Church Teaching Civil Rights & Liberties
Every member of society is imbued with a number of rights. With them come responsibilities.
Racism & Discrimination
The unity of the human family is not yet becoming a reality. This is due to obstacles originating in materialistic and nationalistic ideologies that contradict the values of the person integrally considered in all his various dimensions, material and spiritual, individual and community. In particular, any theory or form whatsoever of racism and racial discrimination is morally unacceptable. -433, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Conscience & Religion
The Catholic Church emphasizes, among other rights, the right to religious freedom. Emphasis is given to the paramount value of the right to religious freedom: “all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits”. The respect of this right is an indicative sign of “man’s authentic progress in any regime, in any society, system or milieu.” -320, 321 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
With euthanasia and medically-assisted death and abortion legalized, it is critical that healthcare providers whose deepest moral convictions tell them that such procedures are wrong, not be forced to participate. Catholic teaching says workers should be safeguarded from suffering any affront to conscience or personal dignity.
It is a grave duty of conscience to avoid cooperating, even formally, with practices contrary to the Law of God.
Freedom of Speech: truth, the press & the media
Information is among the principal instruments of democratic participation. Participation without an understanding of the situation of the political community, the facts and the proposed solutions to problems is unthinkable.
It is necessary to guarantee a real pluralism in the dissemination of information, ensuring that there are many forms and instruments of information and communications. Special attention must be given to the phenomenon of the news media being controlled by just a few people or groups. This has dangerous effects for the entire democratic system… The media must be used to build up and sustain the human community in its different sectors: economic, political, cultural, educational and religious. Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, justice and solidarity. The essential question is whether the current information system is contributing to the betterment of the human person; that is, does it make people more spiritually mature, more aware of the dignity of their humanity, more responsible or more open to others, in particular to the neediest and the weakest.
A further aspect of great importance is that new technologies must respect legitimate cultural differences. In the world of the media the intrinsic difficulties of communications are often exacerbated by ideology, the desire for profit and political control, rivalry and conflicts between groups, and other social evils. Moral values and principles apply also to the media…. 414-416, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Gender Equity
The feminine genius is needed in all expressions in the life of society. The first indispensable step in this direction is the concrete possibility of access to professional formation. The persistence of many forms of discrimination offensive to the dignity and vocation of women is due to a long series of conditioning that penalizes women, who have seen themselves relegated to the margins of society and even reduced to servitude… An urgent need to recognize effectively the rights of women in the workplace is seen especially under the aspects of pay, insurance and social security. –295, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Property
Private property and other forms of private ownership of goods “assure a person a highly necessary sphere for the exercise of his personal and family autonomy and ought to be considered as an extension of human freedom … stimulating exercise of responsibility, it constitutes one of the conditions for civil liberty.” -171, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
The Church’s social doctrine requires that ownership of goods be equally accessible to all, so that all may become, at least in some measure, owners. The world exists for everyone, because all of us were born with the same dignity. Diff1erences of colour, religion, talent, place of birth or residence, and so many others, cannot be used to justify the privileges of some over the rights of all. As a community, we have an obligation to ensure that every person lives with dignity and has sufficient opportunities for his or her integral development. -176, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Not to share our wealth with the poor is to rob them and take away their livelihood. The riches we possess are not our own, but theirs as well… Other rights having to do with the goods necessary for the integral fulfilment of persons, including that of private property or any other type of property, should in no way hinder [this right], but should actively facilitate its implementation. Fratelli tutti, -188-120
Human Rights
The Church also recognizes a number of Human Rights, including “the right to life, an integral part of which is the right of the child to develop in the mother’s womb from the moment of conception; the right to live in a united family and in a moral environment conducive to the growth of the child’s personality; the right to develop one’s intelligence and freedom in seeking and knowing the truth; the right to share in the work which makes wise use of the earth’s material resources, and to derive from that work the means to support oneself and one’s dependents; and the right freely to establish a family, to have and to rear children through the responsible exercise of one’s sexuality. The Church also emphases rights to adequate housing; clean water, and secure, nutritious food; education and access to culture, transportation, basic health care. – 151-166 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Individual Responsibilities
“In human society to one man’s right there corresponds a duty in all other persons: the duty, namely, of acknowledging and respecting the right in question.” “Those, therefore, who claim their own rights, yet altogether forget or neglect to carry out their respective duties, are people who build with one hand and destroy with the other. -156 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Subsidiarity
Subsidiarity is the principle that each element of society should serve its proper purpose, and support others in serving theirs. One consequence of this principle is that each individual, and smaller groups of people, should be allowed to make for themselves all the decisions that can responsibly be left to them, rather than to larger groups or greater authorities. This is one of the fundamental social teachings of the Church, since it helps to ensure that each individual is empowered to find his or her own way to God.
