A major theme of Catholic Social Teaching we have discussed as a class this year is caring for the vulnerable. In the nation of Syria, the Alawites are being targeted and are possible victims of an impending genocide. As Catholics, we are called to protect this vulnerable minority group. We need to encourage our government leaders and leaders of International Organizations, such as the UN, to prepare to fight back if genocide does occur.
The Alawites and Syrian Christians are hated not for their own acts, but for the acts of Mr. Assad. Just as the article suggests, we as Catholics need to urge our leaders need to ensure Mr. Assad as a national leader does not cause the deaths of his own people. We need to ensure the country is ruled fairly and equally, so that no rebels may be tempted to fight back or start a destructive genocide. By doing this, we will ensure that the CST theme of justice is lived out.
In my opinion, we can definitely follow CST guidelines to make decisions on an international level. We can use them to steer us in the right moral direction. I believe CST teachings can guide us in the best direction both individually, and as a nation. Even those who are not Catholic can still live out CST basic principles such as looking out for the vulnerable and making sure justice is served where needed. While we follow CST principles, government leaders must also ensure they are rational with their decisions (we cannot help every vulnerable person – our nation would run out of money). However, by using both logic and CST principles, we can most definitely prevent future disasters such as genocides and lead our world to be the best it can be.
