Human communities are made up of persons. Governing them well is not limited to guaranteeing Rights and fulfilling duties such as honoring contracts. Right relations between employers and employees, between those who govern and citizens, presuppose a natural good will in keeping with the dignity of human persons concerned for Justice and fraternity.

Rape is the forcible violation of the sexual intimacy of another person. It does injury to Justice and Charity. Rape deeply wounds the respect, freedom, and physical and moral integrity to which every person has a right. It causes grave damage that can mark the victim for life. It is always an intrinsically evil act. Graver still is the rape of children committed by parents (incest) or those responsible for the education of the children entrusted to them.

Adultery is an inJustice. He who commits adultery fails in his commitment. He does injury to the sign of the covenant which the marriage bond is, transgresses the Rights of the other spouse, and undermines the institution of marriage by breaking the contract on which it is based. He compromises the good of human generation and the welfare of children who need their parents' stable union.

The predicament of a man who, desiring to convert to the Gospel, is obliged to repudiate one or more wives with whom he has shared years of conjugal life, is understandable. However polygamy is not in accord with the moral law." [Conjugal] communion is radically contradicted by polygamy; this, in fact, directly negates the plan of God which was revealed from the beginning, because it is Contrary to the equal personal dignity of men and women who in matrimony give themselves with a Love that is total and therefore unique and exclusive." 179 The Christian who has previously lived in polygamy has a grave Duty in Justice to honor the obligations contracted in regard to his former wives and his children.

The seventh commandment forbids unjustly taking or keeping the Goods of one's Neighbor and wronging him in any way with respect to his goods. It commands Justice and Charity in the care of earthly goods and the fruits of men's labor. For the sake of the common good, it Requires respect for the universal destination of goods and respect for the right to private property. Christian life strives to order this world's goods to God and to fraternal charity.

In economic matters, respect for human dignity Requires the Practice of the Virtue of temperance, so as to moderate attachment to this world's Goods; the practice of the virtue of Justice, to preserve our Neighbor's Rights and render him what is his due; and the practice of solidarity, in accordance with the golden rule and in keeping with the generosity of the Lord, who "though he was rich, yet for your sake . . . became Poor so that by his poverty, you might become rich." 189

Contracts are subject to Commutative Justice which regulates exchanges between persons in accordance with a strict respect for their Rights. Commutative Justice obliges strictly; it Requires safeguarding property rights, paying debts, and fulfilling obligations freely contracted. Without commutative justice, no other form of justice is possible.

In Virtue of Commutative Justice, reparation for inJustice committed Requires the restitution of stolen Goods to their owner:

Games of chance (card games, etc.) or wagers are not in themselves Contrary to Justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others. the passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement. Unfair wagers and cheating at games constitute grave matter, unless the damage inflicted is so slight that the one who suffers it cannot reasonably consider it significant.

"Christian revelation . . . promotes deeper understanding of the laws of social living." 198 The Church receives from the Gospel the full revelation of the Truth about man. When she fulfills her mission of proclaiming the Gospel, she bears witness to man, in the name of Christ, to his dignity and his vocation to the communion of persons. She teaches him the demands of Justice and Peace in conformity with divine wisdom.

The Church has rejected the totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in modem times with "communism" or "socialism." She has likewise refused to accept, in the Practice of "capitalism," individualism and the absolute primacy of the law of the marketplace over human labor. 206 Regulating the economy solely by centralized planning perverts the basis of social bonds; regulating it solely by the law of the marketplace fails social Justice, for "there are many human needs which cannot be satisfied by the market." 207 Reasonable regulation of the marketplace and economic initiatives, in keeping with a just hierarchy of values and a view to the common good, is to be commended.

Children in turn contribute to the growth in Holiness of their parents. 36 Each and everyone should be generous and tireless in forgiving one another for offenses, quarrels, inJustices, and neglect. Mutual affection suggests this. the Charity of Christ demands it. 37

The exercise of authority is meant to give outward expression to a just hierarchy of values in order to facilitate the exercise of freedom and responsibility by all. Those in authority should Practice distributive Justice wisely, taking account of the needs and contribution of each, with a view to harmony and Peace. They should take care that the regulations and measures they adopt are not a source of temptation by setting personal interest against that of the community. 42

Political authorities are obliged to respect the fundamental Rights of the human person. They will dispense Justice humanely by respecting the rights of everyone, especially of families and the disadvantaged. The political rights attached to citizenship can and should be granted according to the requirements of the common good. They cannot be suspended by public authorities without legitimate and proportionate reasons. Political rights are meant to be exercised for the common good of the nation and the human community.

