Matthew 23, 29-32 + CSDC and CV   

(CV 36b) Admittedly, the market can be a negative force, not because it is so by nature, but because a certain ideology can make it so. It must be remembered that the market does not exist in the pure state. It is shaped by the cultural configurations which define it and give it direction. Economy and finance, as instruments, can be used badly when those at the helm are motivated by purely selfish ends. Instruments that are good in themselves can thereby be transformed into harmful ones. But it is man's darkened reason that produces these consequences, not the instrument per se. Therefore it is not the instrument that must be called to account, but individuals, their moral conscience and their personal and social responsibility.

Social doctrine of  the Church prompted by pastoral concerns

CSDC 104b. In the formulation and teaching of this social doctrine, the Church has been, and continues to be, prompted not by theoretical motivation but by pastoral concerns. She is spurred on by the repercussions that social upheavals have on people, on multitudes of men and women, on human dignity itself, in contexts where “man painstakingly searches for a better world, without working with equal zeal for the betterment of his own spirit”[195]. For these reasons, this social doctrine has arisen and developed an “updated doctrinal ‘corpus' ... [that] builds up gradually, as the Church, in the fullness of the word revealed by Christ Jesus and with the assistance of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 14:16,26; 16:13-15), reads events as they unfold in the course of history”[196].

Notes: [195] Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 4: AAS 58 (1966), 1028. [196] John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 1: AAS 80 (1988), 514; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2422.

(Mt 23, 29-32) Formative value of the Church's social doctrine

[29] "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, [30] and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets' blood.' [31] Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; [32] now fill up what your ancestors measured out!

CSDC 529. The formative value of the Church's social doctrine should receive more attention in catechesis.[1122] Catechesis is the systematic teaching of Christian doctrine in its entirety, with a view to initiating believers into the fullness of Gospel life.[1123] The ultimate aim of catechesis “is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ”.[1124 ] In this way, it becomes possible to recognize the action of the Holy Spirit, from whom comes the gift of new life in Christ[1125]. Seen in this light, in its service of educating to the faith, the concern of catechesis must not fail “to clarify properly realities such as man's activity for his integral liberation, the search for a society with greater solidarity and fraternity, the fight for justice and the building of peace”[1126]. In order to do so, the fullness of the social Magisterium must be presented: its history, its content and its methodology. Direct contact with the texts of the social encyclicals, read within an ecclesial context, enriches its reception and application, thanks to the contribution of the different areas of competency and professions represented within the community.

 Notes: [1122] Cf. Congregation for the Clergy, General Directory for Catechesis, 30, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City 1997, pp. 30-32. [1123] Cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae, 18: AAS 71 (1979), 1291-1292. [1124] John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae, 5: AAS 71 (1979), 1281. [1125] Cf. Congregation for the Clergy, General Directory for Catechesis, 54, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City 1997, p. 54. [1126] John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae, 29: AAS 71 (1979), 1301-1302; cf. also Congregation for the Clergy, General Directory for Catechesis, 17, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City 1997, p. 21.

[Initials and Abbreviations.- CSDC: Pontifical Council for Justice And Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church; -  SDC: Social Doctrine of the Church; - CV: Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in truth)]