Families, Individuals, and Civil Society
It is impossible to promote the dignity of the person without showing concern for the family, groups, associations, local territorial realities; in short, for that aggregate of economic, social, cultural, sports-oriented, recreational, professional and political expressions to which people spontaneously give life and which make it possible for them to achieve effective social growth. This is the realm of civil society… This network of relationships strengthens the social fabric and constitutes the basis of a true community of persons, making possible the recognition of higher forms of social activity.
The political community is established to be of service to civil society, from which it originates… This vision is challenged by political ideologies of an individualistic nature and those of a totalitarian character, which tend to absorb civil society into the sphere of the State. The political community and civil society are not equal in the hierarchy of ends. The political community is essentially at the service of civil society and, in the final analysis, the persons and groups of which civil society is composed.
The State must provide an adequate legal framework for social subjects to engage freely in their different activities and it must be ready to intervene, when necessary and with respect for the principle of subsidiarity, so that the interplay between free associations and democratic life may be directed to the common good. -185, 417, 418 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Subsidiary governments: provinces, municipalities, territories, & Aboriginals
The principle of subsidiarity is opposed to various forms of centralization, bureaucratization, and welfare assistance, and to the unjustified and excessive presence of the State in public mechanisms… Just as it is gravely wrong to take from individuals what they can accomplish by their own initiative and industry and give it to the community, so also it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and disturbance of right order to assign to a greater and higher association what lesser and subordinate organizations can do. -185, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Green Party of Ontario Civil Rights & Liberties
The party states that:
– it recognizes that discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, and class directly influences economic opportunity through a complex set of institutional effects within families, schools, and places of employment.
– because there are many capable voices leading the discussion on these social justice issues in Ontario, it believes that its role is not to create solutions to these problems, but to amplify the voices of its allies and bring their proposals to the forefront of provincial political discussions
– reports consistently show that there is a gap between Black students and other student groups in terms of academic performance and opportunities in Ontario’s public schools, including suspension of Black students at higher rates than their peers
– the Ontario Human Rights Commission has found evidence that Black, Indigenous and racialized children are overrepresented in the child welfare system
The party advocates:
– supporting the Anti-Racism Directorate which enables the incorporation of an anti-racism perspective in all aspects of government policies
– making age-appropriate curriculum on Residential Schools, Treaties, and Indigenous peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory education requirement for Kindergarten to Grade Twelve students
– opposing racial profiling, street checks or carding by police
– destroying information that that was unfairly collected over the years from unconstitutional ‘carding’ stops
– helping more newcomers access services they need by doubling the funding for immigrant settlement programs and economic bridging programs
– empowering the Ontario Human Rights Commission to conduct compliance reviews of public institutions and organizations to ensure policies and procedures are in place that comply with OHRC requirements and to ensure supportive workplace environments that achieve OHRC objectives
– reform child welfare programs to address the over-representation of Indigenous and Black youth in child services
Gender Equity
The party states that:
– the wage gap is real between men and women and the actions taken thus far to address it have done little to change this injustice
– in Ontario the gap stands at 26% for full-time, full-year workers, so that for every $1.00 earned by a man, a woman earns 74 cents. Finally, we must continue to fight for building a barrier-free Ontario by ensuring that the legislative framework for disabilities rights is implemented
The party advocates:
– supporting the Pay Transparency to Close the Gender Pay Gap Act, proposed by the Equal Pay Coalition, which would hold employers accountable to the state of the gender pay gap in their workplaces
– phasing in funding for a comprehensive program for early childhood education and care to support free daycare for working parents with children under age three, support for stay-at-home parents and additional ECE supports
– providing incentives to offset the capital costs for businesses to set up onsite daycare, with hours matching the working hours of the businesses
– ensuring that midwives achieve pay equity
Ontario Liberal Party Civil Rights & Liberties
Gender equity
The party states that it is committed to the security, equality and empowerment of Ontario women and will continue to enhance programs and services to protect women from violence and harassment, protect reproductive health and choice and support families
The party advocates:
– implementing a strategy to end gender-based violence, on the basis that It is Never Okay
– working to close the gender pay gap and removing barriers to women’s entrepreneurial leadership, board service, and senior management
Racism
The party states that during its prior term in office it:
– created an Anti-Racism Directorate to increase public education and awareness of racism and to identify, address and prevent systemic racism in government policies and programs
– launched the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan to improve outcomes for Black children and youth
To promote diversity and inclusion and fight all forms of racism, the party advocates:
– continuing to collect, integrate, and analyze data to confirm understanding of the makeup of Ontario students and allow school staff to address barriers to student success
