Category: Social Action

Pope Francis and fraternity

In the coverage of the passing of Pope Francis to eternal life, surprisingly little has been said about an important aspect of Pope Francis’s social teaching – fraternity. This was the theme of his second social encyclical, Fratelli tutti. It is an important theme because it links the pastoral, spiritual, theological and social teaching of the late pope. The title of Fratelli tutti in English is “Brothers All”, and it is subtitled “On Fraternity and Social Friendship”.

St Mary’s academics present at key international conference focused on “Catholic universities: in solidarity with their partners and colleagues in conflict zones”

Professor Carole Murphy, Dr Ashley Beck and Ms Maggie Doherty recently presented at an important international conference exploring how to build resilience in solidarity with partners and colleagues in conflict zones. The conference was led and organised by the University of Notre Dame, alongside a Consortium of ten Catholic Universities. It took place at the Notre Dame Rome campus from 31 July to 2 July.

The Crisis of Honesty in Hong Kong’s Governance – and why we must value our democracy

The reality is that the second national security law has severed connections between people in Hong Kong and the outside world.

Posted in Ethics, Human Dignity, Politics, Social ActionTagged featured

Dignitas Infinita – a summary

“Every human person possesses an infinite dignity, inalienably grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state, or situation the person may ever encounter”

On 8^th of April, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published a declaration on human dignity, Dignitas Infinita (Infinite Dignity). This is a summary of that document.

Posted in Events, Human Dignity, Social Action, TheologyTagged featured

The people of Hong Kong need prayer and solidarity

As the world’s attention is on the many other crises and conflicts, we must not forget the need to stand in solidarity with and pray for the people of Hong Kong.

Posted in Human Dignity, Politics, Social Action, SolidarityTagged featured

The Relational Church: Our Calling in Dark Times

Jenny Sinclair is Founder and Director of Together for the Common Good. This is an edited version of her talk, ‘The Relational Church: Our Calling in Dark Times’ given at Hinsley Hall, Leeds, on 1 December 2023. Jenny was guest speaker for the Northern Diaconate Formation Partnership’s training weekend. This summary was first published on Independent Catholic News.

Property, prudence and rent controls

According to the Catechism: “Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it” (paragraph 1806). Some would argue that it is the pre-eminent virtue necessary in those areas of public policy that pertain to economic issues.

Posted in Economics, Ethics, Politics, Poverty, Social ActionTagged featured

The Season of Creation – (Faith) responses to (rapid) climate change

There are clear signs e.g. here, here and here that rapid climate change is no longer a possibility that can be dismissed. Indeed, if the analogy of a boiling kettle being a tipping point that is preceded by fizzing as an indicator that the water is about to boil is relevant, current indications might mean that rapid and even runaway climate change is upon us.

Posted in Economics, Environment, Ethics, Social Action, TheologyTagged featured

There are many future saints in prison

‘We incarcerate more people than any other country in Europe. Far too many people in our prison system are there as a result of mental illness. And every year, for far too many people, prison is a death sentence, as a consequence of suicide or violence.’ This is how Pact’s CEO Andy Keen-Downs opened our 10^th Sir Harold Hood Memorial Lecture event last week.

Posted in Common Good, Human Dignity, Social Action, SolidarityTagged featured, PACT

Politics as life-long engagement

I remember the scene clearly: it was just after midnight and the house lights were switched on in the auditorium of the Teatro Argentina in Rome. Moving from stage lighting to the lighting of the whole house was meant to affirm the role of the audience in the dawning of a democratic process in Eumenides, the third play in Aeschylus’ The Oresteia cycle, as a vote is cast on Orestes’ charge. Is he guilty or innocent? Athena, then, declares the theatre to be a court crowded with people. Sadly, while the lights revealed the glories of the theatre’s internal box features, it also revealed how the seats had emptied during the performance. As the show ran so late, many of the spectators had to leave early to catch public transport.

Posted in Common Good, Education, Politics, Social ActionTagged featured

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