At the heart of Jesus’ teaching and consequentially, that of the Catholic Church, is the theme of social justice. Jesus preached about the kingdom of His Father, where everyone is equal and appreciated for who he/she is. The message of Jesus has not changed in our own time. The Catholic Church still holds a special place in her heart for social justice. From encyclicals like Rerum Novarum through to Fratelli Tutti, the social teachings of the Catholic Church still put the dignity of the human person at the forefront. This article is my personal experience of the concept of social justice in my place of apostolate.
What Do We Understand by Social Justice?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “Society ensures social justice when it provides the conditions that allow associations or individuals to obtain what is their due, according to their nature and their vocation. Social justice is linked to the common good and the exercise of authority” (CCC N° 1928). The Catholic dictionary in the same vein throws more light on social justice as the virtue that inclines one to co-operate with others in order to help make the institutions of society better serve the common good.
From the above, we understand that social justice is seeking the common good of all human beings created in the image and likeness of God. It enjoins on individuals, groups and societies at large to seek the conditions of life that respect the dignity of the human person right from conception till death. It is a conscious effort to make our world a better place. Jesus was against laws, practices and ideologies that didn’t put the human person at the utmost place of importance. That was why he openly condemned in a very stringent manner those who were exploiting their fellow human beings in the name of religion.
Does Social Injustice Exist in My Place of Apostolate?
The question of social injustice is as ancient as the human race itself. From the onset, we encounter Cain, the first man to commit fratricide by murdering his younger brother Abel in cold blood (cfr. Gen 4:1-18). Different societies in the world are faced with the phenomenon of social injustice. My place of apostolate, located in the sector of Kimisagara, Kigali, is therefore neither a stranger nor immune to the ugly experience of social injustice.
It is true that the city of Kigali is renowned for its beauty, cleanliness and orderliness. There are many skyscrapers and fascinating edifices springing up by the day in its central business district and in other luxurious suburbs. But as is the hallmark of the Missionaries of Africa, wherever we find ourselves implanted for the mission, we often want, as much as possible, to identify ourselves with the poor and the lowly. That is why my place of apostolate, that is, Kimisagara, finds itself among the marginalised sectors of the city of Kigali. It is densely populated and logically poverty and other vices are usually more on the increase here than in other parts of the city.
The first manifestation of social injustice is seen in the abject poverty that some individuals and families find themselves in. In our daily apostolate we come across cases of abject poverty among some of our parishioners and other individuals in general. I don’t intend to downplay the concerted efforts being made by the government, the Catholic Church, through Caritas Rwanda and other stakeholders to eradicate poverty. But as it stands, it is a reality that we are faced with. Due to this undesirable reality of poverty, many families have financial constraints in terms of rent, access to proper healthcare and paying the school fees of their wards.
Another phenomenon which is unfortunately rather spreading at an alarming rate is teenage parenting. There are many cases in our sector of teenage girls getting pregnant and eventually dropping out of school. Many girls, in trying to fend for themselves, often fall prey to some unscrupulous individuals who deceive them with very unrealistic promises and eventually put them in the family way. These victims are often left to fend for themselves and their child/children without fathers. Teenage parents usually go through a lot and sometimes face inhuman treatment from members of their families and other members of society. These are issues that we encounter in our ministry on daily basis.
Unemployment versus high cost of living is another way in which social injustice manifests itself in my place of apostolate. A few days ago, I saw a post on WhatsApp where a certain gentleman was seen in a pensive mood. The message that was written under the picture of this gentleman in question read, “I am trying to see how to convince the government to give me back all the school fees I paid from kindergarten up to the university level in exchange for the certificates I got”. Though this was in the form of a joke, it actually reflects the situation in many countries in the world, especially in Africa. After spending time studying, people graduate from prestigious universities only to be served with the harsh reality of unemployment. The skills that these individuals gained in school often go untapped and is a waste for the state as well as for themselves. As if that were not enough, the cost of living in our beautiful city, just like in other cities elsewhere by the way, is ascending at an alarming rate. Often people come to us with problems such as “Padiri bamaze kunsohora mu nzu kubera ko nabuze amafaranga y’ubukode” which in the language of the King means, “Father, I have just been ejected from where I was staying because I am unable to pay my rent”. With the little resources at our disposal, we are able to help in some instances. But there are still many other cases that are beyond us.