– building on the work of the Anti-Racism Directorate in the justice, education and child welfare sectors by examining disparities in the health sector and determining how to better provide services to all Ontarians
– improving collection and publication of data on reported incidences of anti-Black racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and other forms of racial prejudice
– increasing diversity on government agencies, boards and commissions
Human Rights
Housing
The party notes that many people struggle to find stable and affordable housing, either as renters or new owners
The party states that during its last term in office, it created the Fair Housing Plan to:
– protect tenants by extending rent controls to all private rental units and reduce unlawful evictions
– establish standard leases for rental housing
– cool down the Golden Horseshoe housing market by implementing Non-Resident Speculation Tax
– in order to boost the supply of rental and non-rental housing, improve approvals processes and provide incentives to build new supply
– make public land available for new affordable and rental housing in Toronto and Hamilton
– supported first-time home buyers by doubling the first-time homebuyers tax rebate
Civic Duties
The party has published no official position concerning its policies regarding civic duties and responsibilities
Communities & Civil Society
The party states that Ontario’s multicultural communities benefit from the work that not-for-profit organizations and ethno-cultural groups do to promote diversity and inclusion
The party advocates:
– continuation of its Multicultural Community Capacity Grant program, which helps newcomers and ethno-cultural groups participate fully in Ontario society
– support ethno-cultural groups, so that they can plan long-term initiatives
– so that ethno-cultural groups can have news and other content about their communities available online and on their mobile devices, increased support for multicultural groups and media, adding a $2 million capital stream to the Multicultural Community Capacity Grant
– creating a new $6 million multicultural media fund to help content producers better reach their audiences and increase capacity in the sector
– continue to support for multicultural festivals and celebrations through the Celebrate Ontario program
Ontario Libertarian Party Civil Rights & Liberties
The party states that:
– virtually all countries are rushing headlong toward some form of statism, whether in the form of Communism or the welfare state, and we are told on all sides that the world has become too complex for the individual to be allowed to direct his own life
– the very concept of the “individual” is becoming obsolete
– it challenges the view that what the state perceives as “the common good” should be forced on the individual, on two fronts: it supports all civil liberties and opposes all attempts by government to reshape its citizens’ lives
– each person owns his own life and property and has the right to make his own choices as to how he lives his life and uses his property – as long as he simply respects the equal right of others to do the same
Ontario New Democratic Party Civil Rights & Liberties
The party states that the Province is too often the source of structural and systemic discrimination, and has a crucial role to play in ending discrimination
Gender Equity
The party advocates:
– updating and enforcing the Pay Equity Act to address the gender wage gap and bring greater equity to corporate boards
– reviewing government budgets, policies, and programming for effects on gender and racial discrimination
– improved child care, to enable moms to re-enter the workforce more easily
– working to eliminate price manipulation on products marketed to women, such as razors and dry-cleaning services
– fighting gender-based violence and ensuring that survivors of domestic or sexual abuse are heard, believed, and supported, including education and training programs to help abusers
– using a ‘whole of government approach’ to end gender-based violence on campuses, in workplaces, and in the community through education, prevention, and training
– implementing the recommendations of the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee
-implementing Access Without Fear polices to enable survivors to access police, health, and social services regardless of immigration status
– funding 10 days of paid leave for women escaping violence, with access to additional leave as needed without repercussions at work
Racism
The party advocates:
– ensuring that the Ontario Anti-Racism Directorate has the funds and staff it needs to do its job, and administers a new four-year $20 million anti-racism fund, supporting community organizations fighting racism and fostering equity and inclusion
– ending the streaming of racialized youth into educational tracks that don’t recognize and can’t realize their individual potential
– working through educational and justice systems to end anti-Black racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Indigenous and all other forms of systemic racism
Gender & Sexuality
The party states that everyone should feel safe to live their life authentically, with a government that shows them support and provides them respect
The party advocates:
– ensuring that LGBTQIA2S+ communities have access to affirmative and inclusive health care
– full coverage for the cost of transition drugs
Civic Duties
Communities & Civil Society
The party states that municipal governments deserve honest partnerships with provincial government
The party advocates: reforming the Ontario Municipal Board by replacing it with the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal to ensure that local communities and local planners are respected and supported and requiring that the Board apply policy rather than create it
– restoration of funding to the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund, to allow local governments to make long-term plans, and resetting contributions to $550 million
– allowing municipal governments to experiment with reforms such as permanent-resident voting and alternative voting, to encourage greater participation in civic life
New Blue Party of Ontario The Individual & Society
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:
– civil liberties
– human rights
– responsibilities
– participation & subsidiarity
