On 26 July 2016, the opening day of the World Youth Day in Krakow Poland, Cardinal Tagle presented a new member of the YOUCAT family. He said to the young pilgrims, “Pope Francis wants to give us a gift, so that we do not halt at knowledge and prayer but pass to action.”
DOCAT is that very gift. In a video transmitted during the presentation to the pilgrims in the motherland of the founder of the World Youth Day, the holy father affirmed that DOCAT “is a manual of knowledge, a street manual. It is about the word of Christ as well as of the Church and of many people. It is an important instrument of young people’s daily life.”
He wrote in the Introduction of DOCAT:
“The English verb “to do” is part of the title. DOCAT answers the question: “What should we do?”; it is like a user’s manual that helps us to change ourselves with the Gospel first, and then our closest surroundings, and finally the whole world. For with the power of the Gospel, we can truly change the world.
DOCAT is an instrument to “do” social justice the Catholic way.
DOCAT is a sequel of the Youth Catechism YOUCAT introduced in August 2011 at the World Youth Day in Madrid. Based on the Bible, YOUCAT, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, DOCAT shows the young people how to work toward building a “civilization of love”.
DOCAT summarizes the main points of the Social Doctrine of the Church, updated to the end of 2015, on the foundations of these four main sources.
Thanks to its coming in being later, DOCAT is able to cite and reference over a ten years’ worth of the magisterium and other materials not included in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, of which, pope Benedict’s Caritas in Veritate and pope Francis’s Laudato Si’ are most important. This makes DOCAT a unique resource for it would be hard for us to find a text with an updated demonstration of the social teaching of the Church with the simple, practical and concise style of DOCAT.
Every one of the 328 answered questions in DOCAT offers a reference to one, two or all three of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and YOUCAT.
Besides the Bible, DOCAT frequently quotes papal encyclicals from Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum (1891) onward, cites quotations from saints, leaders of the world and business, social activists and many other renowned people, including people of the public such as movie star Marilyn Monroe and action film actor Bruce Willis.
“In necessary matters, unity; in dubious matters, freedom; in all things, love.” – St. Augustine
“Hollywood is a place where they’ll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.” – Marilyn Monroe
“Where would we be today if somebody had said to Columbus, ‘Christopher, stay here. Wait with your discovery trip, until our most important problems are solved – war and famine, poverty and crime, environmental pollution and illnesses, illiteracy and racism’?” – Bill Gates
DOCAT explains in “About this book” section found prior to “Content” section that a quote from a non-scriptural, non-magisterial source sometimes “underscores the meaning of the text; other times it creates a tension with the text. The point is always to foster a living confrontation with the truth.” This a new point and interesting feature of DOCAT.
We also find a well-known thought of the “Model Teacher for Ten Thousand Ages”, namely Confucius’ saying in the Great Learning: “The ancients, when they wished to exemplify illustrious virtue throughout the empire, first ordered well their states. Desiring to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated themselves. Wishing to cultivate themselves, they first rectified their purposes.”
And we also find the quote “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” by Mahatma Gandhi, a person well saturated with Christ’s teachings and venerated as a living saint.
The book features many full-color photos, an index of subjects, illustrations and, of course, drawings in the unique YOUCAT style.
Like YOUCAT, DOCAT is written in a dynamic, clear, simple style with short sentences, most of them simple sentences. In fact, the 30,000-word Encyclical Caritas in Veritate or 40,000-word Encyclical Laudato Si’ is summarized in a one-verb simple sentence of a or two dozen words:
For the Encyclical Caritas in Veritate 2009 of Benedict XVI: “Citing Populorum Progressio, this document deals at great length with the various facets of globalization.”
As for the Encyclical Laudato Si’ 2015 of Francis: “The second encyclical by Pope Francis discusses questions of preserving the environment in the larger context of the right of all human beings to life and comprehensive, dignified development.”
For its content, DOCAT comprises twelve chapters, in the format of questions and answers, and addresses issues of utmost importance to the Catholic such as: God’s plan for the world, the social mission of the Church, the human person, the common good, family, economic and political life, the environment and peace, totally compatible with the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.
In fact, we can see this clearly by making the Content of 12 chapter of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church and DOCAT as follws:
DOCAT can be said to be an action handbook for the youth. Where is their compass for their social Commitment? DOCAT answers it in Question 317:
“317. Where do I find the compass for my social involvement?
No book is more important for Christians than Sacred Scripture. “To read Sacred Scripture”, Saint Francis of Assisi says, “is to take advice from Christ.” Besides Scripture, the Catholic Church lives by sacred Tradition, the living faith of the Church enkindled by the fire of the Holy Spirit. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this faith, which has grown and become deeper over the course of two millennia, has found its contemporary expression. Everything that a Christian should know about the contents and the necessary form of his faith is collected in this volume. Someone who is socially committed and involved finds the central teachings of the Church in the social encyclicals from Pope Leo XIII on. They are concisely summarized in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Then there is YOUCAT, to give young people easier access to the Catechism. DOCAT was composed in order to circulate the Church’s social teaching widely among young people.”