It is the Duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of Society in a spirit of Truth, Justice, solidarity, and freedom. the Love and service of one's country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of Charity. Submission to legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community.

Kidnapping and hostage taking bring on a reign of terror; by means of threats they subject their victims to intolerable pressures. They are morally wrong. Terrorism threatens, wounds, and kills indiscriminately; it is gravely against Justice and Charity. Torture which uses physical or moral violence to extract confessions, punish the guilty, frighten opponents, or satisfy hatred is Contrary to respect for the person and for human dignity. Except when performed for strictly theRapeutic medical reasons, directly intended amputations, mutilations, and sterilizations performed on innocent persons are against the moral law. 90

By recalling the commandment, "You shall not kill," 93 our Lord asked for Peace of heart and denounced murderous anger and hatred as immoral. Anger is a desire for revenge. "To desire vengeance in order to do evil to someone who should be punished is illicit," but it is praiseworthy to impose restitution "to correct vices and maintain Justice." 94 If anger reaches the point of a deliberate desire to kill or seriously wound a Neighbor, it is gravely against Charity; it is a mortal Sin. the Lord says, "Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to Judgment." 95

Respect for and development of human life require Peace. Peace is not merely the absence of war, and it is not limited to maintaining a balance of powers between adversaries. Peace cannot be attained on earth without safeguarding the Goods of persons, free communication among men, respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, and the assiduous Practice of fraternity. Peace is "the tranquillity of order." 97 Peace is the work of Justice and the effect of Charity. 98

The fifth commandment forbids the intentional destruction of human life. Because of the evils and inJustices that accompany all war, the Church insistently urges everyone to prayer and to action so that the divine Goodness may free us from the ancient bondage of war. 104

InJustice, excessive economic or social inequalities, envy, distrust, and pride raging among men and nations constantly threaten Peace and cause wars. Everything done to overcome these disorders contributes to building up Peace and avoiding war:

The development of economic activity and growth in production are meant to provide for the needs of human beings. Economic life is not meant solely to multiply Goods produced and increase profit or power; it is ordered first of all to the service of persons, of the whole man, and of the entire human community. Economic activity, conducted according to its own proper methods, is to be exercised within the limits of the moral order, in keeping with social Justice so as to correspond to God's plan for man. 208

A just wage is the legitimate fruit of work. To refuse or withhold it can be a grave inJustice. 220 In determining fair pay both the needs and the contributions of each person must be taken into account. "Remuneration for work should guarantee man the opportunity to provide a dignified livelihood for himself and his family on the material, social, cultural and spiritual level, taking into account the role and the productivity of each, the state of the buSiness, and the common good." 221 Agreement between the parties is not sufficient to justify morally the amount to be received in wages.

The gravity of a lie is measured against the nature of the Truth it deforms, the circumstances, the intentions of the one who lies, and the harm suffered by its victims. If a lie in itself only constitutes a venial Sin, it becomes mortal when it does grave injury to the Virtues of Justice and Charity.

By its very nature, lying is to be condemned. It is a profanation of speech, whereas the purpose of speech is to communicate known Truth to others. the deliberate intention of leading a Neighbor into error by saying things Contrary to the truth constitutes a failure in Justice and Charity. the culpability is greater when the intention of deceiving entails the risk of deadly consequences for those who are led astray.

Every offense committed against Justice and Truth entails the Duty of reparation, even if its author has been forgiven. When it is impossible publicly to make reparation for a wrong, it must be made secretly. If someone who has suffered harm cannot be directly compensated, he must be given moral satisfaction in the name of Charity. This duty of reparation also concerns offenses against another's reputation. This reparation, moral and sometimes material, must be evaluated in terms of the extent of the damage inflicted. It obliges in conscience.

The information provided by the media is at the service of the common good. 284 Society has a right to information based on Truth, freedom, Justice, and solidarity:

"It is necessary that all members of Society meet the demands of Justice and Charity in this domain. They should help, through the means of social communication, in the formation and diffusion of sound public opinion." 286 Solidarity is a consequence of genuine and right communication and the free circulation of ideas that further knowledge and respect for others.

