The Laudato Si’ Action Platform, is an online platform through which the Vatican’s Dicastery Promoting Integral Human Development is promoting a 7-year action plan with clear goals and concrete actions, in favour of integral ecology. Families, educational institutions, economic entities, healthcare organisations, parishes, dioceses, organisations/groups and religious institutions can implement this plan. Certainly, both the Catholic Church and other non-religious entities can adopt it.

Pope Francis, in 2015, wrote a letter to all people of goodwill entitled Laudato Si’ – On Care For Our Common Home, is a letter. This letter encourages us to be “stewards of creation”. Pope Francis writes that urgent action needs to be taken to re-examine and restore our relationships. He mentions our relationship with our Divine Creator and our relationship with our fellow human beings especially the poor. Finally, our relationship with Mother Earth. He believes that these three are connected – “everything is connected.” (Par 91)

Laudato Si’ goals and concrete action

The Laudato Si’ Action Platform is based on the goals outlined in Laudato Si’. Most noteworthy, these goals emphasise redefining and rebuilding our relationships with each other and with our common home. These seven holistic goals call for a spiritual and cultural revolution to achieve integral ecology. They are found in a document within the Laudato Si’ Action Platform website entitled Overview of Goals and Action. In addition to each goal, a set of actions is being proposed in the coming months. These can be implemented by various entities around the world.

Some of the proposed actions include:

– “Improving sustainability in diets by reducing food waste before and after market, composting, buying food from local producers when possible, transitioning from meat-based to plant-based meals.”

– “Protecting waterways and land by ensuring sensible fertilizer use, instituting drop irrigation and other conservative irrigation models, planting waterway buffers, avoiding the installation of impermeable surfaces around buildings.”

– “Promoting and protecting Indigenous leadership by ensuring Indigenous communities have the rights to their land and by elevating Indigenous leadership.”

– “Sharing resources and wisdom by learning from elders, sharing social resources, sharing monetary resources, and holding community-wide action days.”

– “Ensuring financial investments are ethical and sustainable by divesting from fossil fuels, investing in socially responsible enterprises, and choosing ethical banking and insurance companies.”

– “Practicing fair and sustainable purchasing by supporting ethical businesses, taking a “total cost of ownership approach” to purchases, making a sustainability shopping list, and purchasing from local retailers.”

– “Improving sustainability in consumer purchases by eliminating the use of disposable plastic and styrofoam, correctly recycling as much as possible, and reducing purchases of new consumer goods.”

– “Delivering equitable access to education by ensuring under-represented groups are educated, shaping education programs with a wide variety of people, offering culturally appropriate and/or alternative forms of education, and ensuring that education promotes human rights and dignity.”

These actions and many more are listed under the 7 goals which are: adoption of sustainable lifestyles, community engagement and participatory action, ecological economics, ecological education, ecological spirituality, response to the cry of the earth and response to the cry of the poor.

Endorsement in the community

This 7-year action plan is being endorsed by 150 organisations around the world so far. These include CAFOD, Caritas International, EcoJesuit, the Don Bosco Green Alliance, the Focolare Movement, and The Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation of the Franciscan Minors. Moreover, many more organisations are still enrolling.

What is the Laudato Si’ Action Platform?

The Laudato Si’ Action Platform provides an action-oriented 7-year ecological conversion journey in the spirit of integral ecology. All people of goodwill, are guided by the seven crosscutting Laudato Si’ Goals mentioned above, to learn, grow together and respond to Pope Francis’ letter On Care for Our Common Home. Furthermore, the platform offers inspiration, resources and a flexible framework. This helps translate the values and knowledge of Laudato Si’ into communities of action around the world. This platform is still open to new individuals and groups who wish to join this community and pledge their commitment to developing their own Laudato Si’ Plan.

There is hope

In spite of the social and environmental crisis we are facing, Pope Francis believes that there is still hope. He calls us to develop a “loving awareness” of the common home we share. Furthermore, he encourages us to act on the values we hold dear. He also calls us to urgently embark on new ways of living with “creativity and enthusiasm”, to promote integral ecology. (Par 220 and 221)

For more information and FAQs on the Laudato Sì Action Platform, please visit:
https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/more-information/

Read more:
– Astronomy and Faith
– Ecological Conversion Definition

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By the end of the film I was sure of two things:

i) I wanted to verify whether all this was real.

ii) If it were real, I did not want to be part of it.

