Ten Building Blocks Of Catholic Social Teaching Of Homelessness

Homelessness is a problem in many cities across the country. It challenges people to question not only the economic and political issues behind homelessness, but also the morality of the problem. Morality is what helps a person to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. One tool people can use as a guide to determine morality is the Ten Building Blocks of Catholic Social Teaching. The blocks include ten principles that, when followed, lead to a moral life. Homelessness is a moral problem because it violates the Principle of Human Dignity, the Principle of Common Good and the Principle of Preferential Protection for the Poor and Vulnerable. Our society is not following these principles, leading to growth in the number of homeless
This can be understood as the Principle of Common Good. The principle states that: “The common good is understood as the social conditions that allow people to reach their full human potential and to realize their human dignity”(Byron 4). A homeless person is not living in conditions that would allow them to reach their full potential. They live in the streets, which makes it difficult to do simple things like clean themselves or get a good night's sleep. They also do not have access to food or water, making even living incredibly hard. Our immorality is painfully expressed through the fact that some homeless people even end up dying on the streets because they don't have the things they need to
This is expressed in the Principle of Preferential Protection for the Poor and Vulnerable, which states: “In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the last judgement (Mt. 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first”(Byron 3). God calls his people to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable above all else. Homelessness is a an unfortunate example of how God’s people are not living out His word. Homeless people live lives of discomfort while our society praises possessions and money, ignoring the needs of others. If we were a moral society and people, homelessness would not