The tenth commandment unfolds and completes the ninth, which is concerned with concupiscence of the flesh. It forbids coveting the Goods of another, as the root of theft, robbery, and fraud, which the seventh commandment forbids. "Lust of the eyes" leads to the violence and inJustice forbidden by the fifth commandment. 318 Avarice, like fornication, originates in the idolatry prohibited by the first three prescriptions of the Law. 319 The tenth commandment concerns the intentions of the heart; with the ninth, it summarizes all the precepts of the Law.

The tenth commandment forbids greed and the desire to amass earthly Goods without limit. It forbids avarice ariSing from a passion for riches and their attendant power. It also forbids the desire to commit inJustice by harming our Neighbor in his temporal goods:

Prayer in the events of each day and each moment is one of the secrets of the Kingdom revealed to "little children," to the servants of Christ, to the Poor of the Beatitudes. It is right and good to pray so that the coming of the kingdom of Justice and Peace may influence the march of history, but it is just as important to bring the help of prayer into humble, everyday situations; all forms of prayer can be the leaven to which the Lord compares the kingdom. 14

By a discernment according to the Spirit, Christians have to distinguish between the growth of the Reign of God and the progress of the culture and Society in which they are involved. This distinction is not a separation. Man's vocation to eternal life does not suppress, but actually reinforces, his Duty to put into action in this world the energies and means received from the Creator to serve Justice and Peace. 93

Detraction and Calumny destroy the reputation and honor of one's Neighbor. Honor is the social witness given to human dignity, and everyone enjoys a natural right to the honor of his name and reputation and to respect. Thus, detraction and calumny offend against the Virtues of Justice and Charity.

False witness and perjury. When it is made publicly, a statement Contrary to the Truth takes on a particular gravity. In court it becomes false witness. 275 When it is under oath, it is perjury. Acts such as these contribute to condemnation of the innocent, exoneration of the guilty, or the increased punishment of the accused. 276 They gravely compromise the exercise of Justice and the fairness of judicial decisions.

Rich nations have a grave moral responsibility toward those which are unable to ensure the means of their development by themselves or have been prevented from doing so by tragic historical events. It is a Duty in solidarity and Charity; it is also an obligation in Justice if the prosperity of the rich nations has come from resources that have not been paid for fairly.

It is not the role of the Pastors of the Church to intervene directly in the political structuring and organization of social life. This task is part of the vocation of the lay faithful, acting on their own initiative with their fellow citizens. Social action can assume various concrete forms. It should always have the common good in view and be in conformity with the message of the Gospel and the teaching of the Church. It is the role of the laity "to animate temporal realities with Christian commitment, by which they show that they are witnesses and agents of Peace and Justice." 230

St. John Chrysostom vigorously recalls this: "Not to enable the Poor to share in our Goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. the goods we possess are not ours, but theirs." 238 "The demands of Justice must be satisfied first of all; that which is already due in justice is not to be offered as a gift of Charity": 239

The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our Neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. 241 Instructing, adviSing, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. the corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. 242 Among all these, giving alms to the Poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal Charity: it is also a work of Justice pleasing to God: 243

"Men could not live with one another if there were not mutual confidence that they were being Truthful to one another." 262 The Virtue of truth gives another his just due. Truthfulness keeps to the just mean between what ought to be expressed and what ought to be kept secret: it entails honesty and discretion. In Justice, "as a matter of honor, one man owes it to another to manifest the truth." 263

The Duty of Christians to take part in the life of the Church impels them to act as witnesses of the Gospel and of the obligations that flow from it. This witness is a transmission of the faith in words and deeds. Witness is an act of Justice that establishes the Truth or makes it known. 268 All Christians by the example of their lives and the witness of their word, wherever they live, have an obligation to manifest the new man which they have put on in Baptism and to reveal the power of the Holy Spirit by whom they were strengthened at Confirmation.

As leaven in the dough, the newness of the Kingdom should make the earth "rise" by the Spirit of Christ. 119 This must be shown by the establishment of Justice in personal and social, economic and international relations, without ever forgetting that there are no just structures without people who want to be just.

