"The Bible, from the first page on, teaches us that the whole of creation is for humanity, that it is men and women's responsibility to develop it by intelligent effort and by means of their labor to perfect it, so to speak, for their use. If the world is made to furnish each individual with the means of livelihood and the instruments for growth and progress, all people have therefore the right to find in the world what is necessary for them."

---"Development of Peoples" (Populorum Progresio), Pope Paul VI, 1967

1. The inherent dignity of the human person: human dignity reflects the image of God and includes the dignity of work and the rights of workers

2. Subsidiarity: is about the role of government that says that no higher level community should strip another community of their capacity to see, judge and act on their own behalf. In case of need it should, rather, support the smaller community and help to coordinate its activity with activities in the rest of society for the sake of the common good.

3. The common good: embraces the sum total of all those conditions of social life which enable individuals, families, and organizations to achieve complete and effective fulfillment.

4. Universal distribution of goods: means that our responsibilities to each other cross national, racial, economic, and ideological differences. Authentic development must be full human development that respects and promotes personal, social, economic and political rights, including the rights of nations and of peoples… It must avoid the extremists of underdevelopment on the one hand and "super-development" on the other.

5. Preferential option for the poor: asks "what is the cost of discipleship?" and teaches us to view people from the social, economic, and cultural vantage point of the least among us. St. Ambrose expressed it thus: "You are not making a gift of your possessions to the poor person. You are handing over to him what is his. For what has been given in common for the use of all, you have arrogated to yourself. The world is given to all, and not only to the rich."

6. Solidarity: is a way of being community that is based on empathy for others. It is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say, to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all (Cf. On Social Concern, Pope John Paul II, 1987).

7. Care for the earth: demands that we balance human rights and land rights with respect for all of God's creation. The earth's welfare is human welfare. "… all people have therefore the right to find in the world what is necessary for them ("Development of Peoples," Paul VI).

---Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP