"Compare the US Catholic bishops' statement on the economy with the Australian bishops' Common Wealth for the Common Good, considering methodology, content and outcome."

Synopsis

In this essay I have provided a brief overview of the context in which "Economic Justice for All" and "Common Wealth for the Common Good" were written - particularly in regard to the church's assertion of its right to engage with issues of social justice and not confine itself to purely 'spiritual'affairs.

The two statements are then looked at in turn in more detail. The process of producing the documents, the major themes of both statements, the presentation of the teaching and the reaction to the statements are described. The distinction between doctrinal principles and the application of those principles to particular situations which the bishops were careful to make in both statements is also highlighted.

The essay concludes with a brief comment on the significance and importance of the two statements

Essay

There are those who believe that the Church should not involve itself in political and social questions but rather confine its activity to the realm of the spiritual. If it is to be concerned with issues such as poverty, such critics would argue, it should remain at the level of charity, restricting itself to the alleviation of the distress of those in need and not addressing issues such as economics which lies beyond its competence.

Yet the Church has always asserted its right and responsibility to comment on the moral and social issues of the day, and over the centuries it has developed a rich reservoir of social justice teaching which continues to make a significant contribution to the struggle of humanity to attain freedom and fulfillment. In the century following the publication of the encyclical of Leo XIII 'Rerum Novarum' in 1891 there has been a succession of encyclicals and official Church statements that have addressed the major social issues and problems of the day, often in very specific terms. Any doubts surrounding the legitimacy of the church's engagement with these questions were firmly removed with the following words from the Synod of Bishop's "Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the gospel, or, in other words, of the church's mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive human situation. [1] In other words "if the church does not become involved in social transformation it has betrayed the gospel and its own redemptive mission" [2]

The American Catholic bishops have had a long tradition of applying papal social teaching to local conditions commencing as far back as 1919 with their proposals for social reconstruction. At various time over the course of the century the bishops intervened with statements on some of the major issues of the day ranging from economic matters in the wake of the Great Depression through to issues such as the Cold War, family life, civil rights, the Vietnam War, abortion, and poverty, culminating in the 1983 pastoral letter on nuclear arms "The Challenge of Peace, God's Promise and Our Response". [3]

Shortly afterwards the bishops turned their attention to the American economy and a second pastoral letter "Economic Justice for All" followed in 1986. In compiling the initial draft of both statements the bishops drew on a wide range of expert opinion both from inside and outside the church and these first drafts were then made public for comment and feedback which was used to shape subsequent drafts and the final form of the statements. [4]

In addressing these complex, but important and controversial issues, the bishops make clear that they are speaking first as pastors exercising their responsibility as moral teachers. [5] In "Economic Justice for All" the bishops begin with a statement of six relevant fundamental moral principles drawn from church\rquote s scriptural and social justice traditions:- the primacy of the dignity of the human person; the essential importance of community in realizing and protecting human dignity; the right of all people to participate in economic life; the special obligation of society to the poor and vulnerable; the importance of human rights and the responsibility of society to enhance human dignity and protect human rights. [6]

The bishops however also recognized that their vision of economic life could not exist in isolation or remain in the realm of theory \endash it needed to be applied to real and concrete situations. Thus the pastoral letter went on to issue a call for conversion and action and make specific recommendations on a range of selected issues such as unemployment, poverty, economic inequality, food and agriculture, world trade, development and the global economy [7] At the same time the bishops recognized the limits of their authority and expertise. "..we do not claim to make these prudential judgements with the same kind of authority that marks our declarations of principle.."[8] but in addressing their letter to believers they invited the faithful to "read the pastoral letter, to study it, to pray about it and to match it with your own experience"[9] and thereby"become more informed and active citizens, using your voice and votes to speak for the voiceless, to defend the poor and the vulnerable and to advance the common good" [10]

No doubt motivated by the example of the American bishops the Australian Catholic Bishop's Conference commissioned their own enquiry into the distribution of wealth in Australia. The enquiry process was modeled on that of the United States and also carried out in consultation with a wide range of individuals and groups. An initial draft was released early in 1991 and further submissions invited, received and considered. The final draft "Common Wealth for the Common Good" was published in 1992.

