Catholic Social Teaching Principles January, 2000

The Principle of Human Equality

From Luke 1:51-55

"He has shown might with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy-even as he spoke to our fathers-to Abraham and to his posterity forever."

From Galatians 3:26-28

"For you are all the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor freeman , there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus."

From 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

"For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, many as they are, form one body, so also is it with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free; and we were all given to drink of one Spirit."

From Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions (1998)

"Equality of all persons comes from their essential dignity… while differences in talents are part of God's plan, social and cultural discrimination in fundamental rights…are not compatible with God's design." (pp. 23-24)

From Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992)

The equality of people concerns their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it. (Based on #1945)

"Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all … have the same nature and the same origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine beatitude: all therefore enjoy an equal dignity." (#1934)

From The Catholic Northwest Progress, publication of the Archdiocese of Seattle, 1/6/2000, article by Rev. William Byron, SJ, "Human Equality."

From the papal encyclical, Populorum Progressio (On the Development of Peoples), Pope Paul VI, 1967

"Excessive economic, social and cultural inequalities among peoples arouse tensions and conflicts, and are a danger to peace." (#76)

From the papal encyclical, Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth), Pope John XXIII, 1963

"Any human society, if it is to be well-ordered and productive, must lay down as a foundation this principle, namely, that every human being is a person; that is, human nature is endowed with intelligence and free will. Indeed, precisely because one is a person one has rights and obligations flowing directly and simultaneously from one's very nature. And as these rights and obligations are universal and inviolable, so they cannot in any way be surrendered." (#8-10)

From the Documents of Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes (Joys and Hopes), December, 1965.

Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God's design. (#40)