Catechism index

1891. 1891 IN BRIEF The human person needs life in society in order to develop in accordance with his nature. Certain societies, such as the family and the state, correspond more directly to the nature of … →
1892. 1892 IN BRIEF "The human person . . . is and ought to be the principle, the subject, and the object of every social organization" (GS 25 # 1). →
1893. 1893 IN BRIEF Widespread participation in voluntary associations and institutions is to be encouraged. →
1894. 1894 IN BRIEF In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, neither the state nor any larger society should substitute itself for the initiative and responsibility of individuals and intermediary bodies. →
1895. 1895 IN BRIEF Society ought to promote the exercise of virtue, not obstruct it. It should be animated by a just hierarchy of values. →
1896. 1896 IN BRIEF Where sin has perverted the social climate, it is necessary to call for the conversion of hearts and appeal to the grace of God. Charity urges just reforms. There is no solution … →
1897. 1897 I. Authority "Human society can be neither well-ordered nor prosperous unless it has some people invested with legitimate authority to preserve its institutions and to devote themselves as far as is necessary to work … →
1898. 1898 I. Authority Every human community needs an authority to govern it. 16 The foundation of such authority lies in human nature. It is necessary for the unity of the state. Its role is to … →
1899. 1899 I. Authority The authority required by the moral order derives from God: "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have … →
1900. 1900 I. Authority The duty of obedience requires all to give due honor to authority and to treat those who are charged to exercise it with respect, and, insofar as it is deserved, with gratitude … →
1901. 1901 I. Authority If authority belongs to the order established by God, "the choice of the political regime and the appointment of rulers are left to the free decision of the citizens." 20 The diversity … →
1902. 1902 I. Authority Authority does not derive its moral legitimacy from itself. It must not behave in a despotic manner, but must act for the common good as a "moral force based on freedom and … →
1903. 1903 A human law has the character of law to the extent that it accords with right reason, and thus derives from the eternal law. Insofar as it falls short of right reason it is said to be an unjust law, and thus has not so much the nature of law as of a kind of violence. 22 Authority is exercised legitimately only when it seeks the common good of the group concerned and if it employs morally licit means to attain it. If rulers were to enact unjust laws … →
1904. 1904 A human law has the character of law to the extent that it accords with right reason, and thus derives from the eternal law. Insofar as it falls short of right reason it is said to be an unjust law, and thus has not so much the nature of law as of a kind of violence. 22 "It is preferable that each power be balanced by other powers and by other spheres of responsibility which keep it within proper bounds. This is the principle of the 'rule of law,' … →
1905. 1905 II. The Common Good In keeping with the social nature of man, the good of each individual is necessarily related to the common good, which in turn can be defined only in reference to the human … →
1906. 1906 Do not live entirely isolated, having retreated into yourselves, as if you were already justified, but gather instead to seek the common good together. 25 By common good is to be understood "the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily." 26 … →
1907. 1907 Do not live entirely isolated, having retreated into yourselves, as if you were already justified, but gather instead to seek the common good together. 25 First, the common good presupposes respect for the person as such. In the name of the common good, public authorities are bound to respect the fundamental and inalienable rights of the human … →
1908. 1908 Do not live entirely isolated, having retreated into yourselves, as if you were already justified, but gather instead to seek the common good together. 25 Second, the common good requires the social well-being and development of the group itself. Development is the epitome of all social duties. Certainly, it is the proper function of authority to arbitrate, … →
1909. 1909 Do not live entirely isolated, having retreated into yourselves, as if you were already justified, but gather instead to seek the common good together. 25 Finally, the common good requires peace, that is, the stability and security of a just order. It presupposes that authority should ensure by morally acceptable means the security of society and its … →
1910. 1910 Do not live entirely isolated, having retreated into yourselves, as if you were already justified, but gather instead to seek the common good together. 25 Each human community possesses a common good which permits it to be recognized as such; it is in the political community that its most complete realization is found. It is the role … →