As I finished watching the film,  I immediately opened my laptop and visited the Facebook page of the Ocean Ambassador for Malta, Prof. Alan Deidun. He had watched the film too! In a Facebook post, he writes that this film is a “must see”. So I emailed him my questions and did not consume any fish until he replied.

Here is what he told me:

How true is the documentary Seaspiracy?

Prof. Alan Deidun: “The documentary Seaspiracy is factual and credible given that (i) the producer went to great lengths to give the ‘other side’ of the story as well, rather than only peddling his own narrative. (ii) Moreover, the producer consulted with a number of eminent experts in their field, including Dr Sylvia Earle and Prof. Callum Roberts. They are two of the most respected oceanographers and conservation biologists on the global stage.”

Is it true that we do not have models of sustainable fishing at the moment?

Prof. Alan Deidun: “Seaspiracy’s claim that we do not have any examples of sustainable fishing at the moment is true if one looks only at the models of industrial fishing. Such models have a high degree of wastefulness in terms of bycatch which is discarded and thrown into the sea, and over-exploitation of stocks. Within such models, the meaning of the term ‘sustainability’ has been twisted so as to represent only an economically-viable process. This process can be performed year after year for maximum monetary benefits, with little consideration to the environmental impact.”

Can fishing be sustainable?

Prof. Alan Deidun: “Fishing can be sustainable if it is performed at the local level, on an artisanal basis. The documentary Seaspiracy underscores this fact by featuring the difficulties of native western African fishermen.

In Malta, 93% of the Maltese fishermen work on small-scale, artisanal ones, operating from boats which are smaller than 12m in length. This restricts their time out at sea, ensuring that they do not catch much more than they can realistically sell in a few days. That should be the real meaning of sustainability – taking just what is necessary today, rather than hoarding fish so that my competitor does not gain access to it.”

Is it true that dolphin friendly/safe labels are unreliable?

Prof. Alan Deidun: “Regarding the credibility of the dolphin friendly/safe labels: We obviously do not have the investigative means to substantiate such a claim. The onus is now on the certification entity, issuing such a label, to refute the claims made in the documentary. However, what we know as a fact from the scientific literature available, is that at least hundreds of thousands of dolphins of different species fall victim to industrial fisheries each year. Unfortunately, this statistic does not show any sign of levelling off.”

Is the environmental impact of fishing as huge as described in Seaspiracy – bigger than the plastic problem?

Prof. Alan Deidun: “Although I have and still am a vociferous advocate for a ban on single-use plastics, I believe that the ecological impacts being exacted by the over-fishing of our ocean are in fact being downplayed. I think that they are not receiving the immediate attention they deserve. Once again, I stress that I am referring mainly to industrial fishing. It generates exorbitant levels of bycatch. Moreover, the ecological impacts of trawling, which are releasing carbon and pollutants stored in seabed sediments, are contributing to climate change. These changes are also visible from space.

Despite its vastness, there are very few spots within the global ocean which have never taken the toll of bottom trawling. Most of these pristine sites are located close to the poles. The single statistic featured within the documentary which most impressed me concerning fishing subsidies. An estimated 350 billion dollars are being thrown into the fishing industry each year, in the form of subsidies, presumably to keep fish prices low.  This figure outstrips the total needed to fight global hunger (300 billion dollars) as estimated by the United Nations. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 14 calls for an end to such harmful fishing subsidies.”

What are the solutions? Should one stop eating fish?

Prof. Alan Deidun:  “Giving up the consumption of fish is, in my humble opinion, not a viable option given that (i) eating fish is generally healthy (despite it being occasionally laced with contaminants, as claimed in the documentary) and that (ii) a considerable fraction of the world’s population depends on fish as its primary source of protein. You do not simply change the mindset or behaviour of billions of people overnight.

What we can feasibly aspire to achieve, however, is to have consumers opt to go for local catch. One can find fish markets and hawkers almost everywhere, including in cities away from the sea. In Malta, given the small-scale nature of Maltese fisheries, this is possible by taking the pain to verify the origins of the fish one is buying. One ironclad way of verifying this is by buying your fish directly at a fish market or from a local fish hawker, and in season (e.g. purchasing lampuki (dorado fish) during the summer and autumn seasons), rather than from a supermarket.  Even the UN’s SDG 14 advocates the need to support small-scale fisheries on a global scale.”

