Blog #13 Catholic Social Teaching

Colonialism and Economic Development

            Chapter Seven discusses the social sins of  Colonialism.  With Colonialism rose an imbalance difference between the rich and the poor economies.   With colonialism brought racism,  misconceptions, and stereotypes especially of the Africans.   Many catholic missionaries were involved with others in illegal activity or wrongdoings during the colonial era.  Western Christianity began to spread when ships that carried priests, preachers, and missionaries were vocal in identifying the injustices such as slave trade and murders.   Catholic Social Teaching identifies two sets of ideas that can be addressed to help the situation of poverty.  The first set of idea that the Church reiterated the moral obligation to care deeply about the world’s poverty and to assist others.   All people are part of humanity and humans must ignore the differences of race, religion, and nation.   In Pope John XXIII’s 1961 letter Mater el Magistra, he identifies global poverty.   Pope John describes that brotherhood  must be a priority and humans must resist the evils of selfishness and unity must exist for all who share the earth.  The second way Catholic social teaching addresses poverty is by having believers brainstorm their suggestions for improvement which  allows the believers to be part of the solution.   In Pope Paul VI writings, he identified the distinct inequalities of the rich and poor nations.   He campaigned land reforms in the Third World, an end of export policies that curved economies by favoring goods that would be most profitable for a few, and not useful by the majority, and more international aid to support micro-development so that farms and townspeople in Africa, Asia, and Latin America can receive credit.   Furthermore, John Paul II continued the global injustice that Pope Paul VI started.   John Paul II wanted a restructuring of worldwide patterns of trade, production, and finance that would spread economic progress.   John Paul II identifies the two social sins which are “all-consuming desire for profit” and the “thirst for power.” Finally, progress was made in incremental  stages to ease the poor from suffering through social responsible people.    

In my opinion, most development is history have meant violence and threats from invaders through colonialism.  Historically, Colonialism had been unfair in respect to human rights for those who had experienced this change at that time.  I suppose Pope Paul VI and John Paul II  social teachings inspired the spirit and vision of individual rights and democracy throughout history. Finally, today regarding social justice, the division between the rich and the poor is still in existence because minimum-wage jobs don’t offer benefits which doesn’t help people escape poverty.  I concur that this is valid because I am working a part-time,  minimum wage job that offers no benefits.