Faith On The Line - Stress, Stress Go Away Vol 19 | Page 43

Other than the push for Sunday legislation, all the other aspects of
the Papacy’s goals sound so positive – to stand against social injustice,
to work for a more just world – aren’t those goals that Seventh-day
Adventists should have?
Firstly we must understand the concept of Catholic social justice
which is as far removed from the Protestant concept of social justice
as the east is from the west. Catholic social justice is based on the
philosophy of the thirteenth century philosopher and Catholic saint
Thomas Aquinas. This philosophy was expanded by Jesuit thinkers
such as René Descartes who elevated the human capacity of reason
above that of any extraneous source, including divine revelation. This
philosophy forms the basis of the Catholic ‘natural law’ philosophy
which in turn dictates Catholic views on social justice. According to
this view all goods are common and ‘need’ is the only factor which
dictates their distribution. It is therefore not a crime, or a sin, if
the poor take the goods of their neighbor as need has made them
common. Moreover, if the state acts out this principle then it is
also not a crime but a noble act, therefore the state has the right
to take from those who have and redistribute as they deem fit. This
philosophy is clearly outlined in the encyclical Rerum Novarum and
has been echoed by various papal encyclicals of all the most recent
Popes.
Social justice can never be achieved by taking from the rich and giving
to the poor. Social justice can never be achieved by taking from the
industrious and giving to the non- industrious. Social justice can
never be achieved by equitable distribution of goods. Social justice
cannot even be achieved by legislation. The very word‚ “justice“ is
violated when one attempts either of the above because one cannot
violate the rights of one party in order to enhance those of another
party without violating the principles of justice. To enact any of these
procedures is to place human reason above divine revelation as the
Scriptures clearly teach respect for “thy neighbor’s goods.”
There are many ways to enhance greater parity among peoples
not least of which is education, education and education. Train a
man to help himself and he can uplift others as well. True social
justice can, however, only be achieved by uplifting the inner person,
not by applying external band-aids. It can only be achieved by the
transformation of the whole person and the renewing of the mind
which in turn can only be done by God. A right understanding of the
Gospel of salvation and a new life in Christ ennobles a person and lifts

him above the immediate circumstances and
places his value as a person, in the light of the
cross, in perspective.
We are seeing massive financial upheavals and
crises, especially in the European Union, but
also in other parts of the world. What role does
the Vatican play in these if any? What can the
Vatican gain from this upheaval?
Never underestimate the power of Catholic
education. Through its vast educational systems
(overt and covert), prestigious universities and
even from its preaching rostrums and social
media it has ever influenced minds and instilled
its thinking into the mainstream. By working
at grass roots level and aligning itself with
the thinking of the disenfranchised (i.e. the
Indignados) the Vatican has given us a clue as
to how it will harness the wave of indignation
sweeping the world in order to further its ends.
The repeated papal calls for a ‘New World
Order’ can only mean that the Vatican has
already prepared its place in that new order. It
is the masses that cry for social justice and the
Vatican wants to be (and is) the moral voice of
that movement. Out of the chaos they want to
erect their kingdom, an earthly kingdom with
earthly objectives, but a new order can only be
erected if the old order has passed away. Once
their morality is legislated, then the Biblical
prophecies of Revelation will be fulfilled.
What role does the UN play in transforming
society into a more "just" society?
According to the Vatican directives, corporate
greed and inequitable distribution of goods
are the issues that have brought about the
economic crisis and this is why they share
sentiments with the “Indignados” (even in
their official document calling for an economic
regulatory body). This together with the UN aim
of ending poverty by 2015 by means of the UN
Millennium Development Goals (http://www.
un.org/millenniumgoals/) sets the stage for
momentous developments in the near future.
To reach these goals there will have to be a
massive redistribution of wealth (social justice)
and we are seeing the beginnings of these in
the economic measures being introduced in
Europe (which give governments the power
to confiscate bank deposits and to enforce
labor measures as in Greece and Cyprus).
This is where a Pope who is a Jesuit and
Ultramontanist and that stands for social justice
fits into the picture and why it is not at all
impossible that this Pope could be the very one
that brings to a head what has been foretold
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