INTERNATIONAL DOMINICAN COMMISSION
FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE
To the Prior Provincials of the Order
Subj: Ratio Studiorum Generalis 14.4 on Formation for Justice
Dear Brothers,
We, as Socius for Apostolic Life and Promoter of the Dominican Family, as Socius for Intellectual life and as the General Promoter for Justice and Peace, are writing to you the results of some of our reflections together and would be grateful if you were to share this with the Regent of Study, and with the Novice and Student Masters.
The Ratio Studiorum Generalis (RSG), 14.4, reads:
From the start of formation, particular attention shall be given to social questions and economics to enable the brothers to understand the conditions of life of the men and women to whom they will have to announce the Word of God, and among whom they will promote justice and peace. The aim of our preaching being the conversion of men and women who will work together to transform the unjust structures of our society, the brothers must be sufficiently aware of the causes of injustices to identify them and fight them. Each brother must also receive a minimum of formation in economics to be able to assume an administrative charge in his community. This care for justice and peace, which is one of the priorities of the Order, must also be honored from the start in a theological approach that will help the brothers in establishing their future commitments.
We ask what can be done to fulfill this obligation we have to our novices and young students? We do know that curricula are already demanding, and adding additional courses is difficult. This is not our intent. We cannot ‘teach’ justice from a classroom, but we can help students to understand what is essential for today’s preaching. When Dominicans preach, we preach to living people, with their own problems, dreams and desires. These we have to know, if our preaching is to be credible (cfKrakow 47, 49).
In today’s culture, knowledge of the economics governing people’s lives is basic if we are to understand why there are rich and poor, and why the gap is widening; what are the cause of unemployment; why health care is available for some and not for others.
To address this we propose a training curriculum that can be adapted to your own curricula.
During the novitiate, matters concerning jobs and incomes can be introduced, either with the help of the Novice Master or resource persons coming from the Order or from outside. The novices already come with different experiences and might be helped to reflect on these as a help in understanding and relating to people at all levels.
During the early years of formation, major topics could be North-South issues, the Environment, an introduction to the Social Teaching of the Church, especially regarding Human Rights.
In these fields the training will emphasise the economic aspect and the deep spirituality rooted in the mystery of God who chose to become flesh, who emptied himself to become like us, making it possible for us to live in friendship with God and with each other. God was in Christ, making friends with the world…and has entrusted to us the same message of reconciliation (2 Cor 5.19).
A theology that is contextualized is one that reflects on God’s Word as revealed in the life, the hope and the promise that lives in the world of the other(Krakow 51-52)
Brothers need to learn to listen (Krakow 102) and we write as an aid to that intense listening that our obedience calls us to. The result of such attentiveness to the socio-economic reality will result in a social analysis that will be more truly contextual. In these proposals we seek to introduce young brothers to what the RSG, and your own RSP, demand: an awareness of the causes of injustice and a minimum of formation in economics (RSG 14.4).
Your brothers in Dominic,
1
Convento di Santa Sabina – Piazza P. d’Illiria, 1 – 00153 Rome (Italy)
Tel. 06 57940656 – Fax 06 5750675
Web: Email:
INTERNATIONAL DOMINICAN COMMISSION
FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE
Marcio Couto OP
Socius for Intellectual Life
Chrys McVey OP
Socius for Apostolic Life
Prakash Lohale OP
Promoter for Justice and Peace
5th June 5, 2006
Feast of Pentecost
1
Convento di Santa Sabina – Piazza P. d’Illiria, 1 – 00153 Rome (Italy)
Tel. 06 57940656 – Fax 06 5750675
Web: Email:
INTERNATIONAL DOMINICAN COMMISSION
FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE
Appendix: GUIDELINE FOR RESOURCES
Five Booklets on Justice and Peace by International Commission for Justice and Peace
Part I: LIFE STORIES - contains a series of examples set in place by the brothers and sisters for the purpose of promoting Justice and Peace.
Part II: READING AND REFLECTING- places the focus on the foundations of the work for Justice and Peace.
Part III: PREACHING - describes different methods for intervention in the area of Justice and Peace.
Part IV: ACTION – gives some theological, economic and liturgical pointers based on issues highlighted in a commitment to Justice and Peace.
Part V: EVALUATION- proposed method for the evaluation and celebration of all actions undertaken for the promotion of Justice and Peace.
Human Rights, No 6 describes the history of the Order’s involvement from the beginning and about the structure and understanding of the United Nations.
Women’s Rights are Human Rights, No 8 by International Commission JP and Dominican Sisters International. It tells us about Women and equality, Women and the bible, Women and Church and Women’s rights are Human Rights.
Voices complied by International General Promoters, Justice and Peace Statements from the Acts of General Chapters, Quezon City 1997 to Krakow 2004.
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana,2004.00120 Città del Vaticano;ISBN 88-209-7651-X
Films
La Controverse de Valladolid directed by Jean-Daniel Verharghe, 90mins, French, Do the Indians in the new world have a soul ? This is the object of the controversy which opposes in 1550 the canon philosopher Sepulveda and the Dominican Las Casas
Daens directed Stijn Coninx,134 mins, Flemish Film, Belgium. Story of a priest Adolph Daens whose fight for the rights of workers in 1893 impacts even the Parliament.
Baptism by blood produced by BrazilianProvince, Interviews with various Dominican brothers on their involvement in the cause of social justice.
N.B. For copies of the Booklets and Films contact International Justice and Peace Office at Santa Sabina, Rome. If the Novice and Student Masters need any assistance we are at your service.
AT NOVITIATE LEVEL:
Unemployment: Questions: Why are some people unemployed? What are the main causes? What can be done to overcome this problem? What does Laborem Exercens say about this? What are some of the insights that can be gained from Scripture?
Income: Questions: What are the main components of family income? What factors determine the salary of a person? What are the factors involved in a salary index? Why there is such huge difference of incomes?
Why are there so many poor people? What can be done? What does the Church say aboutrich and poor?
What are the major social teachings of the Church in this regard? What does the Bible say about rich and poor?
What can be done to reduce Poverty? How is this related to our vow of Poverty? (Booklet No 3)
AT STUDENT LEVEL:
North South: What is the process of Globalization? How does it affect our daily life even as religious? What is meant by ‘a market ideology?’ And why has it succeeded in being the dominant ideology of today’s world?
What are some of the other regulatory organizations of the world? (The United Nations, The International Monetary Fund (IMF), The World Trade Organization (WTO), The World Bank)
What are the criteria for good relations between countries? What does the Church think about that? What does the Bible say about it?
Environment: Why the Church has to study this issue. What is the Church saying? What are the major dangers for Human Species? What is meant by Sustainable Development and what effect have the treaties and protocols of Kyoto, Rio, Montreal had?
What can be done to make our environment better? How can we have an eco-friendly way of life in our community? How can we be an eco-actors (consumer actor) in our purchases?
Human Rights: What is the story of Human Rights? What is Church teaching on Human Rights? Has the story changed? What does the Bible say about this?
What are the major contributions by Dominicans in this field? (Bartolome de Las Casas, Francisco de Vitoria)
What are the major issues of Human Rights? What is the situation of Human Rights in your own country?
Introduce the UN System and the Dominican presence in New York and Geneva. (Booklet 6)
1
Convento di Santa Sabina – Piazza P. d’Illiria, 1 – 00153 Rome (Italy)
Tel. 06 57940656 – Fax 06 5750675
Web: Email: