The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 317: International Justice and Solidarity (2024)

Episode Date: November 12, 2024

Internationally, there is often a large gap in the resources between countries. The Catechism explains the justice and solidarity that should exist among all nations, rich and poor. Rich nations have a duty of solidarity, charity, and justice to support nations who are unable to fully ensure their own development. Fr. Mike emphasizes that direct aid is not all the Church advocates for, but that we also have a duty to help reform these nations. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2437-2442. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and you're listening to the Catechism in a Year podcast where we encounter God's plan of sheer goodness for us, revealed in scripture and passed down to the tradition of the Catholic faith. The Catechism in a Year is brought to you by Ascension. In 365 days, we'll read through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, discovering our identity in God's family as we journey together toward our heavenly home. This is day 317, we are reading paragraphs 2437 to 2442. As always, I am using the Ascension edition of the Catechism, which includes a Foundations of Faith approach, but you can follow along with any recent version of the Catechism of

the Catholic Church. You can also download your own Catechism in a year reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com slash C-I-Y. And lastly, you can click follow or subscribe on your podcast app for daily updates and daily notifications. Why does it is every day? I don't know.

They just told me to mention all those things every single day. And so if you like being reminded of them, then you don't need to hit the 30 seconds skip ahead twice. You can just listen to all of it. As I said, it's day 317, paragraphs 2437 to 2442. We're looking at now an eye towards international not take international governance international politics

really international justice and solidarity Between nations hence the term international the recognition here paragraph 2437 teases up again Kind of like yesterday and says on the international level Inequality of resources and economic capability is such that it creates a real gap between nations. On one side there are nations that possess a ton, that's my paraphrase, on the other side there are nations that are in greater need. And so what is the relationship between nations? What is the international or economic global relationship amongst countries? And so we're going to look at that a little bit here, particularly with an eye to justice.

Remember, we don't necessarily are advocating or saying any particular policies are the answer, but we're looking at what are the principles, what are the virtues by which we should be looking at this very often, very, very complicated reality of living in a world where we're all, in many ways interconnected, even at the same time Some are strong some are weak and yet sometimes the strong countries

Don't necessarily have the right decisions and sometimes the weak countries don't necessarily have the right leaders and we're all broken And so how do we approach this brokenness and on an international level? Well, we look at these two terms justice and brokenness on an international level. Well, we look at these two terms justice and solidarity the idea of can I give a person or a country a people what they're do justice and solidarity can I see others as my brothers and sisters in the Inhumanity, right? So as we look at that today We're looking at as I said a complex issue through the lens of principles and through the lens of virtues. So as we do that, let's call to mind, not just call to mind our Father, let us call

upon our Father and we pray right now. Father in heaven, we do praise you and we glorify you. We thank you. We thank you for where we find ourselves. We thank you for the leaders that you have given to us when it comes to our nations, when it comes to our countries. We thank you for the leaders that you have given to us when it comes to our nations, when it comes to our countries. We thank you for them. We ask for your blessings upon them. Lord God, whether we appreciate them or do not appreciate them, whether we value them or don't value them, we thank

you. And because it is your command that we pray for those who lead us, we now bring them before you. We bring their needs before you we bring The responsibilities that are on their shoulders before you and we ask that you please guide them in wisdom guide them in courage Lord fill them make them men and women of great justice and solidarity of courage and compassion And help us to be those same kind of people. Help us to be men and women of justice and compassion, of courage and of great solidarity. Help us to see in our neighbor, both our neighbor who is right next to us and our neighbor who is far from us. Help us see you in our neighbor, particularly in the poor and the weak. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. In the name of

the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. It is Day 317, we are reading paragraphs 2437 to 2442. Justice and Solidarity Among Nations On the international level, inequality of resources and economic capability is such that it creates a real gap between nations. On the one side, there are those nations possessing and developing the means of growth, and on the other, those accumulating debts. Various causes of our religious, political, economic, and financial nature today give the social question a worldwide dimension. There must be solidarity among nations which are already politically interdependent.

It is even more essential when it is a question of dismantling the perverse mechanisms that impede the development of the less advanced countries. In place of abusive, if not usurious, financial systems, iniquitous commercial relations among nations, and the arms race, there must be substituted a common effort to mobilize resources toward objectives of moral, cultural, and economic development, redefining the priorities and hierarchies of values. Rich nations have a grave moral responsibility toward those which are unable to ensure the means of their development by themselves or have been prevented from doing so by tragic historical events. It is a duty in solidarity and charity. It is also an obligation in justice if the prosperity of the rich nations has come from

resources that have not been paid for fairly. Direct aid is an appropriate response to immediate, extraordinary needs caused by natural catastrophes, epidemics and the like. But it does not suffice to repair the grave damage resulting from destitution or to provide a lasting solution to a country's needs. It is also necessary to reform international economic and financial institutions so that they will better promote equitable relationships with less advanced countries. The efforts of poor countries working for growth and liberation must be supported.

This doctrine must be applied especially in the area of agricultural labor. Peasants, especially in the third world, form the overwhelming majority of the poor. An increased sense of God and increased self-awareness are fundamental to any full development of human society. This development multiplies material goods and puts them at the service of the person and his freedom. It reduces dire poverty and economic exploitation.