Following St. Paul, 83 The tradition of the Church has understood Jesus' words as not excluding oaths made for grave and right reasons (for example, in court). "An oath, that is the invocation of the divine name as a witness to Truth, cannot be taken unless in truth, in Judgment, and in Justice." 84

"God, who creates and conserves all things by his Word, provides men with constant evidence of himself in created realities. and furthermore, wishing to open up the way to heavenly salvation - he manifested himself to our first parents from the very beginning." 6 He invited them to intimate communion with himself and clothed them with resplendent grace and Justice.

The perfect fulfilment of the Law could be the work of none but the divine legislator, born subject to the Law in the person of the Son. 337 In Jesus, the Law no longer appears engraved on tables of stone but "upon the heart" of the Servant who becomes "a covenant to the people", because he will "faithfully bring forth Justice". 338 Jesus fulfils the Law to the point of taking upon himself "the curse of the Law" incurred by those who do not "abide by the things written in the book of the Law, and do them", for his death took place to redeem them "from the transgressions under the first covenant". 339

Though already present in his Church, Christ's reign is nevertheless yet to be fulfilled "with power and great glory" by the King's return to earth. 556 This reign is still under attack by the evil powers, even though they have been defeated definitively by Christ's Passover. 557 Until everything is subject to him, "until there be realized new heavens and a new earth in which Justice dwells, the pilgrim Church, in her sacraments and institutions, which belong to this present age, carries the mark of this world which will pass, and she herself takes her place among the creatures which groan and travail yet and await the revelation of the sons of God." 558 That is why Christians pray, above all in the Eucharist, to hasten Christ's return by saying to him: 559 Maranatha! "Our Lord, come!" 560

Before his Ascension Christ affirmed that the hour had not yet come for the glorious establishment of the messianic Kingdom awaited by Israel 561 which, according to the prophets, was to bring all men the definitive order of Justice, Love and Peace. 562 According to the Lord, the present time is the time of the Spirit and of witness, but also a time still marked by "distress" and the trial of evil which does not spare the Church 563 and ushers in the struggles of the last days. It is a time of waiting and watching. 564

The People of the "Poor" 87 - those who, humble and meek, rely solely on their God's mysterious plans, who await the Justice, not of men but of the Messiah - are in the end the great achievement of the Holy Spirit's hidden mission during the time of the promises that prepare for Christ's coming. It is this quality of heart, purified and enlightened by the Spirit, which is expressed in the Psalms. In these poor, the Spirit is making ready "a people prepared for the Lord." 88

"Moreover, by uniting their forces let the laity so remedy the institutions and conditions of the world when the latter are an inducement to Sin, that these may be conformed to the norms of Justice, favoring rather than hindering the Practice of Virtue. By so doing they will impregnate culture and human works with a moral value." 447

The Last Judgment will come when Christ returns in glory. Only the Father knows the day and the hour; only he determines the moment of its coming. Then through his Son Jesus Christ he will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation and understand the marvellous ways by which his Providence led everything towards its final end. the Last Judgment will reveal that God's Justice triumphs over all the injustices committed by his creatures and that God's Love is stronger than death. 626

The message of the Last Judgment calls men to conversion while God is still giving them "the acceptable time, . . . the day of salvation." 627 It inspires a holy fear of God and commits them to the Justice of the Kingdom of God. It proclaims the "blessed hope" of the Lord's return, when he will come "to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all who have believed." 628

Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern for the Poor, the exercise and defense of Justice and right, 33 by the admission of faults to one's brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness. Taking up one's cross each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance. 34

Many Sins wrong our Neighbor. One must do what is possible in order to repair the harm (e.g., return stolen Goods, restore the reputation of someone slandered, pay compensation for injuries). Simple Justice Requires as much. But sin also injures and weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationships with God and neighbor. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused. 62 Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must "make satisfaction for" or "expiate" his sins. This satisfaction is also called "penance."

Threats to freedom. the exercise of freedom does not imply a right to say or do everything. It is false to maintain that man, "the subject of this freedom," is "an individual who is fully self-sufficient and whose finality is the satisfaction of his own interests in the enjoyment of earthly Goods." 33 Moreover, the economic, social, political, and cultural conditions that are needed for a just exercise of freedom are too often disregarded or violated. Such situations of blindness and inJustice injure the moral life and involve the strong as well as the weak in the temptation to Sin against Charity. By deviating from the moral law man violates his own freedom, becomes imprisoned within himself, disrupts Neighborly fellowship, and rebels against divine Truth.

