THEOLOGY 3 REVIEWER

UNIT 2 LESSON 2: - A real community of disciples is patterned

after the Holy Trinity where the three divine
Building Christian Communities through Persons: unique, equal and united are in
Renewed Integral Evangelization constant sharing and in mission
 The main task of the Church in the Philippines is - It also approximates the early apostolic
to encourage its flocks to become active Christian communities
members of Christian communities and to lead
people to authentic renewal through meaningful  The Church of the Poor
proclamation of the Good News in order to - Our priority must be programs for the
address some existing contradictions in the conscientization, evangelization and
Philippines such as massive poverty, organization of the marginalized poor.
unemployment, graft and corruption and drug - First, into small communities of faith and
addiction. discernment.
- Second, into sectoral groups to attend to
 The Vision-Mission of the 2nd Plenary specific needs in cultural, political, economic
Council of the Philippines and religious institutions.
- conscientization, evangelization and
- We, as church in the Philippines, with total
organization of the marginalized poor.
trust in god‘s love, envision ourselves as the
- This is empowerment of the laity especially
community of disciples, who firmly believe in
the poor for active participation and leadership
the Lord Jesus and joyfully live in harmony
in the Church‘s life and mission.
and solidarity with one another, with creation,
and with God.
- Following the way of our Lord, we opt to be a  Basic Ecclesial Communities or BECs as
Church of the Poor, which demands Community of Disciples
evangelical poverty of us all… - BECs are small communities whose members
- To achieve this vision, under the leading of the are in unity and solidarity with one another
spirit of god and with Mary as our guide, we and with their pastors.
shall embark on a renewed integral - Patterned after the Domus Ecclesia or House
evangelization and witness to Jesus Christ‘s Church which was the Church known to the
Gospel of salvation and liberation through our early Christians where they gathered at a
words, deeds and lives. house of a member and then there they share
- As bishops, priests, religious and laity, we the Word of God and partake of whatever each
together commit ourselves to implement the of them can offer.
spirit and decrees of the second plenary - The members have a strong sense of
council of the Philippines in order to belongingness and responsibility for one
inculturate gospel values in our milieu by this another.
shall kaayusan (order in harmony) be achieved - They share the Word of God and are guided
through persons who are maka-Diyos, maka- by regular catechesis. They gather around the
tao, makabayan and maka-buhay. Eucharist and have a vibrant celebration of life
in the liturgy.
- They share not only their spiritual concerns
 Community of Disciples
but also the material concerns.
- whose faith in Jesus is expressed in a Church
- Their poverty and their faith lead them to
in mission that includes Asia and the whole
involvement in action for justice and social
creation
transformation
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- The vision of the Church as community of  Active Presence and Participation of the
disciples can be concretely experienced in the Poor in the Church
BECs. - If we are to become a Church of the poor, we
- Without the BECs, the communitarian nature must be evangelically poor.
of the Church and of discipleship remains an - We shall learn from the poor and seek to
abstraction. liberate ourselves from values, behavior and
- In the BECs, the ordinary Christians are lifestyles that discriminate against the poor.
awakened to their call to live their discipleship
fully and actively and in the context of the  The Family as the Focal Point of
community. Evangelization
- The community of disciples is an evangelized - The family is the basic cell of the Church and
and evangelizing community. society, the Gospel has first to be shared in the
- It witnesses to the coming of God's Kingdom. family.
It is prophetic community that proclaims the - Many cultural distortions originate in the
message of the Kingdom, i.e., the message of family.
salvation and liberation. - Integral faith formation must, therefore, take
- As Community of Disciples, the BECs place in the family for all members.
celebrate the presence of Christ in the - The family has to become a key agent of
Sacraments. proclaiming the Gospel.
- Like Christ, BECs are concerned about the
plight of the poor and the needy, those who are  Building and strengthening of Participatory
sick, who are hungry, who are in prison. Communities that make up the Parish as a
- They actively participate in the building of the Community of Communities
Kingdom of God, a kingdom of justice, peace - We shall support the growth and
and love. The community of disciples is truly strengthening of Basic Ecclesial Communities
a servant community. and other forms of faith communities as
vehicles of renewal.
 The 9 Pastoral Priorities of the Catholic - We shall strive to integrate them in parish life
Church in the Philippines and activities and develop structures of
coordination and participatory decision-
 Integral Faith Formation making
- At the heart of pastoral renewal is faith
formation.  Integral Renewal of the Clergy
- We must have integral faith to fulfill our - To address the lack of witnessing by some of
vocation and mission. the clergy, we shall ensure deeper dialogue of
- It has to be a discerning faith that sees the life between the clergy and the poor so that
action of God in our lives and in our lifestyles may conform to that of the poor
communities Christ.