It makes for growth and respect for cultural identities reduces dire poverty and economic exploitation. It makes for growth and respect for cultural identities and openness to the transcendent. It is not the role of the pastors of the Church to intervene directly in the political structuring and organization of social life. This task is part of the vocation of the lay faithful, acting on their own initiative with their fellow citizens. Social action can assume various concrete forms. It should always have the common good in view and be in conformity with the message of the gospel and the teaching of the church. It is the role of the laity to animate temporal realities with Christian commitment, by which

they show that they are witnesses and agents of peace and justice. This is the question that is Raised by paragraph 24 38 it says that it says this it says there must be solidarity among nations Which are already politically interdependent Okay We work with each other somehow goes on to say it is even more essential when it is a question of dismantling the perverse mechanisms That impede the development of the less advanced countries. So are there, again, perverse mechanisms, are there things that keep poor people poorer or poor nations poorer? Goes on to say, in place of abusive,

if not usurious financial systems, iniquitous commercial relations among nations and the arms race, there must be substituted. Okay, well, that's the problem, right? There's three examples. Abusive, if not usurious financial systems, iniquitous commercial relations among nations, and the arms race, there must be in place of those things,

a common effort to mobilize resources toward objectives of moral, cultural, and economic development. And so that's, we just have to understand this. And so rich nations, and the church is saying that rich nations must be like rich individuals. So so rich individuals if I am a steward of many resources and we're gonna talk about this in in the upcoming days if I'm the steward of many resources so I have an abundance and I meet and encounter people who do not have an abundance then it is my responsibility as a Christian

to do what I can to actually help them now keep in mind to do what I can to actually help doesn. Now, keep in mind, to do what I can to actually help doesn't mean I necessarily give all of my stuff away. It means to do what you can to actually help. And so rich nations have a grave moral responsibility toward those which are unable to ensure the means of development by themselves or have been prevented from doing so by tragic historical events.

That's a duty of solidarity, right? I see it in other people, my brother and sister, and also charity. It's also an obligation, another duty, injustice if the prosperity of the rich nations has come from the resources that have not been paid for fairly. And so we're looking at this and real, again, once again realizing this is a complex issue and yet the church is saying pause over this. If we're in a place of forming opinions, like if we're in a place of forming opinions like if we're if we're in a place right now of a forming our opinions about what is our own particular nation's role on the international stage then we these are

some of the things we have to keep in mind now again we're not advancing any policies but we're we're proposing principles so as an example one of the principles is direct aid so 2440 okay, so direct aid is an appropriate response to immediate extraordinary needs caused by natural catastrophes, epidemics and the like. Okay, great, so direct aid is an appropriate response. That is something you can do. But, it goes on to say, but it does not suffice to repair

the grave damage resulting from destitution or to provide a lasting solution to a country's needs. That's necessary to reform international economic and financial institutions. Now, the question is, is it the role of those countries who are providing aid to be the ones who reform the international and economic financial institutions? Meaning, not just how they relate to these nations,

but is it the role of the we'll say wealthier nation is it the role the wealthier nation to come in and Redefine what that particular weaker nation or poorer nation? But what they believe in what their values are. This is a big big question And so the church I do I do, I do not believe the church advocates this entry into another country and saying, here, we're wealthy. We're going to give you this aid provided that you change into X, Y, and Z.

I don't know if that's actually what the church advocates. The principle of course, is that direct aid is an appropriate response. At the same time, that direct aid doesn't take response at the same time that direct aid Doesn't take care of the underlying wounds right the underlying reform that needs to happen now at the core of all of this Of course is We're driven by the love of God We're driven by the reality of God We're driven by the reality that God the true God is a God of justice

therefore paragraph 2441 says an increased sense of God and Increased self-awareness are fundamental to any full development of human society And so we just need that says this needs to be part of when we approach the poor Whether the poor are among us or the poor are far away from us when we approach economic disparity us or the poor are far away from us. When we approach economic disparity, it is driven by that awareness of God, love of God, and because of that love of our neighbor. Lastly, 2442, the church reminds us that the pastors of the church, the pope, the bishop, priests, it is not their role to intervene directly in the political structuring and organization of social life that task

Is part of the vocation of the lay faithful and so that recognition of here you say well I want this this bishop to be more involved in politics. I want this this priest to be more of an advocate Maybe he should run for mayor or something like this. The church does know that's not their particular role now Of course you have pastors of the church who are willing to wade into political discourse and that's completely fine. That's wise. Why? Because here's hopefully a well-reasoned and moved by truth, moved by justice, saying here are the principles that the Catholic Church proposes to this world for a good order society, that the pastors should be able to teach what we're talking about right now.

But when it comes to those intervening directly in the political structuring and organization of social life, that task falls to the lay faithful. So to most people who are listening right now and you're called, you're called upon this, he says this, when you do this, when you respond to this, it should always have the common good in view and be in conformity with the message of the gospel and the teaching of the church And that's that's all of us. Of course, right? That's one of the reasons why at least in the United States

We don't the church doesn't belong to any political party Because we recognize that there are good things and bad things there are strengths and there are weaknesses in every political party There is no political party that is strictly speaking Catholic. And not only are there no parties that are strictly speaking Catholic, but there probably couldn't be because in order to have a political party, you need to be political. You need to advance policies. And the church only proposes principles. And that's a big difference. So Catholics can disagree in many ways on policies provided that we are in agreement on principles. I hope that makes sense.

I hope that makes sense. I think it does. It makes sense to me. Anyways, talking today about justice and solidarity, that reality that we give to another. What does that do? And we realize that we belong to each other. Tomorrow we're gonna talk more fully

about the love for the poor, that every one of us are called to cultivate this. Scripture says very, very clearly that God loves those who are poor. He loves those who mourn. There's a special care for widows and orphans, those who are vulnerable. And we also have to have the heart of God

and God loves the poor. And so we have to pray for that kind of heart as we Keep saying I am praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow God bless