Catholic Economics

Catholic Economics

"The quality of the national discussion about economic future will affect the poor most of all, in this country and throughout the world. The dignity of millions of men, women, and children hang in the balance. Decisions must be judged in light of what they do for the poor, what they do to the poor, and what they enable the poor to do for themselves. The fundamental moral criterion for all economic decisions, policies, and institutions is this: They must be at the service of all people, especially the poor." (Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy, paragraph 24) St. Johns University, a Vincentian Catholic institution is bound to the guidelines of this letter, as are all American Catholic communities. St John's University must take an even deeper concern in the quality of life for the poor as it is a school in the Vincentian tradition of helping the needy.

With St. Vincent and Jesus as role models for charity it is clear that there should be, and is a devout commitment to charity and helping the poor and need in our community at St John's University and the communities surrounding us. This is part of a tradition here at St John's and a greater worldwide Catholic tradition. "As Catholics we are heirs of a long tradition of thought and action on the moral dimensions of economic activity. The life and words of Jesus and the teaching of his Church call us to serve those in need and to work actively for social and economic justice. As a community of believers, we know that our faith is tested by the quality of justice among us, that we can be tested by the quality of justice among us, that we can best measure our life together by how the poor and the vulnerable are treated. This is not a new concern for us. It is as old as the Hebrew prophets, as compelling as the Sermon on the Mount, and as current as the powerful voice of Pope John Paul II defending the dignity of the human person." (Pastoral Letter, Paragraph 8) These statements provide a clear guide to us to judge the quality of our life not by our material wealth but by the quality of life for those in our community, and those around us. This tradition was set forth by Jesus and later solidified by the work of St Vincent.

According to these principles St John's University has met its goal of helping the poor and needy in the community, and often exceeded expectations