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Here is a selection of quotes on 10 topics taken from the
"Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church," released
Oct. 25 at the Vatican.
 ABORTION
AND BIRTH CONTROL: "Concerning the 'methods' for practicing
responsible procreation, the first to be rejected as morally
illicit are sterilization and abortion. The latter in particular
is a horrendous crime and constitutes a particularly serious
moral disorder; far from being a right, it is a sad phenomenon
that contributes seriously to spreading a mentality against
life, representing a dangerous threat to a just and democratic
social coexistence."
BUSINESS: "All those involved in a business venture
must be mindful that the community in which they work represents
a good for everyone and not a structure that permits the satisfaction
of someone's merely personal interests. This awareness alone
makes it possible to build an economy that is truly at the
service of mankind and to create programs of real cooperation
among the different partners in labor."
"War is a scourge and is never an appropriate way to resolve problems that arise between nations; it has never been and it will never be, because it creates new and still more complicated conflicts."
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ENVIRONMENT: "The biblical message and the church's
magisterium represent the essential reference points for evaluating
the problems found in the relationship between man and the
environment. The underlying cause of these problems can be
seen in man's pretension of exercising unconditional dominion
over things, heedless of any moral considerations which, on
the contrary, must distinguish all human activity."
FAMILY AND MARRIAGE: "The family, in fact, is born
of the intimate communion of life and love founded on the
marriage between one man and one woman. It possesses its own
specific and original social dimension, in that it is the
principal place of interpersonal relationships, the first
and vital cell of society. The family is a divine institution
that stands at the foundation of life of the human person
as the prototype of every social order."
POLITICS: "A particular area for discernment on the
part of the lay faithful concerns the choice of political
instruments, that is, membership in a party or in other types
of political participation. A choice must be made that is
consistent with values, taking into account actual circumstances.
In every case, whatever choice is made must be rooted in charity
and tend toward the attainment of the common good. It is difficult
for the concerns of the Christian faith to be adequately met
in one sole political entity; to claim that one party or political
coalition responds completely to the demands of faith or of
Christian life would give rise to dangerous errors."
PREFERENTIAL OPTION FOR THE POOR: "The principle
of the universal destination of goods requires that the poor,
marginalized and in all cases those whose living conditions
interfere with their proper growth should be the focus of
particular concern. To this end, the preferential option for
the poor should be affirmed in all its force. This is an option,
or a special form of primacy in the exercise of Christian
charity, to which the whole tradition of the church bears
witness. It affects the life of each Christian inasmuch as
he or she seeks to imitate the life of Christ, but it applies
equally to our social responsibilities and hence to our manner
of living, and to the logical decisions to be made concerning
the ownership and use of goods."
PRIVATE PROPERTY: "Christian tradition has never
recognized the right to private property as absolute and untouchable.
... The universal destination of goods entails obligations
on how goods are to be used by their legitimate owners. Individual
persons may not use their resources without considering the
effects that this use will have; rather, they must act in
a way that benefits not only themselves and their family,
but also the common good."
 WAR:
"The magisterium condemns 'the savagery of war' and asks that
war be considered in a new way. In fact, it is hardly possible
to imagine that in an atomic era, war could be used as an
instrument of justice. War is a scourge and is never an appropriate
way to resolve problems that arise between nations; it has
never been and it will never be, because it creates new and
still more complicated conflicts."
WOMEN AND WORK: "The feminine genius is needed in
all expressions in the life of society; therefore, the presence
of women in the workplace must also be guaranteed. The first
indispensable step in this direction is the concrete possibility
of access to professional formation. The recognition and defense
of women's rights in the context of work generally depend
on the organization of work, which must take into account
the dignity and vocation of women, whose true advancement
... requires that labor should be structured in such a way
that women do not have to pay for their advancement by abandoning
what is specific to them."
WORK: "The church teaches the value of work not only
because it is always something that belongs to the person,
but also because of its nature as something necessary. Work
is needed to form and maintain a family, to have a right to
property, to contribute to the common good of the human family.
In considering the moral implications that the question of
work has for social life, the church cannot fail to indicate
unemployment as a real social disaster, above all with regard
to the younger generations."
---CNS
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