By freeing some individuals from the earthly evils of hunger, inJustice, illness and death, 274 Jesus performed messianic signs. Nevertheless he did not come to abolish all evils here below, 275 but to free men from the gravest slavery, Sin, which thwarts them in their vocation as God's sons and causes all forms of human bondage. 276

Now, however, "we walk by faith, not by sight"; 49 we perceive God as "in a mirror, dimly" and only "in part". 50 Even though enlightened by him in whom it believes, faith is often lived in darkness and can be put to the test. the world we live in often seems very far from the one promised us by faith. Our experiences of evil and suffering, inJustice and death, seem to contradict the Good News; they can shake our faith and become a temptation against it.

God's almighty power is in no way arbitrary: "In God, power, essence, will, intellect, wisdom, and Justice are all identical. Nothing therefore can be in God's power which could not be in his just will or his wise intellect." 110

The Church, interpreting the symbolism of biblical language in an authentic way, in the light of the New Testament and Tradition, teaches that our first parents, Adam and Eve, were constituted in an original "state of Holiness and Justice". 250 This grace of original holiness was "to share in. . .divine life". 251

By the radiance of this grace all dimensions of man's life were confirmed. As long as he remained in the divine intimacy, man would not have to suffer or die. 252 The inner harmony of the human person, the harmony between man and woman, 253 and finally the harmony between the first couple and all creation, comprised the state called "original Justice".

This entire harmony of original Justice, foreseen for man in God's plan, will be lost by the Sin of our first parents.

The harmony in which they had found themselves, thanks to original Justice, is now destroyed: the control of the soul's spiritual faculties over the body is shattered; the union of man and woman becomes subject to tensions, their relations henceforth marked by lust and domination. 282 Harmony with creation is broken: visible creation has become alien and hostile to man. 283 Because of man, creation is now subject "to its bondage to decay". 284 Finally, the consequence explicitly foretold for this disobedience will come true: man will "return to the ground", 285 for out of it he was taken. Death makes its entrance into human history. 286

How did the Sin of Adam become the sin of all his descendants? the whole human race is in Adam "as one body of one man". 293 By this "unity of the human race" all men are implicated in Adam's sin, as all are implicated in Christ's Justice. Still, the transmission of original sin is a mystery that we cannot fully understand. But we do know by Revelation that Adam had received original Holiness and justice not for himself alone, but for all human nature. By yielding to the tempter, Adam and Eve committed a personal sin, but this sin affected the human nature that they would then transmit in a fallen state. 294 It is a sin which will be transmitted by propagation to all mankind, that is, by the transmission of a human nature deprived of original holiness and justice. and that is why original sin is called "sin" only in an analogical sense: it is a sin "contracted" and not "committed" - a state and not an act.

Although it is proper to each individual, 295 original Sin does not have the character of a personal fault in any of Adam's descendants. It is a deprivation of original Holiness and Justice, but human nature has not been totally corrupted: it is wounded in the natural powers proper to it, subject to ignorance, suffering and the dominion of death, and inclined to sin - an inclination to evil that is called concupiscence". Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ's grace, erases original sin and turns a man back towards God, but the consequences for nature, weakened and inclined to evil, persist in man and summon him to spiritual battle.

Four Virtues play a pivotal role and accordingly are called "cardinal"; all the others are grouped around them. They are: prudence, Justice, fortitude, and temperance. "If anyone Loves righteousness, [Wisdom's] labors are virtues; for she teaches temperance and prudence, justice, and courage." 64 These virtues are praised under other names in many passages of Scripture.

Justice is the moral Virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and Neighbor. Justice toward God is called the "virtue of religion." Justice toward men disposes one to respect the Rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good. the just man, often mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, is distinguished by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward his neighbor. "You shall not be partial to the Poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor." 68 "Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven." 69

The moral law finds its fullness and its unity in Christ. Jesus Christ is in person the way of perfection. He is the end of the law, for only he teaches and bestows the Justice of God: "For Christ is the end of the law, that every one who has faith may be justified." 4

Justification is at the same time the acceptance of God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness (or "Justice") here means the rectitude of divine Love. With justification, faith, hope, and Charity are poured into our hearts, and obedience to the divine will is granted us.

