The Catholic Church plays a crucial role in promoting peace and justice, stemming from its mission of evangelization and its understanding of human dignity 1 2. This role is not merely a temporal concern but is intimately linked to the Church's spiritual mission of bringing people closer to God and revealing the full truth of human existence 1 3 4.

Theological Basis for the Church's Role

The Church's involvement in promoting peace and justice is rooted in several theological principles:

• Human Dignity: The Church teaches that every human person is created in the image of God and redeemed by Jesus Christ, possessing an inalienable dignity 1 3 5 4 6. This dignity is the foundation of the Church's moral and social teaching 5. To proclaim Jesus Christ is to reveal this inherent dignity to people 3 4.
• Integral Human Development: Evangelization and integral human development are deeply interconnected 3 7. The Church's saving purpose not only communicates divine life but also illuminates and elevates human dignity, strengthens society, and imbues daily activity with deeper meaning 3. This means that people, endowed with extraordinary dignity, should not be subjected to sub-human social, economic, cultural, or political conditions 3 4.
• Love and Charity: The Church's efforts in human development are fundamentally a work of love, aiming to create a "civilization of love" 8. This love is exemplified by Christ, who showed deep compassion for people and gave himself up for humanity 8. Charity is the principle not only of personal relationships but also of social, economic, and political ones 5.
• Social Doctrine as Evangelization: The Church's social teaching is a vital instrument of evangelization 9 8 7. It concerns itself with all human matters in light of God's plan of salvation, including individual rights, the family, education, the duties of the State, economic life, and international relations 8. This doctrine proclaims and bears witness to faith, serving as an indispensable setting for faith formation 7.

Practical Manifestations of the Church's Role

The Church promotes peace and justice through various means:

• Proclaiming the Gospel of Love and Peace: The Church's primary role is to proclaim the "Gospel of love and peace" by promoting justice, brotherhood, and the knowledge of humanity's common destiny 9. This involves revealing to people the meaning of their own existence and the innermost truth about themselves 3 4.
• Defending Human Dignity: The Church actively works to affirm and defend the dignity of all people, with all the spiritual and material consequences that dignity entails in individual and societal life 1. This includes advocating for justice and social peace, and promoting the liberation and integral human development of every person 3 4.
• Addressing Social Injustices: The Church recognizes that social injustices, the power of money, and uncontrolled global economies can wound the personal dignity of entire peoples and hinder the acceptance of the Gospel message 9. Therefore, it encourages the study and dissemination of its social doctrine to address these issues 9.
• Prophetic Role: The Church exercises a prophetic role on behalf of all people, especially the poor, suffering, and defenseless, becoming the voice of the voiceless 10. It insists that human dignity should always be at the center of local, national, and international programs 10.
• Challenging Authorities: The Church challenges the consciences of heads of state and those responsible for the public domain to ensure the liberation and development of their peoples 10. It reminds those in government of their fundamental ethical duties in promoting the common good 1.
• Combating Evil and Injustice: Proclaiming the Good News involves promoting initiatives that contribute to the development and ennoblement of people's spiritual and material existence. It also entails denouncing and combating all that degrades or destroys the human person 10. While condemnation of evils and injustices is part of this ministry, proclamation is always more important 10.
• Transforming Hearts and Minds: The Church does not offer prefabricated models or align itself with prevailing practices. Instead, it strives to transform hearts and minds through reference to Jesus Christ, enabling individuals to see themselves in the full truth of their humanity 2.
• Addressing Structural Sin: The Church's wisdom points to the presence of original sin in social conditions and structures of society, which are rooted in personal sin 5. The pursuit of a civilization of love requires addressing these failures and their distortion of societal order 5.

In essence, the Church's commitment to peace and justice is an integral part of its evangelizing mission, flowing from its profound belief in the inherent dignity of every human being and its call to build a "civilization of love" based on Christ's teachings 8 2 5.