Exploring Catholic Social Teaching

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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? _______________________________________________________________
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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?
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4. Why is it important that our rights are ours by nature, and not “given” to us by the government?
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