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario The party states that as matters of principle it believes:
– that government should serve the people and that progress requires a competitive economy, which, accepting its social responsibilities, allows every individual freedom of opportunity and initiative and the peaceful enjoyment of the fruits of his or her own labour
– in freedoms of speech, worship and assembly, in loyalty to Canada and the Monarch of Canada and the in the rule of law
– in the ethical and accountable execution of the business of government
Civil Rights & Liberties
The party states that:
– to address systemic racism, it is making additional investments in key communities, including $1.6 million over two years to support the Anti‐Racism and Anti‐Hate Grant program, which will support community based anti‐racism initiatives focusing on anti‐Black racism, anti‐Indigenous racism, anti‐Semitism and Islamophobia and builds on a $60 million investment in the Black Youth Action Plan
The party advocates:
– building a culture of respect with zero tolerance for those who abuse positions of authority
Housing
The party advocates:
– preserving rent control for existing tenants across the province
– increasing the supply of affordable housing across the GTA while protecting the Greenbelt in its entirety
The party has published no official statement concerning its positions on:
– civic duties or responsibilities of individuals
– communities or civil society
Points to Ponder Rights & Responsibilities; Subsidiarity
Consider asking your local candidates, elected representatives, and the parties the following questions, and discussing their answers with your family, friends, neighbours, coworkers, and fellow parishioners:
Civil Rights & Liberties
As we enter a COVID recovery phase, concerns have been raised regarding federal and provincial tracking, retention, and use of private information, including for example information required for vaccine passports.
– to what extent is the collection and use of such information by governments appropriate, and to what extent should it be limited? How important is the right of privacy during a time of perceived emergency such as a pandemic, and to what types of personal information does it apply?
Civic & Individual Responsibilities
It is clear that the nation and our provinces owe their citizens great respect for each of a broad range of human rights. But with rights come responsibilities. What responsibilities do individuals have toward their communities, provinces, the nation, and the world? For example, to what extent are citizens called to:
– live sustainable lifestyles, for example by conserving energy, avoiding waste, and ensuring that they minimize their impact on future generations?
– participate in society, for example through informed voting, continued engagement with candidates and elected representatives, and keeping up responsibly with the news?
– lend a hand to their neighbours, for example by volunteering at home or within the community, in addition to paying taxes?
– in addition to human and civil rights, many parties speak of things Canadians and others “deserve.” How do the parties determine what citizens do or do not deserve? Do they apply predictable, objective criteria in making such determinations, or can such determinations sometimes seem arbitrary and unfair, or, in the context of elections, opportunistic? What criteria should be applied?
– as lists of our defined rights expand, how do we reconcile conflicts between them? And how should they be enforced, and by whom?
Government and Civil Society
– to what extent, if any, should powers or responsibilities of federal, provincial, or local governments be expanded, reduced, or redistributed in order to ensure that individuals, public interest groups, and service organizations have opportunities to employ their lives and talents in the service of others, and the common good? To what extent should those powers be shared with non-governmental entities? What roles should other social institutions – for example, the Church, schools, and civic organizations – play in increasing social and civic equity and caring for all?
Gender Equity
Some parties appear to have called for imposition of strict gender balance in industry and of immigrant participation in teaching, and front-line workers
– to what extent is it appropriate for a government to mandate and enforce strict numerical balance (as opposed to equality of opportunity, or equity) of gender, racial, and immigration or status representation in all fields and industries? What goals do such measures serve? Are such measures appropriate in all circumstances, or do any conditions apply? Is it possible that imbalances in some fields are either voluntary, a consequence of natural diversity and difference, or otherwise culturally appropriate?
Social Health Care
– to what extent is it appropriate for federal, state, or local governments to provide taxpayer-supported health care to citizens? Is it appropriate to give any medical services to anyone, any time they ask? If not, how can one properly and even-handedly determine which needs should be met at public expense?
– to what extent is it appropriate to rely on private service providers, including non-profit and community organizations, such as church-supported hospitals, to provide health care services? For example, it can sometimes seem that care for the whole person – including for example spiritual care – is lacking when care is provided by various institutions. Would it be beneficial to make spiritual and other sorts of specialized care, in addition to general health care, available through institutions such as religious organizations? What are the costs and benefits of providing services through the government, private businesses, charities, or other community organizations?
– in a publicly-funded healthcare system, is it fair for governments – and taxpayers – to expect individuals to make any efforts to maintain their own health? As a recent example, is it fair for those who spurn recommendations of responsible health authorities during pandemics, and become sick as a result, to look to society at large to carry the burden of their health care?
– under what conditions, if any, is it just to require health care providers or practitioners to participate in morally questionable practices such as abortion or assisted death, when it is contrary to their understanding of morality or their religious beliefs?