Social Justice: What is it Anyway?

Is this the path to social justice?

Ah...so much to study, so little time. I've been wanting to research "social justice" for a long time. It's become the mantra of liberals who seem to define it as open borders, abortion on demand without apology as a civil right, and "free" everything from health care to college. Social justice is social-ism in their vocabulary, government-enforced redistribution of income to make everybody an equal comrade.

Liberals always talk about taxing the rich, but end up robbing the pockets of the middle class to achieve their goals. As my dad used to say, "There just aren't enough rich people!" The real target must be the massive middle. And, of course, capitalism in their book, by nature, is evil, which it certainly can be when it exploits workers making them wage slaves. But socialism does exactly the same thing by its nature! The worker is nothing but a mere creature of the state, a cog in the government machine.

But what is social justice...really?

The Catholic Register offers an answer in an article posted yesterday titled, What is Social Justice. I'd say it's an interesting introduction to the question, heavily dependent on the encyclical by Pope Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno (1931) which was written 40 years after Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum, On the condition of the working classes and emphasized Leo's concerns.

If you are as confused as I am about what the Church means by the term social justice which is so misused by liberal bishops, religious, and laity,  this looks like a good starting point. It's already leading me to other places.

So what is social justice?

Pope Leo XIII

The Catholic dictionary defines it as:

The virtue that inclines one to co-operate with others in order to help make the institutions of society better serve the common good. While the obligation of social justice falls upon the individual, that person cannot fulfill the obligation alone, but must work in concert with others, through organized bodies, as a member of a group whose purpose is to identify the needs of society, and, by the use of appropriate means, to meet these needs locally, regionally, nationally, and even globally. Implicit in the virtue of social justice is an awareness that the world has entered on a new phase of social existence, with potential for great good or great harm vested in those who control the media and the structures of modern society. Christians, therefore, are expected to respond to the new obligations created by the extraordinary means of promoting the common good not only of small groups but literally of all humanity.

Hmm...does that clear it up for you? I'll be honest, it doesn't for me.

Common sense and my own eyes tell me that social justice does NOT mean equality of ownership or individual talents. That is clearly unbiblical, not to mention impossible. Jesus told us the poor will always be with us, and was himself poor. Poverty is not in and of itself evil (vs. destitution). And the parable of the talents clearly acknowledges the inequality of both ability and outcome. So trying to make all of us "equal" materially and mentally cannot be the meaning of social justice.

Pope Pius XI

St. Ignatius tells us in the Spiritual Exercises to be indifferent to our state -- whether it's richness or poverty, health or illness, short life or long life, honor or dishonor. Embracing the will of God is the only imperative. Of course, if everyone embraced the will of God, social justice would take care of itself.

So I feel like I'm back at the beginning, but I will continue to reflect and invite you to reflect with me.

Justice involves giving all people their due. As a life-long pro-life activist, I see the "common good" beginning with defending the right to life of all including the tiny little one in the womb waiting to be born. All other "rights" are meaningless before that first right, our birthright, is respected! 

Our Lady of Life, pray for us!