The Church equips that compass and puts into their hands “DOCAT: What to do?” in order for them to understand and carry out their “mission” and fulfill their “historic destiny”:
“As Catholics we have the mission of transforming society into a ‘civilization of love’” (319).
DOCAT quotes Pope St. John Paul II at the World Youth Day 1995 in Manila, “Young people are the source of hope for the future. Your historic destiny is to build a civilization of love, of brotherhood and solidarity.”
Of note, in addition to the four principles of personhood, common good, solidarity and subsidiarity (84), DOCAT proposes sustainable development to be the fifth principle of social teaching:
“263. Sustainability – a new social principle?
With the help of the fundamental social principles → Personhood →Solidarity and → Subsidiarity (see nos. 83–102), one can understand the structures of society and align them with ethical criteria. Given the particular challenges of the present time, it seems appropriate to add another principle to these: the principle of sustainability. This principle of sustainability relates to and puts into action the traditional principles of social ethics with regard to human living conditions and the survival of the earth itself. When people discuss sustainability, they are talking about safeguarding in the long term the stability of the earth’s ecosystem and its natural ability to regenerate its resources.”
For conclusion, we can repeat the holy father Francis’ remark on the new Social Teaching book of the Church and see a harmony in thought between him and Confucius on what Karl Marx called “transformation of the world”:
“DOCAT is like a user’s manual that helps us to change ourselves with the Gospel first [cultivating oneself], and then our closest surroundings [regulating the family], and finally the whole world [ordering well the world]”.
“For with the power of the Gospel, we can truly change the world” (Mc 9,23).
DOCAT is that very gift. In a video transmitted during the presentation to the pilgrims in the motherland of the founder of the World Youth Day, the holy father affirmed that DOCAT “is a manual of knowledge, a street manual. It is about the word of Christ as well as of the Church and of many people. It is an important instrument of young people’s daily life.”
He wrote in the Introduction of DOCAT:
“The English verb “to do” is part of the title. DOCAT answers the question: “What should we do?”; it is like a user’s manual that helps us to change ourselves with the Gospel first, and then our closest surroundings, and finally the whole world. For with the power of the Gospel, we can truly change the world.
DOCAT is an instrument to “do” social justice the Catholic way.
DOCAT is a sequel of the Youth Catechism YOUCAT introduced in August 2011 at the World Youth Day in Madrid. Based on the Bible, YOUCAT, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, DOCAT shows the young people how to work toward building a “civilization of love”.
DOCAT summarizes the main points of the Social Doctrine of the Church, updated to the end of 2015, on the foundations of these four main sources.
Thanks to its coming in being later, DOCAT is able to cite and reference over a ten years’ worth of the magisterium and other materials not included in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, of which, pope Benedict’s Caritas in Veritate and pope Francis’s Laudato Si’ are most important. This makes DOCAT a unique resource for it would be hard for us to find a text with an updated demonstration of the social teaching of the Church with the simple, practical and concise style of DOCAT.
Every one of the 328 answered questions in DOCAT offers a reference to one, two or all three of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and YOUCAT.
Besides the Bible, DOCAT frequently quotes papal encyclicals from Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum (1891) onward, cites quotations from saints, leaders of the world and business, social activists and many other renowned people, including people of the public such as movie star Marilyn Monroe and action film actor Bruce Willis.
“In necessary matters, unity; in dubious matters, freedom; in all things, love.” – St. Augustine
“Hollywood is a place where they’ll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.” – Marilyn Monroe
“Where would we be today if somebody had said to Columbus, ‘Christopher, stay here. Wait with your discovery trip, until our most important problems are solved – war and famine, poverty and crime, environmental pollution and illnesses, illiteracy and racism’?” – Bill Gates
DOCAT explains in “About this book” section found prior to “Content” section that a quote from a non-scriptural, non-magisterial source sometimes “underscores the meaning of the text; other times it creates a tension with the text. The point is always to foster a living confrontation with the truth.” This a new point and interesting feature of DOCAT.
We also find a well-known thought of the “Model Teacher for Ten Thousand Ages”, namely Confucius’ saying in the Great Learning: “The ancients, when they wished to exemplify illustrious virtue throughout the empire, first ordered well their states. Desiring to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated themselves. Wishing to cultivate themselves, they first rectified their purposes.”
And we also find the quote “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” by Mahatma Gandhi, a person well saturated with Christ’s teachings and venerated as a living saint.
The book features many full-color photos, an index of subjects, illustrations and, of course, drawings in the unique YOUCAT style.
Like YOUCAT, DOCAT is written in a dynamic, clear, simple style with short sentences, most of them simple sentences. In fact, the 30,000-word Encyclical Caritas in Veritate or 40,000-word Encyclical Laudato Si’ is summarized in a one-verb simple sentence of a or two dozen words:
For the Encyclical Caritas in Veritate 2009 of Benedict XVI: “Citing Populorum Progressio, this document deals at great length with the various facets of globalization.”
