We must save not the soul at the hour of death but the person living in history.
-Archbishop Oscar Romero
My service experiences and understanding of social justice are informed by Catholic Social Teaching (CST). As a teaching of the Church, these seven pillars help explain how to live as a Christian in the world. CST has a special relevance in Latin America; it strongly informs liberation theology, which was developed by Peruvian priest Father Gustavo Gutierrez. Liberation theology calls for the liberation of the poor from poverty and oppression. Even secular efforts in development can be seen as working toward this goal.
Life and Dignity of the Human PersonProviding healthcare is a direct way of promoting life, and ensuring the quality of that life, for each human person. The clinic in Nicaragua aimed to do just this.
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Call to Family, Community, and ParticipationThe core of my experience came from my host family and community involvement. The small village where I lived embraced a sense of community and care for one another.
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Rights and ResponsibilitiesTo maintain our fellow humans' rights to life and dignity, we have responsibilities and duties to each other and to society as a whole. In many ways, my summer service experience was an attempt to live up to my responsibilities as a Catholic and a human.
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Option for the Poor and VulnerableAlthough all the pillars are essential to CST, this is my personal favorite. It requires that the needs of the poor and vulnerable are placed at the forefront of social action to lessen the division between rich and poor. The clinic's location in impoverished Nicaragua and its dedication to women and children demonstrated this value.
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Dignity of Work |
Solidarity |
Dignity and rights of workers are essential in an economy, but especially in a peripheral, developing country such as Nicaragua. The clinic worked to employ local Nicaraguans and pay them fair wages.
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We are all part of one human family, regardless of material or physical differences, and living with a family in Nicaragua helped me understand my membership in the larger human family.
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Care for God's Creation
The poor are often the first to feel the effects of bad environmental stewardship by wealthy nations; thus, we must work to improve our care of the planet. The ongoing drought and water shortages in Nicaragua are evidence of the importance of this pillar.
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Information from United States Conference of Catholic Bishops "Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching" (http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/seven-themes-of-catholic-social-teaching.cfm).