 Over seven weeks, members of the Tobar Mhuire Team reflect on the principles of the Catholic Social Teaching; Solidarity, Human Rights, Dignity of Human Life, Call to Family & Community, Dignity & Rights of Work, Preferential Option for the Poor, and Care for Creation.
This week International Volunteer Cheryl Rice reflects on Rights and Responsibilities. This week’s theme is “Rights and Responsibilities,” and I want to take a moment to reflect upon the issue of health care as a basic human right. Those of you living in the North of Ireland benefit from the NHS. While the health system in place is not perfect, it does provide access to health care to all its citizens and visitors. I know this from personal experience. One of the scary experiences I had in Ireland was was battling some flu-like sickness and one morning I woke up with a rash covering my body. I didn’t know what to do. My private health insurance was not processed and I was scared. A friend insisted that I go to the A&E (ER), but I was very resistant. As I American, I didn’t think they would see me because I didn’t have health insurance. But, that’s not how it works in Northern Ireland. Everyone who goes to the A&E gets seen. Everyone gets the medicine they need. And, it is free. As Pacem in Terris reads, “We must speak of man's rights. Man has the right to live. He has the right to bodily integrity and to the means necessary for the proper development of life, particularly food, clothing, shelter, medical care, rest, and, finally, the necessary social services. In consequence, he has the right to be looked after in the event of ill health...” (#11) getting sick. I As a human being, I had the right to health care and I got it, no strings attached. Because of this experience, issues surrounding health care have become very important to me. I am lucky enough to have a job that provides health insurance to its employees, but not all people have that luxury. There are many Americans and global citizens, who, because they are alive and a human being, deserve health care, but do not receive it. Before coming to Northern Ireland and experiencing the benefits of a more universal health care, I didn’t take much interest in this issue. But I have learned, just because I have the basic right to healthcare, does not mean I can forget about those who do no. I have to responsibility to pray and advocate for those who are lacking this basic human right. I have a responsibility to help insure that all people have their basic rights respected, not because I am in a place of privilege, but because I am a human being. And, at the end of the day, we are all human beings and need to be responsible for our human family.
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 Over seven weeks, members of the Tobar Mhuire Team reflect
on the principles of the Catholic Social Teaching; Solidarity, Human Rights, Dignity of Human Life, Call to Family & Community, Dignity & Rights of Work, Preferential Option for the Poor, and Care for Creation. Passionist Student, Frank Trias offers the following reflection on Right to Work. “For the worker deserves their Wages” Luke 10:7 Feeling short-changed? Feel your effort is neither appreciated nor reflected in the reward you are given despite your hard work? If so, you are not alone in feeling this way. Catholic Social Teaching has long been an advocate for human rights and in particular for workers’ rights. Take Dorothy Day and the still active Catholic Workers movement for inspiration. However it seems that during the gloom of the economic depression we are constantly being reminded of, in the media and by well-paid politicians, a new modern challenge has emerged. On these shores everyone has the right to work, legal citizens anyway, but the challenge is finding work. The lack of opportunity married with tough economic times has bred a new kind of social injustice. Many who are lucky enough to have employment will still be living below the bread-line and struggling to get by. It is clear that the national minimum wage has nowhere near matched the rise in inflation over the past decade. Job shortage has led to fierce competition amongst job-seekers with many being left behind and those fortunate enough to work taking any scraps thrown to them by opportunistic employers. For many families this means parents, sometimes single, having to take on two or maybe three jobs to survive .The rot has set in and the degradation of community and family life continues to alienate humanity from itself in the materialistic western culture. However rather than jump on the already overflowing bandwagon of prophets of doom out there (it is easy to point the finger), let us take Psalm 139 as inspiration “for even darkness is like light to you”. For with every injustice comes an opportunity for action. One shining light amongst this current injustice is the ‘Living Wage Foundation’. As this is a short piece I will simply highlight their aim - to challenge people, employers and employees, to look at the reality of the national minimum wage in comparison with what is considered a national living wage. Many organizations have already signed up and are proud to flash their badge as ‘living wage employers’ and not merely minimum (slave) wage employers. The foundation is also empowering individuals by educating them with the facts about employment rather than beat them down with petty gratitude. The ‘Living Wage Foundation’ came about through the initiative of localized community groups on the margins. I was unsurprised to learn that amongst them were religious groups. My own encounter with the foundation came in the shape of an exuberant group of Catholic school girls (some of whom weren’t even old enough to work!) doing great street work in promoting the cause. The idea of a fair wage is not something new, like much of Catholic Social Teaching it is often hidden like a precious pearl in an oyster on the bottom of the sea bed of Catholic doctrine. However back in 1981 the colossal figure and advocate of human rights, the late John Paul II, was already promoting not only a living wage but a family wage in his letter on the dignity of human work Laborem Exercens. Predicting the signs of the times he saw that an individual not only needs to support themselves but also a family if they want to remain stable. Many leading politicians have already backed the living wage in London. However words need action and it is time the government took steps in making the living wage, and who knows maybe even a family wage, the new national minimum. So if you are falling on hard times and you feel there is a little more your employer or local MP could do to contribute then why not get informed? Rally some support and, without anarchy or uprising, state your case for a living wage because as Scripture says “for the worker deserves their wages” Luke 10:7 Resources: Living Wage Foundation: http://www.livingwage.org.uk/home Catholic Worker London: http://londoncatholicworker.org/ Laborem Exercens (In English): http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_14091981_laborem-exercens_en.html Catholic Social Teaching UK: Life and Work http://www.catholicsocialteaching.org.uk/themes/life-work/ |
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