As for the Encyclical Laudato Si’ 2015 of Francis: “The second encyclical by Pope Francis discusses questions of preserving the environment in the larger context of the right of all human beings to life and comprehensive, dignified development.”
For its content, DOCAT comprises twelve chapters, in the format of questions and answers, and addresses issues of utmost importance to the Catholic such as: God’s plan for the world, the social mission of the Church, the human person, the common good, family, economic and political life, the environment and peace, totally compatible with the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.
In fact, we can see this clearly by making the Content of 12 chapter of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church and DOCAT as follws:
Chapter
1
|
God’s
Plan of Love for Humanity (20-59)
|
God’s Master Plan: Love (Questions
1-21)
|
Chapter
2
|
The
Church’s Mission and Social Doctrine (60-104)
|
Together We Are Strong: The
Church’s Social Mission (22-46)
|
Chapter
3
|
The
Human Person and Human Rights (105-159)
|
Unique and Infinitely Valuable:
The Human Person (Questions 47-83)
|
Chapter
4
|
Principles
of the Church’s Social Doctrine (106-208)
|
The Common Good, Personhood,
Solidarity, Subsidiarity: The Principles of the Church’s Social Teaching
(Questions 84-111)
|
Chapter
5
|
The
Family, the Vital Cell of Society (209-254)
|
The Foundation of Society: The Family
(Questions 112-133)
|
Chapter
6
|
Human
Work (255-322)
|
Occupation and Vocation: Human
Work (Questions 134-157)
|
Chapter
7
|
Economic
Life (323-376)
|
Welfare and Justice for All:
Economic Life (Questions 158-194)
|
Chapter
8
|
The
Political Community (377-427)
|
Power and Morality: The Political
Community (Questions 195-228)
|
Chapter
9
|
The
International Community (428-450)
|
One World, One Humanity:
The International Community (Questions
229-255)
|
Chapter
10
|
Safeguarding
the Environment (451-487)
|
Safeguarding Creation: The
Environment (Questions 256-269)
|
Chapter
11
|
The
Promotion of Peace (488-520)
|
Living in Freedom from Violence:
Peace (Questions 270-304)
|
Chapter
12
|
Social
Doctrine and Ecclesia Action (521-574)
|
Personal and Societal Commitment:
Love in Action (Questions 305-328)
|
DOCAT can be said to be an action handbook for the youth. Where is their compass for their social Commitment? DOCAT answers it in Question 317:
“317. Where do I find the compass for my social involvement?
No book is more important for Christians than Sacred Scripture. “To read Sacred Scripture”, Saint Francis of Assisi says, “is to take advice from Christ.” Besides Scripture, the Catholic Church lives by sacred Tradition, the living faith of the Church enkindled by the fire of the Holy Spirit. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this faith, which has grown and become deeper over the course of two millennia, has found its contemporary expression. Everything that a Christian should know about the contents and the necessary form of his faith is collected in this volume. Someone who is socially committed and involved finds the central teachings of the Church in the social encyclicals from Pope Leo XIII on. They are concisely summarized in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Then there is YOUCAT, to give young people easier access to the Catechism. DOCAT was composed in order to circulate the Church’s social teaching widely among young people.”
The Church equips that compass and puts into their hands “DOCAT: What to do?” in order for them to understand and carry out their “mission” and fulfill their “historic destiny”:
“As Catholics we have the mission of transforming society into a ‘civilization of love’” (319).
DOCAT quotes Pope St. John Paul II at the World Youth Day 1995 in Manila, “Young people are the source of hope for the future. Your historic destiny is to build a civilization of love, of brotherhood and solidarity.”
Of note, in addition to the four principles of personhood, common good, solidarity and subsidiarity (84), DOCAT proposes sustainable development to be the fifth principle of social teaching:
“263. Sustainability – a new social principle?
With the help of the fundamental social principles → Personhood →Solidarity and → Subsidiarity (see nos. 83–102), one can understand the structures of society and align them with ethical criteria. Given the particular challenges of the present time, it seems appropriate to add another principle to these: the principle of sustainability. This principle of sustainability relates to and puts into action the traditional principles of social ethics with regard to human living conditions and the survival of the earth itself. When people discuss sustainability, they are talking about safeguarding in the long term the stability of the earth’s ecosystem and its natural ability to regenerate its resources.”
For conclusion, we can repeat the holy father Francis’ remark on the new Social Teaching book of the Church and see a harmony in thought between him and Confucius on what Karl Marx called “transformation of the world”:
“DOCAT is like a user’s manual that helps us to change ourselves with the Gospel first [cultivating oneself], and then our closest surroundings [regulating the family], and finally the whole world [ordering well the world]”.
“For with the power of the Gospel, we can truly change the world” (Mc 9,23).
