In 1986 the US Bishops published a pastoral letter entitled “Economic Justice for all.” They were criticized for doing so. They should be worried about religious matters, not the economy, said their critics. To which the bishops responded: look to the scriptures. Again and again the Bible addresses issues related to the economy. The prophet Amos is typical of many of the prophets in denouncing income inequality. Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches. They drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best oils; yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph! In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus Jesus provides an image suggesting that the way we treat the poor determines our eternal destiny. This is, of course, brought vividly home in the parable of the sheep and the goats where Jesus equates the way we treat those in need with how we treat him. The bishops insist, therefore, that they have to talk about the economy to be true to the revealed word of God.
The message of the pastoral letter if grounded in traditional Catholic social teaching. Every economic decision and institution must be judged in light of whether it protects or undermines the dignity of the human person. The pastoral letter begins with the human person. We believe the person is sacred—the clearest reflection of God among us. Human dignity comes from God, not from nationality, race, sex, economic status, or any human accomplishment. We judge any economic system by what it does for and to people and by how it permits all to participate in it. The economy should serve people, not the other way around.
Sadly, thirty-six years down, the road the lessons from the pastoral letter have still not been implemented into a system where every child has enough to eat, every family has adequate housing, every individual has dignified work. The Bible and the bishops challenge us to keep at it!
