The entire purpose of public policy, from the Catholic perspective, is the common good. As people of faith, we believe that the instruments of the economy and government are to be used primarily to improve the station of all of God's people. Pope Benedict's latest encyclical, Charity in Truth, echoes what many popes have taught: that the ultimate measure of economic health is the human person. The Church singles out the situation of the most vulnerable - the unemployed, the unborn, the infirm, the homeless, and people of color - as good indicators of the strength of the economy. By that measure we have a very, very long way to go.

Los Angeles has seen some tremendous growth over the past decade. However, the last two years have reminded us how the economy, our best hope of improving the lives of the poor, can also cause tremendous harm when marketplace values are put before human values. When wealth is the only goal, attempts to create wealth will actually create poverty.

Good morning. It is an honor to be here with you and to follow the wonderful remarks of Cardinal Mahony.

In the fourth century AD, North Africa was a challenging place to survive for most people, let alone a place to thrive. The endemic poverty of the people was palpable. Starvation was all too present for the masses of people. The Roman Empire, nominally Christian, was rife with religious strife and crumbling from the onslaught of many tribes and ethnic groups from the North, East and South. The Bishop of Hippo, St. Augustine assessed the situation in his local community from the perspective of our faith and together with the bishops of North Africa he invited the Catholic people, others of good will and the government of their day, the Roman Empire to respond. With his leadership the African bishops petitioned the emperor to provide a "defensor" for each African city in order they said, "to alleviate the suffering of the poor." Violence was quelled, the hungry were fed and through their combined actions religious strife was lessened.

Commentary by Steve Pehanich, Director of Advocacy and Education

California’s seemingly never-ending budget crisis has finally come to pulling the rug out from under women, children, the blind and the aged.

It’s because instead of coming together to deal with a financial crisis created by a history of smoke-and-mirrors budgeting and the worst recession since the Depression, the two parties are stuck in their same old, tired ways.

This inability of the parties to deal with each other through hard but honest negotiations is not new.  It led to the passage of Proposition 13, which dealt with an out-of-control situation that the legislature failed to address. 

By George Wesolek
Archdiocese of San Francisco

With the national and global economy sliding precipitously downward, with millions losing their jobs, with charities telling us that homeless families are increasing, we need to step back and look at what is happening through the filter of our faith and values.

According to the statement, "A Catholic Framework for Economic Life" (1996) by the U.S. Bishops, a fundamental principle of Catholic social teaching regarding economic matters is this: The economy exists for the person, not the person for the economy.

Another principle from the same document states: A fundamental moral principle of any economy is how the poor and vulnerable are faring.