There are countless written accounts and countless people in the Catholic faith that have helped Catholics for many years in shaping the way that they worship and learn about the many different aspects of the complex faith. This includes, but is not limited to, Dorothy Day, Nostra Aetate, and Oscar Romero. These people and piece of work directly relate to the fourth of the four claims of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition: “The dignity of the human being is inviolable and the commitment to justice for the common good is necessary.” Dorothy Day aided in the fight against social injustice through her words and actions. Nostra Aetate attempted to address the relationships that the Church has with the many other faiths that people believe in other than Catholicism. Oscar Romero spoke out and fought against poverty and social injustice within San Salvador. Along with all being able to effectively capture the fourth claim of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, Dorothy Day, Nostra Aetate, and Oscar Romero can all be compared and contrasted with each other in many ways.
Though definitely not commonly paired together or discussed in unison, Dorothy Day and Nostra Aetate can most definitely be compared and contrasted with each other. Arguably one of the most influential and radical social activists of all time, Dorothy Day was a vital figure in establishing the Catholic Worker movement. One of the most important documents in the history of the Catholic Church, Nostra Aetate touched upon how it is important to view all peoples and religions as equals no matter the circumstance. Both Dorothy Day and Nostra Aetate focused on dealing with groups of people that may be very different from where someone comes from. For instance, Dorothy Day attended the University of Illinois on a scholarship and could have made a salary and simply donated money to charity, but this was not enough for her. She was an avid writer and journalist, writing excerpts like, “We must change the social order so that a man may raise his family. And it is necessary that there be among us in the Catholic Worker movement those suffering families, to exemplify, to share in the poverty of the family today” (Day 103, Sacred Heart University). With that,from the Catholic Worker came a “house of hospitality” that provided both food and clothing for the poor and needy of the Lower East Side. Similarly, Nostra Aetate encouraged every single Catholic around the world to be more open to non-Catholics and also be open to other religions and beliefs, no matter how different they were. The document states, "People look to their different religions for an answer to the unsolved riddles of human existence. The problems that weigh heavily on people's hearts are the same today as in past ages. What is humanity? What is the meaning and purpose of life? What is upright behavior, and what is sinful? Where does suffering originate, and what end does it serve?" (Vatican Council II 1, Sacred Heart University). With Nostra Aetate, though these people have a different set of beliefs, the Church finally began to recognize the other religions all around the world.
In contrast, Dorothy Day has not always followed or recognized the Catholic Church’s doctrine as pieces of work like Nostra Aetate have. A Catholic convert and one of the most radical women in history, Dorothy Day most certainly did not obey all of the Church’s rules. For example, around 1935, the Catholic Worker published a series of articles that broke the traditional doctrine within the church regarding just war theory. Many Catholics and members of the Catholic hierarchy were not happy with her decision, thus causing circulation of the Catholic Worker to fall by nearly eighty percent. On the other hand, although it was the Church’s attempt to address the relationships that the Church has with the many other faiths that people believe in other than Catholicism, Nostra Aetate followed the Catholic Church’s doctrine.
Though they were making a change in the world on opposite sides of the planet, there were many similarities and differences between Dorothy Day and Oscar Romero. As previously mentioned, arguably one of the most influential and radical social activists of all time, Dorothy Day was a vital figure in establishing the Catholic Worker movement. Oscar Romero was the Archbishop of San Salvador that spoke out against torture, poverty, and social injustice. Both spoke out against social injustice, no matter the consequence. Day yearned for those who sacrifice their lives to work in the fields in order to provide for their families, but they are barely able to do so. These people are faithful to God, yet they have little to no luck and work mundane jobs (for example, ploughing the ground) in order to make ends meet. Day writes to comfort workers like these, because nobody else would. Nobody is going to help them, and Day wants to do her part to give these workers a helping hand in the fight against social injustice. Similarly, Romero fought against the social injustice in the world, specifically in El Salvador (within the San Salvador Archdiocese). During his term as Archbishop, violence was a large issue that affected many innocent people within El Salvador. He broadcasted weekly sermons on the radio where he would list and speak out against different murders and instances of tortures. Romero was assassinated while offering mass by a group of people that opposed his mission.
In contrast, though both fought against social injustice, not the same was at stake for both Day and Romero. For the most part, Day fought against hunger, poverty, and homelessness. In her writings, she included a few quotes from famous French novelist Leon Bloy. Bloy wrote, “Poverty is the face of Christ, the Face that was spat upon…” (Day 101, Sacred Heart University). During his time on earth, Jesus Christ was often overlooked and hated. In her writings, Day used Bloy's quotes to say the same: the poor are often overlooked and forgotten about. If nobody would look out and care for them, who would? Day took it upon herself to do just this. While he did fight against issues like poverty, Romero focused more on the fight against violence, torture, and basic human rights. Additionally, Romero wrote, “We realize that we risk being misunderstood or condemned, through malice or naivety, as inopportune or ignorant. It is, however, our honest intention to dispel the inertia of the many Salvadorans who are indifferent to the suffering in out land, especially in many rural areas” (Romero 87). Romero did not care if he was put in jail or had to face any consequences if it meant freeing his people. He was one of the most selfless people to walk this earth.