- For genuine servant-leadership, we shall
 Empowerment of the Laity toward Social provide effective clergy formation in human
Transformation development, spirituality, scripture, theology,
- We shall promote and support the exercise of pastoral care and mission.
the God-given gifts and charisms of lay
people.
- Lay people must take the lead in social
transformation.
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 Journeying with the Youth their faith and reach out to other Christians in
- The youth are the most numerous in our deep need of a new encounter with Christ.
population. - In modern times this means re-proposing the
- They are some of the most active workers of Gospel to people in countries and cultures
renewal in the Church and in society. But they heavily influenced by secularization.
are also most vulnerable to the negative
developments in our rising technological  Evangelization by Attraction
society. - When our communities show a Christ-like
- We affirm their gifts and immense capacity to love characterized by joyful unity as
pursue the Christian ideal in their lives and in exemplified by the first Christian
society. communities the world will once more take
- We shall dialogue with them, enter their notice and exclaim again, ―See these
world, and journey with them toward the Christians, how they love one another!
maturity of Christ to which we all aspire.
 Evangelization in a Digital World
 Ecumenism and Inter-religious Dialogue - In today‘s world, you are not “in” if you are
- To achieve the unity that Christ willed, we not in the digital world.
shall strive to eradicate prejudices, grow in - The Church has to enter this world and use it
deeper understanding and appreciation of to communicate the Good News to all peoples.
other faiths, and religious traditions, - The digital world is where people live today
especially Islam. and where they can be reached.
- As a way of healing, reconciliation and - To neglect to use these means is to neglect one
national unity, we shall encourage dialogue of the most potent instruments the Lord has
among all sectors of society. given us to communicate the Good News to all
peoples.
 Animation and Formation for “MissioAd
Gentes”  Evangelization and Conversion
- We shall respond to the Holy Father‘s - The first response that is expected of those
challenge that Filipinos become ―the who heard the preaching of the Good News is
foremost missionaries for all of Asia‖. repentance.
- Therefore, we shall ensure that mission - The Greek word used in the New Testament
animation and formation will be integral to for repentance is metanoia.
religious formation in the family, schools, and - What is to repent? It is to change.
other institutes of formation. - First, it is a change of mind, a change in our
way of thinking, a change in our “pananaw.”
 New Evangelization - Second is a change of heart, a change in our
- Is a technical term used by Pope John Paul II attitude, in our “kalooban.”
in his encyclical Redemptoris Missio in 1992 - The third change is a change of behavior or
in order to revitalize the faith, give dynamism “pagkilos.”
to the building up of the Church and to draw
people to unity.
- Evangelization can be new in its ardor,
methods, and expression.
- The call to the new evangelization is a call for
the baptized members of the Church to deepen
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UNIT 2 LESSON 3: - Hence, the modern social encyclicals were

Catholic contributions to the talk about human
Nature of The Social Teaching of The flourishing pointing out especially the
Church important points from these two ideologies.
 The Social Teaching of the Church is at the core - The Catholic Church has issued important
of Christianity. It needs to be pointed out that documents in order to officially announce its
Jesus is an active agent in the renewal of the stand on pertinent social issues that confront
Society. His proclamation of the Kingdom of our communities at particular moments in
God means that certain practices in the history.
community would even have to be renewed in - These are Catholic contributions to the talk
order to show to the people that indeed God’s about human flourishing based on important
reign is at hand, even if at the same time, it cannot principles such as the dignity of the human
be fully fulfilled in the present. person, subsidiarity, solidarity and the
preferential option for the poor.
