H E A LT H E Q U I T Y
CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING AS A ROAD TO EQUITY
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quity is a slippery concept. It is not the same as equality, where two plus two always equals four. It is also not static. It changes according to time and place so that what was once considered equitable may no longer be seen as equitable today. It is difficult to define and sometimes may not be apparent to us until we see it in front of us. Yet equity — a kind of pro- but they are not sectarian. They are built on our visional and flexible concept natural law tradition, our belief that moral knowlof justice — is the foundation edge is available through reasoned reflection on of the justice system. It is the human experience. This means any person of state where each has received good will can read and consider the Church’s arhis or her due, not necessarily in guments. Human dignity and the common good equal measure, but in a way that are the linchpins of this tradition, even in cultural milieus like the United States, where the common matches needs and aspirations. Equity is why sentences are good — although gaining favor among some — is FR. CHARLES not imposed by computers and still highly suspect and often rejected as socialBOUCHARD why two juries can reach differ- ism. These teachings also have wide applicability. ent verdicts on the same crime. They developed in a global context and in politiIt all depends on who, where and how. Equity is a cal systems that ranged from monarchies to desmoving but essential target, and achieving it re- pots to Christian socialism. In his article, Rocca quotes constitutional law quires a lot of different tools, many of which are found in Catholic social teaching. Sometimes re- professor Adrian Vermeule, who says Catholic ferred to as “the Church’s best-kept secret,” Cath- social teaching is “becoming something like an olic social teaching has been underappreciated, organizing common language for a great deal of but I believe it is gaining traction in the Church American public life.”2 as well as in society in general. It has been invoked in some unEquity is why sentences are not likely places. imposed by computers and why two As an example, I was surprised to see an article last year juries can reach different verdicts on in The Wall Street Journal titled “Can Catholic Social Teaching the same crime. It all depends on who, Unite a Divided America?” by where and how. Francis X. Rocca.1 In it, Rocca argues that the church’s social teaching is key to bringing divisive sides together I’m not quite as optimistic as Vermeule, but I in conversation. Centuries in the making, Catholic have to admit that when it comes to finding a solusocial teaching coalesced in a series of encyclicals tion to our fragmentation and polarization, there starting in 1891 with Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum No- are not a lot of other comprehensive systems of varum. These documents addressed every major thought that we can turn to. The principles of social issue: workers’ rights, war and peace, the Catholic social teaching provide a foundation as economy, racial inequality, democratic capitalism we work to build a world with greater equity. and, most recently, the environment. I was surprised again when I saw a second arThese teachings are rich in scriptural language, ticle, this time in The New York Times, titled “This
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