Like Dorothy Day and Oscar Romero, although it seems unlikely, there can be similarities and differences found between both Nostra Aetate and Oscar Romero. As mentioned prior, Nostra Aetate attempted to address the relationships that the Church has with the many other faiths that people believe in other than Catholicism, and Oscar Romero spoke out and fought against poverty and social injustice within San Salvador. Both Romero and Nostra Aetate can be noted as examples of the ideal way that Christians should act. Very much so in recent years, Oscar Romero has been recognized and regarded as a model Christian and saint for the twenty-first century. While serving in San Salvador, he inspired thousands of people to remain strong in their faith despite all the persecution and hate that the people of San Salvador were facing. He strengthened faith and stood up to those that wanted to destroy faith. Romero wrote, “[God] is not a God of death or of fratricidal confrontation. He did not give us a social nature so that we should destroy ourselves in mutually hostile organizations, but so that we could complement our individual limitations with the strength of all, united in love” (Romero, 92). Romero felt that human rights should be undeniable; rather, they seemed to be the cause of strife in San Salvador. On the other hand, Nostra Aetate was able to capture just how important it truly is to view all peoples and religions as equals, regardless the circumstance (skin color, faith, etc). Additionally, it touched upon how the Church recognized that people of all different faiths were beginning to grow bonds with not only each other but with God. To be a true Christian is to be kind to all people no matter how different they are, and Nostra Aetate set out just to discuss this point.
To point out a difference between the two, although both had a distinct purpose and were effective, I personally believe that Nostra Aetate was more successful in its mission than Oscar Romero was. As much as Oscar Romero did for his country and Archdiocese, it is a lot easier for the Catholic Church to release a declaration to address the relationships that the Church has with the many other faiths that people believe in other than Catholicism than for someone to go out into their country and reverse political turmoil. Within Nostra Aetate it states, “…There is found among different peoples a certain awareness of a hidden power, which lies behind the course of nature and the events of a hidden power, which lies behind the course of nature…the religions which are found in more advanced civilizations endeavor by way of well-defined concepts and exact language to answer these questions" (Vatican Council II 1, Sacred Heart University). The Church admitted that there are rays of light in other religions, including but not limited to, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism.
Dorothy Day, Nostra Aetate, and Oscar Romero are all able to effectively capture the fourth claim of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. This claim states that “The dignity of the human being is inviolable and the commitment to justice for the common good is necessary.” I believe that this, out of the four total claims, is the one claim that fits Poverty is the Face of Christ by Dorothy Day the best. Though she was not always Catholic (she converted later in her life), Day’s life was dedicated to the justice for the common good. This is evident in her work for social justice through the Catholic Worker, along with her writings, specifically Poverty is the Face of Christ. In this selection, Day writes, “The criticism which descends upon the luckless heads of those who continue to be faithful to the dream, who are the forerunners, who are ploughing the ground and sowing in tears, who are dunging it with their sufferings, is part of the suffering itself” (Day 101, Sacred Heart University). In other words, Day yearns for those who sacrifice their lives to work in the fields in order to provide for their families, but they are barely able to do so. As she puts it, “…[comfort] is all the help they are going to have” (101, Sacred Heart University). Day knows that these people are very faithful and loyal to God yet are barely able to survive off of what they own. With this in mind, Day vowed to give her helping hand in the fight against social injustice.
Nostra Aetate encouraged every single Catholic around the world to be more open to non-Catholics and also be open to other religions and beliefs, no matter how different they were. This goes hand-in-hand with the fourth claim, which aims to achieve justice for the common good in our world. As previously mentioned, the document states, "People look to their different religions for an answer to the unsolved riddles of human existence. The problems that weigh heavily on people's hearts are the same today as in past ages. What is humanity? What is the meaning and purpose of life? What is upright behavior, and what is sinful? Where does suffering originate, and what end does it serve?" (Vatican Council II 1, Sacred Heart University). With Nostra Aetate, the Church finally began to recognize the other religions all around the world; however, this quote specifically demonstrates how the Catholic Church admitted that it was not perfect and may not have the answer to every single issue or question that is proposed. It also displays how the Church admitted that other religions may have validity to their beliefs, too. Toward the end of Nostra Aetate, there is a quote that reads, "Therefore, the church reproves, as foreign to the mind of Christ, any discrimination against people or any harassment of them on the basis of their race, color, condition in life or religion" (Vatican Council II 4, Sacred Heart University). The Church put its foot down against any and all types of hate toward any group of people, and would not tolerate hate by any means. They finally began to realize that every single human being is equal and deserves to be treated that way.
Oscar Romero was the epitome of the fourth claim of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, which states, “The dignity of the human being is inviolable and the commitment to justice for the common good is necessary.” Romero spoke out and fought against poverty and social injustice within San Salvador (and thus, all around the world). He fought up until his death when he was assassinated. As the central conviction of Christianity states that all human beings are sacred, Romero fought for this conviction. His people that came from all walks of life, although created in the image of God, redeemed by Christ, and endowed with a soul, were being unjustly persecuted. Romero was a firm believer in the fact that all human beings, no matter their ethnicity, class, etc., have an innate dignity and right to freely practice. He wrote, “We therefore urge Christians who belong, formally or in practice, to any organization with just social, political, and economic aims to profess their faith openly so that it becomes their ultimate point of reference and they can grow in it” (Romero 102). One must not fall into the temptation of pride, which can get in the way of working toward justice! As Romero taught, it is not only our duty but our obligation to work toward the justice for the common good.