it places too severe a restraint on human liberty, at the same time
flouting the true notion of social authority.
1 In this encyclical, Pope St. John XIII describes the opposition between Christianity and what?
2 Why can Catholics never subscribe even to moderate socialism?
3 What two flaws flow from socialism’s sole focus on production?
Sollicitudo Rei Socialis 41, An Encyclical Letter of Pope St. John Paul II,
December 30, 1987
The Church’s social doctrine is not a “third way” between liberal capitalism and Marxist collectivism, nor
even a possible alternative to other solutions less radically opposed to one another: rather, it constitutes
a category of its own. Nor is it an ideology, but rather the accurate formulation of the results of a careful
reflection on the complex realities of human existence, in society and in the international order, in the light
of faith and of the Church’s tradition. Its main aim is to interpret these realities, determining their conformity
with or divergence from the lines of the Gospel teaching on man and his vocation, a vocation which is at
once earthly and transcendent; its aim is thus to guide Christian behavior. It therefore belongs to the field,
not of ideology, but of theology and particularly of moral theology.
The teaching and spreading of her social doctrine are part of the Church’s evangelizing mission. And since
it is a doctrine aimed at guiding people’s behavior, it consequently gives rise to a “commitment to justice,”
according to each individual’s role, vocation and circumstances.
The condemnation of evils and injustices is also part of that ministry of evangelization in the social field
which is an aspect of the Church’s prophetic role. But it should be made clear that proclamation is always
more important than condemnation, and the latter cannot ignore the former, which gives it true solidity
and the force of higher motivation.
1 What does Pope St. John Paul II say that the Church’s social doctrine is NOT?
2 What does he describe as the main aim of the Church’s social doctrine? What is it aimed at guiding?
3 How does the pope describe the right balance between the condemnation of injustice and the
proclamation of the Gospel within the ministry of evangelization?
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Handout B
Straight to the Source
ADDITIONAL READINGS FROM PRIMARY SOURCES
Quadragesimo Anno 137, An Encyclical Letter of Pope Pius XI, May 15, 1931
The law of charity, “which is the bond of perfection,” must always take a leading role. How completely
deceived, therefore, are those rash reformers who concern themselves with the enforcement of justice
alone — and this, commutative justice — and in their pride reject the assistance of charity! Admittedly, no
vicarious charity can substitute for justice which is due as an obligation and is wrongfully denied. Yet even
supposing that everyone should finally receive all that is due him, the widest field for charity will always
remain open. For justice alone can, if faithfully observed, remove the causes of social conflict but can
never bring about union of minds and hearts. Indeed all the institutions for the establishment of peace
and the promotion of mutual help among men, however perfect these may seem, have the principal foundation
of their stability in the mutual bond of minds and hearts whereby the members are united with one
another. If this bond is lacking, the best of regulations come to naught, as we have learned by too frequent
experience. And so, then only will true cooperation be possible for a single common good when the constituent
parts of society deeply feel themselves members of one great family and children of the same
Heavenly Father; nay, that they are one body in Christ, “but severally members one of another,” so that “if
one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with it.” For then the rich and others in positions of
power will change their former indifference toward their poorer brothers into a solicitous and active love,
listen with kindliness to their just demands, and freely forgive their possible mistakes and faults. And the
workers, sincerely putting aside every feeling of hatred or envy which the promoters of social conflict so
cunningly exploit, will not only accept without rancor the place in human society assigned them by Divine
Providence, but rather will hold it in esteem, knowing well that everyone according to his function and duty
is toiling usefully and honorably for the common good and is following closely in the footsteps of Him Who,
being in the form of God, willed to be a carpenter among men and be known as the son of a carpenter.
1 Why are regulations insufficient for true cooperation among persons in a society? What more is
needed?
2 Why does the pope invoke Jesus as the son of a carpenter? What point is he making with this
example?
3 The pope refers to “promoters of social conflict” in this passage. What evidence do you see around
you of those seeking to exploit feelings of resentment among workers? How can this be combatted
with charity?
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Different Types
of Justice

High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
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Handout C
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
______/ 10 pts.
Directions: Read the following parable. Then answer the questions and prepare to discuss.
