Article 3: Social Justice

Catechism of the Catholic Church · Part Three › Section One › Chapter Two · Article 3 (§§1928–1948)

Paragraphs · 21

The Catechism's text is under copyright, so each paragraph is quoted briefly here with a link to the full text at vatican.va.

§1928 — Society ensures social justice when it provides the conditions that allow associations or individuals to obtain what is their due, according to their nature and their vocation.vatican.va

§1929 — Social justice can be obtained only in respecting the transcendent dignity of man. the person represents the ultimate end of society, which is ordered to him:vatican.va
§1930 — Respect for the human person entails respect for the rights that flow from his dignity as a creature. These rights are prior to society and must be recognized by it.vatican.va
§1931 — Respect for the human person proceeds by way of respect for the principle that "everyone should look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as 'another self,' above all bearing in mind his life and the means necessary for living it with dignity."vatican.va
§1932 — The duty of making oneself a neighbor to others and actively serving them becomes even more urgent when it involves the disadvantaged, in whatever area this may be.vatican.va
§1933 — This same duty extends to those who think or act differently from us. the teaching of Christ goes so far as to require the forgiveness of offenses.vatican.va

§1934 — Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all men have the same nature and the same origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine beatitude: all therefore enjoy an equal dignity.vatican.va
§1935 — The equality of men rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it:vatican.va
§1936 — On coming into the world, man is not equipped with everything he needs for developing his bodily and spiritual life. He needs others. Differences appear tied to age, physical abilities, intellectual or moral aptitudes, the benefits derived from social commerce, and the distribution of wealth.vatican.va
§1937 — These differences belong to God's plan, who wills that each receive what he needs from others, and that those endowed with particular "talents" share the benefits with those who need them.vatican.va
§1938 — There exist also sinful inequalities that affect millions of men and women. These are in open contradiction of the Gospel:vatican.va

§1939 — The principle of solidarity, also articulated in terms of "friendship" or "social charity," is a direct demand of human and Christian brotherhood.vatican.va
§1940 — Solidarity is manifested in the first place by the distribution of goods and remuneration for work. It also presupposes the effort for a more just social order where tensions are better able to be reduced and conflicts more readily settled by negotiation.vatican.va
§1941 — Socio-economic problems can be resolved only with the help of all the forms of solidarity: solidarity of the poor among themselves, between rich and poor, of workers among themselves, between employers and employees in a business, solidarity among nations and peoples.vatican.va
§1942 — The virtue of solidarity goes beyond material goods. In spreading the spiritual goods of the faith, the Church has promoted, and often opened new paths for, the development of temporal goods as well.vatican.va

§1943 — Society ensures social justice by providing the conditions that allow associations and individuals to obtain their due.vatican.va
§1944 — Respect for the human person considers the other "another self." It presupposes respect for the fundamental rights that flow from the dignity intrinsic of the person.vatican.va
§1945 — The equality of men concerns their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it.vatican.va
§1946 — The differences among persons belong to God's plan, who wills that we should need one another. These differences should encourage charity.vatican.va
§1947 — The equal dignity of human persons requires the effort to reduce excessive social and economic inequalities. It gives urgency to the elimination of sinful inequalities.vatican.va
§1948 — Solidarity is an eminently Christian virtue. It practices the sharing of spiritual goods even more than material ones.vatican.va