In the first draft, the document followed the YCW model of "See, Judge, Act" whereby the empirical data was initially presented, then critiqued in the light of scripture and church teaching, leading to thirty eight suggestions for action.[11] In the final draft however, the methodology followed that employed by the American bishops. The statement begins with a scriptural orientation and clear enunciation of Catholic social justice principles and proceeds to then examine the distribution of wealth and poverty in Australia whilst attempting to identify the causes of inequality. The statement concludes with a call for action to correct injustice and renew the social order and including the specific recommendations which now numbered fifty two. [12]

As with the American bishops\rquote statement the Australian bishop's at the outset firmly rejected the notion that religion is concerned exclusively with the realm of the spiritual" The Christian religion is of course rightly concerned with spiritual values, faith and eternal life but it does not distance itself from the business of living in this world.[13] In the introduction to the statement, Cardinal Clancy, the president of the Bishops Conference was also careful to distinguish between doctrine, and the practical application of that doctrine, which allows for legitimate dissent from what was recommended "..one must distinguish between the presentation of doctrinal principles where teaching authority is invoked , and the offering of contingent judgements on real life situations where the possibility of differences in viewpoint among believers exists" [14]

The final recommendations ranged from those relating to global issues of trade, third world debt and aid to developing countries, to domestic issues such as financial deregulation, unemployment, housing, taxation, health, education, the family and the plight of aboriginal Australians, Some recommendations were very specific others tended to be of the more "motherhood" variety.

Not unexpectedly given that the church was entering into a very controversial and political arena and voicing criticism on issues in which many powerful groups had a vested interest, the bishops' statements in both Australia and the United States attracted widespread criticism and support at the time of their publication. The Reagan administration in the United States entered the public debate and high ranking officials lobbied the bishops in an attempt to influence the final draft [15] However probably as a result of the availability of greater resources of scholarship and higher profile teaching institutions in the United States, "Economic Justice for All" continues to make a significant contribution to informed debate about the US economy, whilst "Common Wealth for the Common Good" seems to have made less of a lasting impact.

Nevertheless both documents represent an important development in the engagement of the church with contemporary society and provide an excellent model for future interventions by those who exercise teaching authority in the church. The challenge facing the church today is for bishops to continue to offer this model of leadership and for informed lay catholics to become active in working to bring about the implementation of the noble vision that is presented.

FOOTNOTES

[1] "Justice in the World"in
Catholic Social Thought - The Documentary Heritage
David J. O'Brien, & Thomas A. Shannon, (eds)
New York: Orbis Books, 1992; p 289

[2] Curran, Charles E
"Relating Religious Ethical Enquiry to Economic Policy" in "The Catholic Challenge to the American Economy" Ed. by T Gannon SJ
Macmillan, New York 1987, p43

[3] "Catholic Social Thought - The Documentary Heritage"
David J. O' Brien, & Thomas A. Shannon, (eds)
New York: Orbis Books, 1992 p 489-90

[4] "David J. O'Brien, & Thomas A. Shannon, (eds)
"Catholic Social Thought - The Documentary Heritage" p 490-91

[5] "Economic Justice for All" 7 in David J. O'Brien, & Thomas A. Shannon, (eds)
"Catholic Social Thought - The Documentary Heritage" p 573

[6] "Economic Justice for All" 13-18

[7] "Economic Justice for All" 19

[8] "Economic Justice for All" 20

[9] "Economic Justice for All" 26

[10] "Economic Justice for All" 27

[11] Duncan, Bruce
"Opening Ploy the Catholic bishop's wealth enquiry: homily or prophecy?"
"Eureka Street" Vol 1 No 7 1991 p36

[12] Duncan, Bruce
"Minding the Commonweal"
"Eureka Street", Nov 1992, p35

[13] Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
"Common Wealth for the Common Good - A statement on the distribution of wealth in Australia"
Collins Dove, Blackburn Vic, 1992. p3

[14] "Common Wealth for the Common Good "

[15] Duncan, Bruce, "Minding the Commonweal"
"Eureka Street", Nov 1992, p35

[16] David J. O'Brien, & Thomas A. Shannon, (eds)
"Catholic Social Thought - The Documentary Heritage" p 490

Bibliography

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
"Common Wealth for the Common Good - A statement on the distribution of wealth in Australia"
Collins Dove, Blackburn Vic, 1992

Curran, Charles E
"Relating Religious Ethical Enquiry to Economic Policy" in "The Catholic Challenge to the American Economy". ed. by T Gannon SJ
Macmillan, New York 1987, pp42-54

Duncan, Bruce
"Opening Ploy the Catholic bishop's wealth enquiry: homily or prophecy?" in "Eureka Street" Vol 1 No 7 1991 pp35-37

Duncan, Bruce
"Minding the Commonweal" in "Eureka Street", Nov 1992, pp32-34

Ormerod, Paul
"The Death of Economics"
Faber and Faber, London, 1994

US Catholic Bishops
"Economic Justice for Al" in "Catholic Social Thought - The Documentary Heritage"
O'Brien, David J & Shannon, Thomas A. (eds)
New York: Orbis Books, 1992.

Weakland, Rembert G
"Economic Justice for All: Ten Years Later" in "American Catholic Social Teaching" ed by Thomas J Massaro & Thomas A Shannon
Collegeville Minnesota: Liturgical Press 2002

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