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of income, the creation of sources of employment and an
integral promotion of the poor which goes beyond a simple
welfare mentality. I am far from proposing an irresponsible
populism, but the economy can no longer turn to remedies
that are a new poison, such as attempting to increase profits
by reducing the work force and thereby adding to the ranks
of the excluded. (no. 204)
Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing par-
ticipation in God’s creation. Employers contribute to the common good
through the services or products they provide and by creating jobs that
uphold the dignity and rights of workers—to productive work, to decent
and just wages, to adequate benefits and security in their old age, to the
choice of whether to organize and join unions, to the opportunity for legal
status for immigrant workers, to private property, and to economic initiative.
Workers also have responsibilities—to provide a fair day’s work for a fair
day’s pay, to treat employers and co-workers with respect, and to carry out
their work in ways that contribute to the common good. Workers, employ-
ers, and unions should not only advance their own interests but also work
together to advance economic justice and the well-being of all. Pope Francis
has summarized well the Church’s teaching on work in
Laudato Si’
. “Work,”
he writes,
should be the setting for . . . rich personal growth, where
many aspects of life enter into play: creativity, planning for
the future, developing our talents, living out our values, relat-
ing to others, giving glory to God. . . . Work is a necessity,
part of the meaning of life on this earth, a path to growth,
human development and personal fulfillment. Helping the
poor financially must always be a provisional solution in the
face of pressing needs. The broader objective should always
be to allow them a dignified life through work. (
Laudato Si’
,
no. 127-128)
51. We have a duty to
care for God’s creation
, or as Pope Francis refers to it
in
Laudato Si’
, “our common home.” We show our respect for the Creator by