Catholic Social Teaching

Solidarity

The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart USA Province305 S. Lake Street, PO Box 270 Aurora, IL 60507 (630) 892-2371 info@misacor-usa.org

Solidarity helps us see other people and nations as our

neighbors.

“Solidarity helps us to see the ‘other’-whether a person, people or nation-not just as some kind of instrument, with a work capacity and physical strength to be exploited at low cost and then discarded when no longer useful, but as our ‘neighbor,’…”

Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, #39

Solidarity is determination

to commit oneself to the

common good...

…because we are all onefamily and we are

responsible for eachother.

To be in solidarity withothers, we must work toovercome barriers of:•race•religion•gender

•nationality•ethnicity•economic status

Solidarity prevents richnations from being

indifferent to the povertyand human rights violations

experienced by people living in other nations.

How Do We Practice Solidarity?We practice solidarity whenever we

work for the common good.

We practice solidarity whenever we work to overcome the barriers that

prevent us from reaching out to others.

Examples of Solidarity..• Treating people equally, regardless of

their gender, race or national origin– For instance, if our employment practices

discriminate unfairly against a group of people, we can practice solidarity by reforming the practices.

• Striving for a more just society that respects the rights of all people– For example, we are in solidarity with the

unborn when we work to reduce the number of abortions. We are in solidarity with people who are homeless or hungry when we meet their immediate needs and work to overcome the underlying causes.

Examples of Solidarity…

• Promoting inter-religious dialogue and tolerance

Examples of Solidarity…

Arya Dewaker Hindu Temple in Paramaribo by Mark Ahsmann

• Donating or volunteering to help people in need, even if they live far away– For instance, when we donate to help

people we’ll never meet, whether as part of a missionary effort or in response to a natural disaster, we are affirming the truth that we are one, human family.

Examples of Solidarity…

Examples of Solidarity…• Speaking out against injustices and

human rights violations– For example, when we join in letter-writing

campaigns to put pressure on governments who are unjustly imprisoning someone, we are showing solidarity with that person.

Solidarity and Politics• Solidarity can affect our attitudes towards

several current political issues. – Example: Although well-informed people

may disagree strongly about the best approach to immigration or to health care reform, solidarity helps us remember that these political issues affect real people, people who are our brothers and sisters. When we remember this, we are more likely to arrive at a truly just solution.

We are called to work forand promote the common

good.

We are called to work for both local and global

peace and justice.

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be loved everywhere!

Learn more about Catholic Social Teaching and sign up for our social

justice eNewsletter by visiting www.misacor-usa.org/jpic

Photo Credits• Slide 2:

– the crowds at the ghats in Varanasi, India, watching the July 22, 2009 total solar eclipse by Bluerasberry (link)

• Slides 4-6: – clipart from Microsoft Office

• Slides 9-10: – clipart from Microsoft Office

• Slide 12: (from left to right) – A Christian church in Greece by Poet of the Fall (link); – Arya Dewaker Hindu Temple in Paramaribo by Mark Ahsmann

under the GNU Free Documentation License - (link); – Mosque in Afghanistan during the Loya Jirga, June 2002 by Paul Cruickshank (link)

• Slides 13-14: – clipart from Microsoft Office

• Slide 16: – Blue Fractal by Tammy Pinarbasi (link)

• Slide 17: – Poole Harbour by Petr Kratochvil (link)