 The Truth of Faith - Moreover, each of these documents, while
- The First Christians were true followers of sensitive to the historical conditions of
Christ in the sense that they have endeavored particular times, are grounded in the Tradition
to persevere in the ministry that Christ has of the Church that finds its beginning in the
started. This is especially shown in their person and ministry of Jesus Christ.
commitment to equality, respect and love for
each other.  The Human Person as the Image of God
- Moreover, decisions in their communities are - Church’s understanding of human dignity -is
done “in remembrance” of the memory of the conviction that the human person occupies
Christ. a central role in the creation of God, and that
- The Middle Ages Church, despite the the human person is the only creature that is
infamous abuses of some members of the created in the image and likeness of God, and
hierarchy and the clergy, remains faithful to is the only creature that has the capacity for
Christ’s call to bring about the reign of love in God.
our communities. - Human dignity is a core-concept in the social
- Important thinkers in the Middle Ages teaching of the Church. The Church believes
especially Thomas Aquinas continues to talk that the human dignity is a concept that is both
about justice and charity for the poor inviolable and inalienable, that is, it can never
- The challenge to aid the needy in the be compromised regardless of the
community has become more pressing with circumstances and consequences of the action.
the emergence of modern ideologies that were - The apex of the affirmation of human dignity
brought about mainly by the Industrial is the coming of Christ. Christ embraces
Revolution. humanity through the mystery of Incarnation,
- Capitalism and Socialism were two ideologies which affirms that humanity is central to
that were both supposedly aimed at improving God’s plan.
the conditions of every person’s life. - The centrality of the dignity of the human
However, because of their neglect to talk person is even highlighted more with the
about God in their endeavours, they have Paschal Mystery of Christ. He showed us that
instead also contributed to the increasing the cross is not a meaningless symbol, but is
problems of poverty and injustice in the rather a testimony of God’s love.
community.
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 Celebrating our Shared Humanity, Our purpose of these goods, so as to bring about
Human Interconnectedness fairness and solidarity.
- Yahweh’s covenant with Abraham and the - Everyone has the right to enjoy the conditions
people of Israel is Yahweh’s own initiative of social life that are brought about by the
and gift which is even beyond what humanity quest for the conditions of social life that are
deserves. brought about by the quest for the common
- The covenant is an expression of Yahweh’s good.
willingness to reach out to His people. In fact, - Pope Pius XI: ‘the distribution of created
by the covenant, Yahweh makes himself goods, which, as every discerning person
bound to fulfil his promises to His people. knows, is laboring today under the gravest
- In turn, the covenant becomes the people’s evils due to the huge disparity between the few
assurance that Yahweh will never abandon exceedingly rich and the unnumbered
them. property less, must be effectively called back
- Moreover, “there comes from the Decalogue a to and brought into conformity with the norms
commitment that concerns not only fidelity to of the common good, that is, social justice.
the one true God, but also the social relations This then prompts the Church to call for a
among the people of the Covenant… The gift more just distribution of the world’s wealth
of freedom and the Promised Land, and the (CSDC 171).
gift of Covenant on Sinai and the Ten - Man, then, must never forget that his capacity
Commandments are therefore intimately to transform and in a certain sense create the
linked to the practices which must regulate, in world through his own work… is always
justice and solidarity, the development of based on God’s prior and original gift of the
Israelite society. things that are.
- A society that wishes and intends to remain at
the service of the human being at every level  The Paradigm of Love and Justice versus the
is a society that has the common good –the Way of Violence
good of all the people and of the whole society - Love is the most identifying value of the
–as its primary goal. Church's social teaching. It is what makes us
- In the diversity of cultures, the natural law uniquely Christians. It is, in fact, unachievable
unites peoples, enjoining common principles. without grace, but the grace is freely supplied
Since something of the glory of God shines on to the willing, which is grace itself.
the face of every person, the dignity of every
person before God is the basis of the dignity  The Way of Love and Justice
of man before other men. - In the Church’s perspective, love as a value is
“the highest and universal criterion of the
 Toward a Just and Humane Society whole of social ethics.” (CSDC, 171)
according to God’s Plan - “From the inner wellspring of love the values
- God destined the earth and all it contains for of truth, freedom, and justice are born and
all men and peoples so that all created things grow. Love is what makes us able to see the
would be shared fairly by all mankind under other as a friend, as another self, so that the
the guidance of justice (CSDC, 165). needs and requirements of others seem as
- The principle of the Universal Destination of one's own.” (CSDC, 205)
Goods is an invitation to develop an economic - Love presupposes and transcends justice. This
vision inspired by moral values that permit means that love builds upon justice just like
people not to lose sight of the origin or grace builds upon nature.
