A Season for Social Justice: Caring for God’s Creation
As we begin the 2007-08 program year, Old St. Pat’s and The Justice Initiative invite your participation in our second annual “Season for Social Justice.”
The idea behind the “Season for Social Justice” is simple. What if each September we set our sights on gaining a greater appreciation of the Catholic Social Ethic? What if we created “a season” that became an annual reminder of the gospel call for justice and an inspiration for us to act in ways that create greater peace and unity in our world?
This year we have selected as our focus one of the core principles of Catholic Social Teaching, Care for God’s Creation.
Through prayer and preaching, lectures and discussions, exhibits and other activities, we welcome you to help us explore the links between spirituality, ecology, and justice as well as finding new and creative ways to become even better stewards of God’s creation. Please join us!
What is Social Justice?
Ask two people and you're likely to get three answers. However, sometimes it helps clarify the conversation if we make a distinction between works of charity and works of justice. Acts of charity are good works directed toward meeting the immediate needs of others. Feeding hungry people at a food pantry or shelter is an act of charity. Acts of justice usually begin with questions. For example, why do so many people have to rely on food pantries and shelters for their food? Is it possible that something systemic or structural contributes to poverty? Do I in any way contribute to systemic inequalities? The key to acts of justice is naming the root causes of a social injustice. Acts of justice are good works directed toward eliminating injustice through systemic change. Working for social justice necessarily calls us to question our economic, political, and social policies and choices.
How is Care for the Planet a Social Justice issue?
Using the distinction noted above, a volunteer river clean up project might be considered "an act of charity" towards the environment. It's an action that addresses an immediate need or symptom of an environmental problem. Addressing the laws and policies that govern what we put in our waterways would be a justice issue. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines environmental justice as:
" …the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. The EPA has this goal for all communities and persons across this nation. The goal will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work."
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