Justification is the most excellent work of God's Love made manifest in Christ Jesus and granted by the Holy Spirit. It is the opinion of St. Augustine that "the justification of the wicked is a greater work than the creation of heaven and earth," because "heaven and earth will pass away but the salvation and justification of the elect . . . will not pass away." 43 He holds also that the justification of Sinners surpasses the creation of the angels in Justice, in that it bears witness to a greater mercy.

The term "merit" refers in general to the recompense owed by a community or a Society for the action of one of its members, experienced either as beneficial or harmful, deserving reward or punishment. Merit is relative to the Virtue of Justice, in conformity with the principle of equality which governs it.

Filial adoption, in making us partakers by grace in the divine nature, can bestow true merit on us as a result of God's gratuitous Justice. This is our right by grace, the full right of Love, making us "co-heirs" with Christ and worthy of obtaining "the promised inheritance of eternal life." 60 The merits of our good works are gifts of the divine goodness. 61 "Grace has gone before us; now we are given what is due.... Our merits are God's gifts." 62

By living with the mind of Christ, Christians hasten the coming of the Reign of God, "a Kingdom of Justice, Love, and Peace." 91 They do not, for all that, abandon their earthly tasks; faithful to their master, they fulfill them with uprightness, patience, and love.

The first commandment is also concerned with Sins against hope, namely, despair and presumption: By despair, man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God, for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is Contrary to God's goodness, to his Justice - for the Lord is faithful to his promises - and to his mercy.

The theological Virtues of faith, hope, and Charity inform and give life to the moral virtues. Thus charity leads us to render to God what we as creatures owe him in all Justice. the virtue of religion disposes us to have this attitude.

Social Justice can be obtained only in respecting the transcendent dignity of man. the person represents the ultimate end of Society, which is ordered to him:

Mortal Sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is Love itself. It results in the loss of Charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ's Kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back. However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust Judgment of persons to the Justice and mercy of God.

The catechetical tradition also recalls that there are "Sins that cry to heaven": the blood of Abel, 139 The sin of the Sodomites, 140 The cry of the people oppressed in Egypt, 141 The cry of the foreigner, the widow, and the orphan, 142 inJustice to the wage earner. 143

Thus Sin makes men accomplices of one another and causes concupiscence, violence, and inJustice to reign among them. Sins give rise to social situations and institutions that are Contrary to the divine goodness. "Structures of sin" are the expression and effect of personal sins. They lead their victims to do evil in their turn. In an analogous sense, they constitute a "social sin." 144

It is necessary, then, to appeal to the spiritual and moral capacities of the human person and to the permanent need for his inner conversion, so as to obtain social changes that will really serve him. the acknowledged priority of the conversion of heart in no way eliminates but on the Contrary imposes the obligation of bringing the appropriate remedies to institutions and living conditions when they are an inducement to Sin, so that they conform to the norms of Justice and advance the good rather than hinder it. 12

Without the help of grace, men would not know how "to discern the often narrow path between the cowardice which gives in to evil, and the violence which under the illusion of fighting evil only makes it worse." 13 This is the path of Charity, that is, of the Love of God and of Neighbor. Charity is the greatest social commandment. It respects others and their Rights. It Requires the Practice of Justice, and it alone makes us capable of it. Charity inspires a life of self-giving: "Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it." 14

The common good is always oriented towards the progress of persons: "The order of things must be subordinate to the order of persons, and not the other way around." 30 This order is founded on Truth, built up in Justice, and animated by Love.

As with any ethical obligation, the participation of all in realizing the common good calls for a continually renewed conversion of the social partners. Fraud and other subterfuges, by which some people evade the constraints of the law and the prescriptions of societal obligation, must be firmly condemned because they are incompatible with the requirements of Justice. Much care should be taken to promote institutions that improve the conditions of human life. 33

Society ensures social Justice when it provides the conditions that allow associations or individuals to obtain what is their due, according to their nature and their vocation. Social justice is linked to the common good and the exercise of authority.

Promises made to others in God's name engage the divine honor, fidelity, Truthfulness, and authority. They must be respected in Justice. To be unfaithful to them is to misuse God's name and in some way to make God out to be a liar. 77