Just Wondering . . .

Given the Roman Catholic Church's foundational yet often minimalized tradition and teaching on social justice, I wonder when we can expect the clerical leadership of the St. Paul–Minneapolis Archdiocese to speak out against the Target corporation's recent donation of $150,000 to the anti-workers' rights group Minnesota Forward?

The Church fully supports the rights of workers to form unions or other associations to secure their rights to fair wages and working conditions.

– Economic Justice for All #104
Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy
U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1986

Workers' rights cannot be doomed to be the mere result of economic systems aimed at maximum profits. The thing that must shape the whole economy is respect for the workers' rights within each country and all through the world's economy.

– Laborem Exercens (On Human Work) #17
John Paul II, 1981

We must . . . continue to study the situation of the worker. There is a need for solidarity movements among and with the workers. The church is firmly committed to this cause, in fidelity to Christ, and to be truly the "church of the poor."

– Laborem Exercens (On Human Work) #8
John Paul II, 1981

Above all we must remember the priority of labor over capital: labor is the cause of production; capital, or the means of production, is its mere instrument or tool.

– Laborem Exercens (On Human Work) #12
John Paul II, 1981

Recommended Off-site Links:
Notable Quotes from Catholic Social Teaching on the Theme of Work and Workers' Rights – Office of Social Justice, Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis.
Workers' Interfaith Network

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Boycotting Target
A Call to Action, Equality
A Call to Emphasize Catholicism's "Sweet Spot"
The Pope's Progressive Agenda
Agreeing with the Vatican
Fasting, Praying, & Walking for Immigration Reform
May Day 2007
A Lose/Lose Situation
R.I.P. Neoclassical Economics
Capitalism on Trial
John Pilger on Resisting Empire
In Search of a "Global Ethic"

Image: Logo of the Catholic Worker Movement.