Summary:
A detailed explanation of the seven principles of social justice taught by the Roman Catholic Church, with reference to the L'Arche community.
The Roman Catholic Church embraces a distinct and concise set of seven social justice principles. The Church also believes in justice and fairness for all people, regardless of their race, age, wealth or disability. The L'Arche community is a clear follower in this belief as they believe that all "humans are created in the image and likeness of God" (Gen 1:27) and therefore should be treated equally. The seven principles of social justice taught by the Catholic Church, when internalised, lead the community to act, as the L'Arche community has done. It helps Catholics to see that they should live a life of dignity and integrity just as Jesus Christ did.
The L'Arche community is the Roman Catholics Church's idea of an ideal community. The Catholic ideal of society can also be seen in Acts 2:44-46, a group of people who really are a community, a family under God the Father. L'Arche is a community with men and women who have developed mental disabilities, many coming from psychiatric centres. It was founded by Jean Vanier in 1964. Vanier was born in 1928 in France before moving to Canada. He returned to France in 1963 and was asked by Fr Philippe to form a community. In 1964 Vanier bought a house in Trosly and invited two handicapped men to come and live with him. Vanier attempted to create a community where each person experienced dignity. One of the first things that Vanier did was to "open the doors" (L'Arche Video) which was symbolic of hope and gave a sense of freedom. The Volunteers at L'Arche are bound together as a community through their love and commitment to one another. Their reward is in simple things; "a fleeting smile or simple gesture" (Video). Working at L'Arche gives them a sense of dignity and a feeling of being 'worthwhile'.
Vanier believed that Christians have a special responsibility to help each individual find and enjoy a meaningful place in the life of a family and so he tried to make a community where he could practice this belief. Jean Vanier's beliefs are influenced by the Trinity and the Incarnation. Vanier's beliefs are in a loving God as a creator and the guidance of the Holy Spirit has given him and his assistants the strength to love and care for the poor as Christ did. Vanier sees the poor as those who are without choices and are unable to cope for themselves. Thus, "there is a great mystery in a severely handicapped person" (Inform article). Vanier believed, that with L'Arche, he was able "to provide a solid base for Christian Communities to engage in the life of society" (Inform article). Like Jesus on earth in his service to the poor, Vanier has taught Catholics to see the poor "not as an annoyance or a burden, but as an opportunity for showing kindness and a chance for greater enrichment" (Pope John Paul II). Vanier also believed in, and followed, the seven social justice teachings that the Roman Catholic Church uphold.
The Catholic Church stresses the importance of the dignity of the human person. This is the central principle behind the Catholic philosophy governing society. The Roman Catholic tradition is opposed to anything that opposes life itself. Human rights are due to us, simply because we are human beings. Human dignity comes from God and, as such, a person does not lose this dignity by being intellectually disabled. Catholics believe that "the human person is the clearest reflection of God's presence in the world" (The Challenge Of Peace 1983). Jesus said that those who treat others with dignity, respect and kindness, would indeed also be treated with dignity, respect and kindness. The L'Arche community attempts to give every human the dignity that they deserve.
Another of the seven social justice teachings is the "community and the common good." The Catholic Church emphasises that the human person is both sacred and social and thus, "every social group must take into account the needs and the legitimate aspirations of other groups" (Vatican II - The Church in the modern world). Vanier attempts to teach that participating in an up building of society is both a right and an obligation. The volunteers at L'Arche endeavour to give the handicapped "common good" by giving them a person to talk to and to express themselves to.
Perhaps the most important principle after basic human dignity is the rights and responsibilities that a person shares with others and themselves, especially in relation to life. That is, that every person has the right to life, to bodily integrity and to the means which are necessary for the proper development of life. The Church states that all life is sacred, L'Arche works to give life a chance to develop and grow. L'Arche aims to provide the basic essentials for life through giving the mentally handicapped a home, clothes, food, jobs, healthcare and support. This is just one of the reasons why many people stay with L'Arche for several years, "they just need to be treated like human beings" (Video).
Work is seen as an essential aspect of human existence by the Church. Work is a right and so are the benefits associated with it. These include: a fair wage, property ownership, and an independent economic initiative. "The economy must work for the people, not against them", otherwise the structure of society begins to deteriorate. L'Arche gives its members a chance to work by participating in various community jobs such as gardening, assembly work and other tasks suited to the abilities of the members participating. Work gives the mentally handicapped "a sense of fruitfulness and dignity" (Video). If a person is unemployed, their sense of meaning and self confidence in life drops. L'Arche encourages paid work and co-operates with such organisations such as M.A.R.C (Mobile Association for Retarded Citizens) to provide work for its members.
Catholics critique society and individuals on how they treat people, particularly the poor and the vulnerable. Thus, "A society can be judged by the state of its poor population" (Inform article). Jesus taught that a society cannot improve unless the demands and needs of its poor people are met. "A poor person is someone who is unable to cope financially, physically and mentally" (Video). L'Arche sees the mentally handicapped as the poor who must be paid attention to. Through its combined efforts of education, work, community integration and religious teaching, L'Arche makes sure that the demands and needs of the poor are being met. L'Arche attempts to improve the outlook of society towards the mentally handicapped.
The principle of Solidarity states that all people are interconnected and interdependent; "brothers and sisters" (Inform article). The world is slowly becoming united through the efforts of negotiation and co-operation between the nations, in other words, solidarity. L'Arche works to further add to the "global family" (Video) so highly emphasised by the Church. L'Arche shows solidarity to those it cares for, because of its friendly and open minded approach. "L'Arche is not just an institution, not just a workplace..." (Video) but a community bound together as a family under the Trinity.
A principle highlighted by the Roman Catholic Church is Stewardship. The book of Genesis describes creation, and our role in it, as those who take care of the earth. God wants humans to "be fruitful and multiply" (Gen 1:28) as this is a part of taking care of creation and sharing it. The earth and its resources are not something to be owned or deserved by an individual or groups of individuals; it must be shared for the benefits of all. L'Arche takes part in taking care of the earth through the work it does and also takes part in celebrating and being thankful for creation, "anything can be a cause for celebration" (Video). L'Arche holds several festivals every year to actively celebrate life and share the resources between the handicapped and the community.
L'Arche is seen by the Roman Catholic Church as an ideal community because Vanier and the volunteers "devoted themselves to the apostles teachings... to the breaking of the bread... they gave to anyone as they needed" (Acts 2:42-46). The Catholic Church implements a set of seven social justice principles; this is best witnessed in the L'Arche community, who tries to make the world a better place for everyone, as all people are created equal.
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