Now I felt clearer about what I could do as a consumer.

Fishing in On Care for Our Common Home

Until I received the Professor’s replies I had googled again On Care for Our Common Home. There are seven mentions of fishing in this letter. Two notable statements Pope Francis makes are in:

Par 48 when Pope Francis outlines the dwindling amounts of fish in our seas: “the depletion of fishing reserves especially hurts small fishing communities without the means to replace those resources.”

Par 40 when Pope Francis brings up the issues of uncontrolled fishing and bycatch: “What is more, marine life in rivers, lakes, seas and oceans, which feeds a great part of the world’s population, is affected by uncontrolled fishing, leading to a drastic depletion of certain species. Selective forms of fishing which discard much of what they collect continue unabated. Particularly threatened are marine organisms which we tend to overlook, like some forms of plankton; they represent a significant element in the ocean food chain, and species used for our food ultimately depend on them.”

Seaspiracy: A great eye opener

Seaspiracy was a great eye opener for me, both on the issues of uncontrolled fishing, bycatch, death of sea animals due to plastics and abandoned fishing gear, and sea floor destruction. It also alerted me to the other heart-breaking issue of slave labour engaged to catch shrimps in some Asian countries. I appreciate the fact that the director Ali Tahrizi and his team went to great lengths to produce the exceptional footage seen in this film, possibly risking his life at times.

Today, I feel more empowered as a consumer because I do not want to be part of this destruction.  For me, this means no more canned tuna in my Maltese ftira (a flat bread), no more salmon, and shrimps. Opting for local catch (not farmed or caught through industrial fishing) can be more sea-friendly. I’m also trying flaxseed oil to replace the omega 3s etc and look forward to exploring eating sea plants when the opportunity arises.

Read more:
– 4 Maltese Professional Read Laudato Si
– My Covid-19 Experience Poem

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The lives and livelihoods of the less-educated and lower-paid classes have been threatened by the Covid pandemic more than those who are educated and better paid. Many of the latter can stay safely at home and continue to work from home. Although such times have created opportunities for some, these are few.

Higher unemployment rates, gender disparity, income, and wealth inequality are some of the side effects of the coronavirus pandemic. While several vaccines against Covid-19 have been developed in record time, it might take decades to undo the social and economic damage caused by the virus. The crisis has exacerbated inequalities across all major fault lines in society. It has undone hard-won gains in poverty reduction across the globe.

Examples of global inequality during the Covid-19 pandemic

While wealthy nations have been able to secure enough Covid-19 shots to inoculate their populations several times over, the People’s Vaccine Alliance—an international watchdog that includes Amnesty International, Oxfam and Global Justice—estimates that poor countries will only be able to vaccinate one in 10 people during 2021. Thus, rich nations will be able to save more lives and help their economies recover faster.

It is not just about Covid. No currency is more precious than time. It has been widely demonstrated that in nations with higher levels of inequality, people live less. Yet, one should not make the mistake to conflate poverty and inequality. What we know today is that the economic gaps among the populations have only increased. While higher-paid workers have been able to work from home, many frontline lower-paid employees have been furloughed or laid off. Among these is a disproportionately higher number of women. Those who managed to keep their job often exposed themselves to an increased risk of getting infected.

Oxfam’s new report, The Inequality Virus, reveals that the wealth of the world’s 10 richest men has increased by half a trillion dollars since the pandemic began. This is more than enough to pay for a vaccine for all the world’s population and prevent anyone from falling into poverty because of the virus.

A Covid-fuelled spike in global inequality

The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development have all raised concerns that we will see a Covid-fuelled spike in global inequality. A global survey commissioned by Oxfam echoed these fears. This survey concluded that an ‘increase’ or a ‘major increase’ in income inequality was observed in all countries because of the pandemic. It is also echoed by what is happening on the ground in rich and poor countries alike.

The richest in society have seen their savings increase during lockdown. The poorest have seen their incomes fall. Moreover, the latter often had to borrow to survive. Over the last 40 years, the richest 1% of the worldwide population has captured more of the proceeds of economic growth than the poorest half of humanity combined. This global inequality fuels poverty.

Stock markets suffered the worst shock in their history when the pandemic was announced. Billions of dollars worth of financial assets were destroyed. Central banks such as the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank injected billions of dollars to prevent a crash. The markets quickly rallied. With them, also the fortunes of the world’s richest people who hold much of their wealth in stocks and shares. As a result, billionaires recouped their Covid-19 losses in just nine months.  In contrast, it could take the world’s poorest people more than a decade to recover.

Pandemics expose the weakness in every society

Many argue that the problem is not making money, but excessive profits and extreme wealth. These are the symptoms of a broken economic system which is benefiting a minority of people at the expense of everyone else. In every country in the world, the poorest people in society have been the hardest hit by the pandemic. The worst affected are the women and people from marginalised, racial and ethnic groups. These people are more likely to work in sectors that have suffered big job losses, such as retail and tourism. These jobs are also largely in the informal sector. Therefore, they are less likely to have redundancy savings, or unemployment benefits to fall back on.

Poor people are less likely to have access to decent healthcare. They are more likely to live in crowded accommodation or work as cleaners, shop assistants and care workers. This puts them at a greater risk of contracting the virus. They are also more likely to suffer underlying health conditions with a greater risk of dying from the virus.

Pandemics expose the weaknesses in every society. Widening and persistent inequality was a feature of almost every country, even before COVID-19 broke out. We are witnessing only the beginning of the virus’s economic and social implications. Developing countries, and those in crisis, will suffer the most, along with those already vulnerable all over the world. Countries that rely on the informal economy, women, those living with disabilities, refugees, and the displaced, as well as those that suffer from stigma, will be the worst-hit.

Read more:
– My Covid-19 Experience Poem
– Let Us Be Surprised by Hope During Covid-19

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Pope Francis has made it a priority during his papacy to visit prisons and talk about them. Here are ten of his quotes. 

1. Improve living conditions

“With regard to prisoners, it would appear that in many cases practical measures are urgently needed to improve their living conditions, with particular concern for those detained while awaiting trial. It must be kept in mind that penal sanctions have the aim of rehabilitation, while national laws should consider the possibility of other establishing penalties than incarceration.”
Pope Francis, Message for World Day of Peace, 2016 

2. Offer opportunities to prisoners

“It is easier to repress than to educate and, I would say, it is more comfortable too. Denying the injustice present in society and creating these spaces to put offenders is easier than offering equal development opportunities to all citizens.”
Pope Francis, International Meeting of National and Regional Directors of Catholic Prison Ministries, 2019

3. Punishments should have a horizon

“You cannot talk about paying a debt to society from a jail cell without windows. There is no humane punishment without a horizon. No one can change their life if they don’t see a horizon. And so many times we are used to blocking the view of our inmates. Take this image of the windows and the horizon and ensure that in your countries the prisons always have a window and horizon; even a life sentence – which for me is questionable – even a life sentence would have to have a horizon,”
Pope Francis, International Meeting of National and Regional Directors of Catholic Prison Ministries, 2019

4. Whatever a detainee may have done, he remains always beloved by God

“I think of those who are locked up in prison. Jesus has not forgotten them either. By including the act of visiting of those in prison among the works of mercy, he wanted first and foremost to invite us to judge no one. Of course, if someone is in prison it is because he has done wrong, and did not respect the law or civil harmony. Therefore, in prison, he is serving his sentence. However, whatever a detainee may have done, he remains always beloved by God. Who is able to enter the depths of [an inmate’s] conscience to understand what he is experiencing? Who can understand his suffering and remorse? It is too easy to wash our hands, declaring that he has done wrong.”
Pope Francis, General Audience, 9th November 2016

5. Prison can be a place of inclusion

“A place of marginalisation, such as prison, can become a place of inclusion and a stimulus for the whole of society, so that it may be more just and attentive to the people.”
Pope Francis, Address at “Guiseppe Salvia” Detention Centre, 21st March 2015

6. Prison staff can become builders of the future

“To the Prison Police and to the administrative staff, I would like to say thank you. Thank you because your work is hidden, often difficult and unsatisfactory, but essential. Thank you for all the times that you live your service not only as necessary vigilance, but also as a support to those who are weak. I know that it is not easy but when, in addition to being guardians of security, you provide close presence for those who have been ensnared in the nets of evil, you become builders of the future: you lay the foundations for a more respectful coexistence and therefore for a safer society. Thank you because, by doing so, you become, day after day, weavers of justice and hope.”
Pope Francis, Address to Penitentiary Police and Staff, 14th September 2019

