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2013 Labor Day Statement & Resources by U.S. Catholic Bishops August 20th, 2013
Every human being enjoys a basic right to be respected, not because of any title, position, prestige, or accomplishment but first of all because we are created in the image and likeness of God. From an ethical and moral perspective we embrace the exhortation of St. Paul “to anticipate one another in showing honor” (Rom 12:10).
Labor Day is an opportunity to take stock of the ways workers are honored and respected. Earlier this year, Pope Francis pointed out, “Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person…. It gives one the ability to maintain oneself, one’s family, to contribute to the growth of one’s own nation.”
Unfortunately, millions of workers today are denied this honor and respect as a result of unemployment, unjust wages, abuse, and exploitation.
2013 Labor Day Statement by Bishop Stephen Blaire
Resources:
- For parish resources, check out: Labor Day Statement Supplemental Aids (PDF)
- Catholic Social Teaching on Labor: A Primer (PDF)
- Primer on Poverty, an Option for the Poor, and the Common Good (PDF)
- Income Inequality – A Catholic Concern (This is an excellent interactive video resource on income inequality in the United States and the Church’s response)
Thanks to the National Catholic Rural Life Conference for this alert.
Labor Day Statement of Support issued by US Catholic Bishops September 4th, 2009
The U.S. bishops are calling on Catholics to recommit this Labor Day to supporting all workers and praying for those who have lost jobs during the economic recession. The Catholic ishops issued their call in their annual Labor Day statement: “The Value of Work; The Dignity of the Human Person.”
The statement was released on September 3 and signed by Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York. Bishop Murphy, chairman of the Bishops’ Conference Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, said that Labor Day is a time to celebrate “the value and dignity of work and the contribution and rights of the American worker.”