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- For what happens when love meets justice, context seeking the greatest good for the
look at the cross of Christ, the cross of Christ community in its entirety. (CSDC, 208)
which is our law. Without justice, there is no
love. Without justice, love does not survive.  Versus the Way of Violence
Justice is the prerequisite of love. Justice is - The Church does not approve the use of
fulfilled by love. violence and the use of arms because it is
- Kant insisted that, in justice, the law of aware that violence only leads to more
punishment was a categorical imperative violence, which often results only in new
which admitted no exception. For if justice forms of oppression.
goes, there is no longer any value in human - Violence is never a proper response. The
beings living on the earth. Kant is entirely Church proclaims that violence is evil, that
correct. A world without justice is, to be sure, violence is unacceptable as a solution to
too horrible to behold. problems, that violence is unworthy of man.
- However, a world with justice but without - Violence is a lie, for it goes against the truth,
love is equally as bad or worse. Human the truth of our humanity. Violence destroys
relationships cannot be governed solely by the what it claims to defend: the dignity, the life,
measure of justice. The prophet Malachi tells the freedom of human beings
us that God requires more than doing justice.
He requires us to love mercy and to walk  Understanding ‘critical collaboration’ with
humbly with Him (Malachi 3:3). the State
- Summum ius, summa iniuria was a Roman - The Church recognizes its autonomy from the
maxim mentioned by Cicero. It is a brilliant, State. However, many understand this to mean
ambiguous saying which can be translated, that the Church should not be involved in
“extreme justice is the greatest injustice,” or political issues, or with politicians and public
an "extreme justice is an extreme wrong. policies. This is not the meaning of the
- Here is a truly radical challenge: to take love, separation of Church and State.
which, as St. Thomas mentions in his Summa
Theologiae, is the form of the virtues, and to  From Separation
socialize it or institutionalize it into social and o What really is the meaning of this
political charity. This task is the modern separation? There are three main ideas:
challenge of our time. o the state has no official religion,
- Social charity makes us love the common o the state should not discriminate any
good. It makes us effectively see the good of religion; and
all people, considered not only as individuals o the Church should not control or dominate
or private persons but also in the social any religious group, the police or armed
dimension that unites them. (CSDC, 207) unit of the State
- We need a new world order that is grounded o The principle of the separation of Church
not only on secular values but on Christian and State is a reaction to some medieval
love, on social and political charity, which is arrangement of church-sponsored religions
identical with solidarity, i.e., a direct demand or a State persecution of some undesirable
of human and Christian brotherhood. Social religions.
and political charity is not exhausted in o In order to respect the autonomy of the
relationships between individuals, but extends Church, the State shall not establish one
to the network formed by communal religion as the religion of the State.
relationships, which is precisely the social and o It shall not favor one religion over the
political community; it intervenes in this other.
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o It shall foster the freedom of all religious in the fight for justice.” (Benedict CVI,
beliefs and should not interfere with their Deus Caritas est)
practices unless these actions become o The Church has the right and the duty “to
detrimental to public order. teach her social doctrine, to exercise her
o In order to respect the autonomy of the role freely among men, and also to pass
State, the Church prohibits its ministers and moral judgment in those matters which
priests to run for public office or, if they do, regard public order when the fundamental
they should resign from their ministry as rights of the human person or the salvation
priests. of souls require it.” (Gaudium et Spes, 76)
o This is also done in order to guard the o Both the Church and those who govern
Church’s role as agent of unity as society are seeking to serve mankind
exemplified in a community of different (although under different titles), and they
political persuasions. “will carry out this service with greater
o Separation of Church and State does not efficacy, for the good of all, the healthier
mean, however, that the Church and its and better is the cooperation between
ministers cannot take a stand on social, them.” (CSDC, 425)
economic and political issues affecting the
welfare of the people.  Nature of the Social Teaching
o And, if taking sides on these issues - Emphasis on the Human Person as Imago Dei
necessitates choosing one candidate over - Celebrates Humanity and our
another, the Church can encourage its Interconnectedness
members to pursue their own options to - Promotion of Justice according to God’s Plan
address the situation according to its moral
values.  Paradigms
o In the end, it is the individual Christian who - Way of Love and Justice- /
decides based on his or her own - Way of Violence- X
conscience, not its leaders or ministers. - Critical Collaboration with the State
 Separation
 To Cooperation  Cooperation
o Using a bicycle, one can surely reach his or
her destination if the two wheels are
consistent in moving to the same direction.
The same is true with the relationship
between the Church and State, i.e., both
have the same goal of reaching the
common good and realizing the Kingdom
of God.
o The distinction between the Church and the
State does not imply a complete separation,
nor does it mean that the Church should
restrict her activity to the private and
spiritual sphere
o Certainly the Church “cannot and must not
replace the State. Yet at the same time she
cannot and must not remain on the sidelines