Luke 16:19–31
[Jesus said] “There was a rich man who dressed in
purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously
each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named
Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have
eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s
table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels
to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died
and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he
was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham
far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father
Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the
tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am
suffering torment in these flames.’ Abraham replied,
‘My child, remember that you received what was good
during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received
what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas
you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you
a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from
crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you,
father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five
brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come
to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They
have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from
the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham
said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise
from the dead.’”
1 Who are the two main characters in the first part of the story? How do the fates of these two characters
compare to the earthly lives they lived?
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2 Why do you think Lazarus is named, and the rich man is not?
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3 How does the rich man’s life demonstrate injustice through his relationship (or lack thereof) with
Lazarus? What did he owe to the beggar at his door?
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196 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
4 Note that in telling this parable, Christ does not condemn the rich man’s wealth itself; what instead does
He show that the rich man has allowed wealth to do to him? What responsibility comes with wealth?
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5 The rich man pleads with Abraham to allow Lazarus to warn his fathers and brothers, who are still living,
of the fate the rich man has suffered. Whom do these figures represent? How does Abraham’s response
serve as a warning?
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6 What could the rich man have done to achieve God’s justice? Rewrite the parable into an imagined one
in which Christ instead praises the rich man for his just acts.
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Handout D
Identifying and Applying
the Kinds of Justice
______/ 10 pts.
Directions: Use the Chapter text and your own ideas to complete the graphic organizer below.
1 Identify the 4 types of justice described in the chapter.
2 Briefly define the type of justice.
3 Beyond the examples provided in the text, identify a way in which this form of justice may be observed.
4 Beyond the examples provided in the text, identify a way in which this form of justice may be violated.
Type of Justice Brief Definition Justice Observed Justice Violated
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198 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Handout E
Excerpt from “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
______/ 10 pts.
Directions: Visit SophiaOnline.org/MLKLetter and skim over “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Rev.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King wrote this letter in 1963 from his jail cell, where he had been
incarcerated for his role in organizing nonviolent protests against segregationist policies in
Birmingham, Alabama.
Read carefully from the paragraph beginning “Since we so diligently urge
people to obey the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation
in the public schools” to the paragraph ending “If today I lived in a Communist
country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I
would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws.”
As you read, pay close attention to the ways in which Dr. King echoes
Catholic teachings on just and unjust law in his letter. Then, answer the
following questions and prepare for a discussion.
1 According to Martin Luther King, Jr., why are segregation laws
unjust? What is the origin of segregation, and why is it something
that ought to be resisted?
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Martin Luther King Photo Credit:
Warren K. Leffler (March 2 1965).
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2 Dr. King was not Catholic, but he identifies two Catholic saints in his description of just law. Identify them
and describe how their teaching reflects King’s message.
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3 What does King say that is directly reflected in your chapter reading on legal justice?
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4 Considering the last paragraph, why is “legal” not the same as “moral” or “good?” What are examples of
laws in our country today that allow for harmful or immoral behavior?
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5 Write a brief reflection explaining your response to the following quotation:
“One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I
submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the
penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality
expressing the highest respect for law.”
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200 Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Handout F
The Need for Conversion
______/ 10 pts.
Directions: Answer the questions and then read the Scripture verses that follow. Finally, answer the
reflection question.
1 Have you ever followed a rule grudgingly, even though you disagreed with it? What happened? Did you
come to see wisdom in the rule? Or did you grow more resentful?
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2 Have you ever been required to do a charitable activity or volunteer for a cause you did not personally
believe in? Describe what happened.
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Proverbs 22:16
Oppressing the poor
for enrichment, giving
to the rich: both are
sheer loss.
Proverbs 31:8–9
Open your mouth in behalf of
the mute, and for the rights of
the destitute;
Open your mouth, judge justly,
defend the needy and the
poor!
Micah 6:8
You have been told, O mortal,
what is good,
and what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do justice and to love
goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Reflect
It is better to help the needy out of obligation than not to help them. That said, why can
enforced acts of charity never bring about a truly just society? What else is needed?
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© Sophia Institute for Teachers