There are two key elements in this document Justice in the World. The first one is the statement that action on behalf of justice is a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel, of evangelization. ‘Constitutive’ means ‘integral’: if the Church is not working for justice, it is failing to be what Jesus calls it to be. And the second key element is, that if the Church is to give witness to justice in the world, then it must itself be just. The Church is obliged to live and administer its own goods in such a way that the Gospel is proclaimed to the poor. If instead the Church appears to be among the rich and powerful of this world, its credibility is diminished. Within the Church, rights must be preserved, and lay people and in particular of women should have their own share of responsibility and participation in the Church. The Synod proposed that this matter be subjected to a serious study, but this recommendation is still hanging in the air.
I hope that during the Synod on the New Evangelisation next year these issues will be taken up again by the Synod Fathers.
How are Christians to contribute most appropriately to the building-up of more just and more peaceful societies?
On the issue of justice in society the Church recognizes the competence of the state to deal with it. But the promotion of justice is something which concerns the Church deeply. We are actors of a social doctrine in constant development, concerned to incarnate the Gospel in the life of the society.
The most complete and authoritative answer available today may be found in Caritas in Veritate (2009). In paragraph 21 Pope Benedict XVI details the qualities and virtues needed for building a more just society:
“The complexity and gravity of the present economic situation rightly cause us concern, but we must adopt a realistic attitude as we take up with confidence and hope the new responsibilities to which we are called by the prospect of a world in need of profound cultural renewal, a world that needs to rediscover fundamental values on which to build a better future. The current crisis obliges us to re-plan our journey, to set ourselves new rules and to discover new forms of commitment, to build on positive experiences and to reject negative ones. The crisis thus becomes an opportunity for discernment, in which to shape a new vision for the future. In this spirit, with confidence rather than resignation, it is appropriate to address the difficulties of the present time.”