7. Prison staff “do not be demotivated”

“I would also like to tell you (Prison Police and the administrative staff) not to be demotivated, even among the tensions that can arise in detention facilities. In your work, everything that makes you feel united is of great help: first of all the support of your families, who are close to you in your labours. And then there is mutual encouragement, sharing among colleagues, which allows us to tackle difficulties together and helps to deal with shortcomings.”
Pope Francis, Address to Peniteniary Police and Staff, 14th September 2019

8. Sometimes people in power abuse of people deprived of freedom

“The deplorable conditions of detention which are observed in various parts of the planet, are often genuinely inhuman and degrading deficiencies, often the result of the penal system, at other times due to the lack of infrastructure and of planning, while in more than a few cases they represent the arbitrary and unscrupulous exercise of power over people deprived of freedom.”
Pope Francis, Address to the International Organisation of Penal Law, 23rd October 2014

9. Some prison deprivations induce mental and physical suffering

“There is always that root: the human capacity for cruelty. This is a passion, a real vice! One form of torture is the one sometimes applied through confinement in high security prisons. With the pretext of offering greater security to society or special treatment for certain categories of prisoners, its main characteristic is none other than external isolation. As shown by studies carried out by various human rights organisations, the lack of sensory stimuli, the total impossibility of communication and the lack of contact with other human beings induce mental and physical suffering such as paranoia, anxiety, depression, weight loss, and significantly increase the suicidal tendency.”
Pope Francis, Address to the International Organisation of Penal Law, 23rd October 2014

10. Tortures and abuses can be stopped with a commitment towards human dignity

“Today torture is not inflicted only as a means of obtaining a specific objective, such as a confession or information — practices which are characteristic of national security doctrine — but is a genuine surplus of pain added to the actual suffering of imprisonment. In this way, torture occurs not only in clandestine detention centres or in modern day concentration camps, but also in prisons, institutes for juveniles, psychiatric hospitals, police stations, and other centres and institutions of detention and punishment. These abuses can only be stopped with the firm commitment of the international community to recognize the primacy of the pro homine principle, meaning the dignity of the human person above everything else.”
Pope Francis, Address to the International Organisation of Penal Law, 23rd October 2014

Read more:
– The Poor Boy Who Became a Successful Entrepreneur and a Happy Husband 
– My Psychosis Recovery: Love, Medicine and Faith

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Prof Paul J. Pace – EkoSkola Programme Co-Ordinator

“In his letter, Pope Francis emphasises the need to change today’s economic model. This model generated development which put profit before the wellbeing of people and creation, promising us a secure future. COVID -19 showed us how trifling this promise was. True development is enjoyed by all, especially the vulnerable. It builds communities of solidarity and respects creation. I hope that we learn from this experience and we won’t repeat the same mistakes.”

Architect Joanna Spiteri Staines – Din L-Art Ħelwa Council Member

“The intrisic qualities of the landscape of Malta and Gozo are very precious to many of us. For this reason, the publication of Laudato Si struck a cord for me personally. For the first time in many years, I felt that I was fighting a battle with the Church on my side; indeed “united by the same concern”. For indeed, to destroy the environment is a form of violence against the earth. The encyclical calls for change to stop the global environmental destruction. However, it also calls for change of our common home and such change must start here on these tiny islands. ”

Prof. Ruben Paul Borg – Chairman of Sustainable Built Malta

“Pope Francis refers to the balance which exists in nature, and how this contrasts directly with the throwaway culture affecting our World. We have been ineffective in the adoption of a circular model of production, which reduces the consumption of non-renewable resources, optimizes their efficient use and which promotes reusing and recycling. Industrial systems need to absorb waste at the end of the cycle. As responsible consumers, we need to put in a greater commitment for the preservation of resources, for present and future generations.”

Prof. Alan Deidun – Ocean Ambassador For Malta

“The Church fully accepts the findings by scientific community, and acknowledges that in matters related to the environment, science should have the final say. I’m glad by this major breakthrough. Besides an economical, political and social reality, there is also a spiritual dimension to the environment.  The environment is now deeply entrenched in the Catholic Social Teaching. The poor are the ones who are badly hit by climate change so this is indeed a social justice issue. Laudato Si is a landmark document on how Catholics and non-believers should relate to the environment.”

This article written on the occassion of Laudato Si Week 2020 was worked in collaboration with the Interdiocesan Environmental Commission.

Read more:
– “I Was Raised On The Farm” – 11 Life Lessons From The Field
– Top Pope Francis’ Global And Local Human Solidarity Quotes

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Where are toys made?

Toys are made in factories in countries like China where laws are very different from those in Europe or North America. This means that the workers have poor working conditions: they are paid very little for the long hours they work, forced overtime, little breaks, no social benefits like maternity leave, no contract of employment and poor ventilation which can at times be dangerous when dealing with fumes coming out of glues and chemicals. Injured workers report that factory management does not show interest in workers’ well-being. If aged over thirty women are considered old to work at these factories. These kind of factories are called sweatshops. Sometimes children work in sweat shops too.

A worker’s experience – Fatima’s workday

Fatima is one of the workers who makes these toys. She is expecting a baby and has to work as her husband who had an accident in another factory can’t work anymore. It’s peak season, Christmas, and last months she worked 120 more hours without having a single day off.

It’s 8 am and Fatima’s shift has started. Fatima doesn’t mind the packing but she can’t stand the paint station where spray is used to paint tiny vehicles. The room has no windows and the fumes make her feel dizzy and sick. Yesterday she passed out and had to be taken outside. She lost a whole afternoon pay because she left the station without asking for an “off-duty” permit. She is worried about her growing baby.

Fatima makes sure she gets a toilet pass before 10pm. After that, the workers have to use barrels of water as the flushing water is turned off.

The supervisors are strict but the manager is worse. Last week Fatima made over 900 model cars. She filled in her work log and the manager fined her some of her wages for missing her target. Fatima was so tired she couldn’t remember her target but she knows she couldn’t have worked any harder or faster.

It’s midnight and half-asleep, Fatima now leaves the assembly line-for the bus ride home.²

Like Fatima there are thousands of workers who work in these conditions.

What can be done to improve these working conditions?

Campaigners say that it will take governments, companies and consumers to all play their part. Pope Francis in address to the United Nations called for  “concrete steps and immediate measures for putting an end as quickly as possible to the phenomenon of human trafficking and slave labour. We need to ensure that our institutions are truly effective in the struggle against all these scourges.

But we, as consumers, can also do a lot!  We can shop in a better way. Buying choosing fair trade or ethical products we are giving a message that the environment and people’s lives are important. Through shopping we can support companies which treat their employees with care and respect the environment.

Examples of companies which sell ethical toys are:

– www.ilovetoys.co.uk which sells toys with reasonable prices which are fairly traded or ethical.
– www.babipur.co.uk which sells organic, chemical free, and fair trade toys.
– www.tradicraft.co.uk which sells fair trade toys and more.

To know which toy companies to choose/avoid you can visit:

– www.ethicalconsumer.org for an intensive updated guide on various companies and products (not only toys)
– www.icti-care.org. When you click on the “committed brands” button you will learn which companies are committed to changing things for the better.

Of course, businesses and governments have to do their part. But history shows that some truths start being told from the grass roots. Votes for women, ending apartheid in South Africa, the minimum wage, and many other significant moments were brought about by ordinary people speaking truth to power. We can also be part of the community who has started to play and shop fair.

This article was compiled  from the following sources:
^1,2The true cost of toys, Mary Colson, 2013.
Photos by German photographer Michael Wolf who visited five toy factories in China.

Read more:
– International Council of Toy Industries
– The International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour
– Real life stories: Child Worker, Catherine Chambers, 2005.
– Iqbal, Francesco D’Adamo, 2009. A historical fictional book based on the real life story of Iqbal Masih a ten year old slave boy who escaped from a factory.
– Top Popes’ Human Dignity Quotes

Published: November 2016

Watch:

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1. It is more important to love than to obey

“Take care of the poor and the outcast! The Bible is full of these exhortations. The Lord says: it is not important to me that you do this or that, it is important to me that the orphan is cared for, that the widow is cared for, that the outcast person is heard, that creation is protected. This is the Kingdom of God!”
Pope Francis, Homily, 2014

2. Jesus is there when people suffer

“Where is God? Where is God, if evil is present in our world, if there are men and women who are hungry and thirsty, homeless, exiles and refugees..? These are questions that humanly speaking have no answer. But Jesus’ answer is ‘God is in them.’ Jesus is in them; he suffers in them and deeply identifies with each of them, He is so closely united to them as to form with them, as it were, ‘one body.’
Pope Francis, Way of the Cross at World Youth Day, 2016.

