Solidarity
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USCCB: SOLIDARITY
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The principle of solidarity, also articulated in terms of "friendship" or "social charity," is a direct demand of human and Christian brotherhood…Solidarity is manifested in the first place by the distribution of goods and remuneration for work. It also presupposes the effort for a more just social order where tensions are better able to be reduced and conflicts more readily settled by negotiation. Socio-economic problems can be resolved only with the help of all the forms of solidarity: solidarity of the poor among themselves, between rich and poor, of workers among themselves, between employers and employees in a business, solidarity among nations and peoples. International solidarity is a requirement of the moral order; world peace depends in part upon this. The virtue of solidarity goes beyond material goods. In spreading the spiritual goods of the faith, the Church has promoted, and often opened new paths for, the development of temporal goods as well.
More on Solidarity from the USCCB
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: Social Justice
HUMAN TRAFFICKING | IMMIGRATION | INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS | HUMAN RIGHTS
Click the Title of each section to learn more about the issue on the USCCB website.
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HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Take action
- Write to your state legislators about human trafficking laws
- Learn more by subscribing to the Anti-Trafficking Program Newsletter
"Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery. Victims of human trafficking are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. Examples of recent cases of human trafficking in the U.S. include adolescent Mexican girls trafficked to the U.S. for prostitution, Indian men trafficked for forced labor, and African women and children trafficked for domestic servitude, among others… The reality of thousands of our brothers and sisters laboring in modern day slavery compels us to act now to stop human trafficking and to serve the victims of this crime."
USCCB, The Catholic Church and Human Trafficking Policy
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IMMIGRATION
Take action
- Volunteer with an English as a Second Language Program
- Write to your legislators about the need for comprehensive immigration reform
- Get involved in the Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform
"The Gospel mandate to “welcome the stranger” requires Catholics to care for and stand with immigrants, both documented and undocumented, including immigrant children. Comprehensive reform is urgently necessary to fix a broken immigration system and should include a temporary work program with worker protections and a path to permanent residency; family reunification policies; a broad and fair legalization program; access to legal protections, including due process and essential public programs; refuge for those feeling persecutions and exploitation; and policies to address the root causes of migration. The right and responsibility of nations to control their borders and to maintain the rule of law should be recognized."
Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, 2007, 83
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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Take action
- Participate in Operation Rice Bowl during Lent
- Sponsor a child in need
- Go on a mission trip
In light of the Gospel’s invitation to be peacemakers, our commitment to solidarity with our neighbors – both at home and abroad – also demands that we promote peace and pursue justice in a world marred by terrible violence and conflict. Decisions on the use of force should be guided by traditional moral criteria and undertaken only as a last resort. A more just world will likely be a more peaceful world, a world less vulnerable to terrorism and other violence. The United States has the responsibility to take the lead in addressing the scandal of poverty and underdevelopment.
Forming Consciences of Faithful Citizenship 2007, 53, 88
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HUMAN RIGHTS
Take action
- Attend an interreligious dialogue or event
- Write to your state legislators about human rights concerns
"In today’s world, a world of unprecedented advances in many fields and yet one marked by crushing poverty, intractable conflicts, bloody violence and widespread denial of human rights, building an international order on the foundation of fundamental human rights is not simply a moral ideal; it is a practical necessity… Today’s advances in human knowledge and capacity offer humanity an unparalleled opportunity to affirm in law and practice the human dignity of every person, regardless of their religious tradition, social status, ethnic background, racial group, or national origin. But to move toward greater respect for human rights, humanity’s technological and economic achievements must be matched by moral advancement, greater commitment to human rights and the active pursuit of the universal common good of peace with justice. In the words of our late Holy Father, a genuine respect for human rights throughout the world would represent “a true milestone on the path of humanity’s moral progress.”
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