Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI articulated the demands placed upon us by our obligation to the vulnerable in our midst: “Jesus taught his disciples to pray by asking the Heavenly Father not for “my” but for “our” daily bread. Thus, he desired every person to feel co‐responsible for his brothers so that no one would want…
Between February and May, the U.S. labor market lost nearly 20 million jobs. This unprecedented decline in economic activity was fueled by the many stay-at-home directives imposed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. As of May, the unemployment rate stood at 13.3%, a sharp increase from its 3.5% rate in February and, despite a decline…
A central principle of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is the right to food for all persons. For example, in Pacem in Terris (11) St. John XXIII states that “Every man has the right to life, to bodily integrity, and to the means which are suitable for the proper development of life; these are primarily food,…
Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is generally considered to have started with the encyclical of Pope Leo XIII The Condition of Labor (Rerum Novarum). This encyclical called out the wretched conditions of industrial workers and articulated the rights and duties of workers and employers, including the rights of workers to organize. On this foundation, the social…
Welcome to the second issue of our CREDO newsletter. A great deal has happened since our last issue.
In the spring, Thomas Piketty’s book, Capital in the 21st Century became a New York Times bestseller, creating excitement, controversy and much discussion in the economics community but probably more so in the Church, media, and broader society. The focus of the book is, of course, wealth and income inequality, and we have decided to give some focus to the issue in the current issue. CREDO vice-president Jesus Fernandez Villaverde has contributed a thoughtful review of the book…
During Labor Day weekend we take time to reflect on what allows us to “put food on the table.” In my line of work, as a pastor, I encounter people regularly who have to make difficult choices that no one should have to make: do I buy food or do I pay my rent? Many of our churches, synagogues, schools and community centers try to lend a hand to families in need. In many cases, the aid is appreciated but insufficient to get the family to a position of self-sufficiency.
It is during this time when so many Americans struggle to find work and put meals on the table that lawmakers in Washington are cutting a vital lifeline — food assistance — that protects vulnerable families from falling into poverty. This is a moral scandal that betrays our nation’s best values and highest ideals. …