3. Let’s have social institutions for the human person

“The goal of all social institutions is and must be the human person which for its part and by its very nature stands completely in need of social life.
Pope Paul 6th, Joy and Hope, 25

4. Man is the centre of the economy

“Man is the source, the centre, and the purpose of all economic and social life.”
Pope Paul 6th, Joy & Hope. 63

5. The Church is an “expert in humanity”

“The Church does not propose economic and political systems or programs, nor does she show preference for one or the other, provided that human dignity is properly respected and promoted, and provided she herself is allowed the room she needs to exercise her ministry in the world. But the Church is an “expert in humanity”…”
Pope John Paul 2nd, On Social Concern, 41

6. The Catholic social teaching is not a political programme

“It is up to the Christian communities to analyse with objectivity the situation which is proper to their own country, to shed on it the light of the Gospel’s unalterable words and to draw principles of reflection, norms of judgment and directives for action from the social teaching of the Church. This social teaching has been worked out in the course of history and notably, in this industrial era…”
Pope Paul 6th, On The Eightieth Anniversary, 4

Read more:
– Preserving The Dignity Of The Elderly – An Example From The Little Sisters Of The Poor
– “I Work With Prostitutes” – The Negative Effects Of Prostitution

Watch:

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In this heartfelt prayer for injustice, Mother Teresa prays for different categories of people who are suffering an injustice and prays for forgiveness of those who are unintentionally part of a system that perpetuates injustice.

O God, we pray for all those in our world who are suffering from injustice:
For those who are discriminated against because of their race, color or religion;
For those imprisoned for working for the relief of oppression;
For those who are hounded for speaking the inconvenient truth;
For those tempted to violence as a cry against overwhelming hardship;
For those deprived of reasonable health and education;
For those suffering from hunger and famine;
For those too weak to help themselves and who have no one else to help them;
For the unemployed who cry out for work but do not find it.
We pray for anyone of our acquaintance who is personally affected by injustice.

Forgive us, Lord,
if we unwittingly share in the conditions or in a system that perpetuates injustice.
Show us how we can serve your children and make your love practical by washing their feet.

Mother Teresa

Read more:
– “I Lived With Mother Teresa” – Mother Teresa Personality Traits
– A Prayer For Workers And For Labour Day

The post Prayer For Injustice appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Social Justice Quote 1 – St Vincent De Paul

“I shouldn’t judge poor peasants, men and women, by their surface appearance, nor by their apparent mental capacities. And this is hard to do, since very frequently they scarcely seem to have the semblance or the intelligence of reasonable beings, so gross and so offensive are they. But, turn the coin, and you will see by the light of faith that the Son of God, whose will it was to be poor, is represented to us by just these people.”
St Vincent De Paul

Social Justice Quote 2 – Albert Debono

“The road towards social justice is made up of very small choices which we do in our daily life. It does not exclude the big deeds but in reality the small choices on a daily basis can change the world.
Albert Debono – a youth worker in Catholic ministry with experience in the field of Fair Trade

Social Justice Quote 3 – Fr Binoy Puthusery CM

The poor have much to teach us. This may be one the reasons why Vincent told us that “the poor are our masters.” Like the poor widow of the Gospel, their faith is great. Their patience and endurance amidst suffering make them more like Christ. Their love is true and the joy is real. We can never become true evangelisers of the poor, unless we are not evangelised by them first.
Fr Binoy Puthusery CM

Read more:
– Catholic Social Justice Quotes From the Popes
– “I Work With Prostitutes” – The Negative Effects Of Prostitution

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The Catholic social justice prinsiples teach that individual human beings are the foundation, the cause and the end of every social institution; the person is a priority and comes before any profit or other gains. Thus, human dignity is a recurring theme in the Catholic social justice documents as the human person is the fundamental concern of this teaching.

We humans are social beings by our very nature. We grow in unity with others. The Catholic social justice teachings are thus at the heart of the Church’s mission. The Church contributes to the solution of development through these social justice teachings.

Read more:
To know more – Seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching
To pray – CAFOD Reflections and prayers
To pray on the acts of mercy – “Visit The Sick”
To get involved – Progressio
To be guided how to shop ethically – www.ethicalconsumer.org 
To check about companies’ social responsibility – www.betterworldshopper.org
For children, to learn how to protect our planet – www.kidsforsavingearth.org

Watch:

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