When we talk about social injustice, there are usually underlying causes. These factors may be individual, societal or institutional. Among these factors, mention can be made of ignorance on the part of some individuals; poor family planning such that some give birth to more than they can care for; greed and or low sense of solidarity on the part of the well-to-do in uplifting those who are wallowing in abject poverty; laziness on the part of some individuals who do not make any meaningful effort to come out of their misery.
Social injustice affects the fabric of every society. However, there are those who are most affected directly by social injustice in the society. These victims in our context mostly include children, especially orphans, vulnerable teenagers especially girls, the poor, the uneducated and the aged. As we mentioned earlier, one of the causes of social injustice is ignorance on the part of the victims. Mostly those who have not had any formal education often have their rights trampled upon and do not even know that they have means of seeking justice or reparation for the injustice done to them.
From time immemorial experience has shown that dealing with social injustice is not a day’s job. It demands concerted efforts from individuals, groups, societies, government and to a larger extent the global human fraternity. Raising awareness of social injustice would require us to adopt the prophetic attitude of announcing, denouncing and renouncing. In other words, we need to be able to announce the Good News of Salvation which boils down to love of God and love of neighbour; denounce vehemently all forms of social injustice and renounce all practices and ideologies that we also have that are incongruent with the gospel values and teachings of the Church. How could this be done in practical terms?
First and foremost, through our homilies during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and at other occasions in which we teach the faithful. We need to proclaim the gospel as it has been handed over to us. We need to convince those we have the responsibility of leading by words and in deeds that we all belong to that one big family of God. We therefore need to avoid anything that causes separation, fear and misery among the creatures of God. We are already doing so and we need to continue with relentless efforts so that we can contribute towards building the kingdom of God right here on earth.
Secondly, we should be able to denounce the practices and ideologies that mitigate against social justice. Just like our founder, Charles Cardinal Lavigerie, had the courage to boldly speak against slave trade which was still taking place clandestinely at his time, we should also use the means at our disposal to combat the different sorts of modern slavery that we encounter. I reiterate here that it demands joint efforts. The government of Rwanda is already doing enormously well in this domain. The church just needs to keep partnering with the state in combating all sorts of social injustice that we come across. As part of the Justice and Peace Commission’s programme of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Rwanda, there is a campaign against gender-based violence. Our parish participates actively in all the activities that are usually proposed by the commission in conjunction with certain state institutions.
Finally, we can exploit the social media as a way of combating social injustice at different levels. Social media have grown to be an indispensable part of human society. The internet has brought about a lot of advancement in the area of communication. Information easily reaches millions at the click of a finger and within the twinkle of an eye. The Church has been a bit timid when it comes to social media. But when harnessed and properly used, it could be an invaluable tool in the propagation of the Good News and in the fight against social injustice.
In a nutshell, social justice is and has always been an integral part of the gospel message. We are all called to be apostles of social justice wherever we find ourselves. Standing up against social injustice can be a daunting task. Nevertheless, we need to stand firm. We need to preach solidarity among all the creatures of God as His Holiness Pope Francis clearly puts it in his encyclical “Fratelli Tutti”. If we all come to understand that the world and its resources are enough for all of us to live peacefully, it would go a long way to reduce if not completely eradicate all sorts of envy, strife, greed, dissension and the incline towards evil. This would naturally lead to peace, love, unity, fraternity and holistic human development. May God help us!
By: Paschal Ewuntomah, M.Afr.