The Church’s teaching on the just society is fiercely contested territory. The adviser to the bishops of England and Wales on social policy argues that Catholic economists and social thinkers of very different traditions must create a culture of dialogue if the tradition is to flourish
Whatever we call the latter part of the second Elizabethan age, it is unlikely to become known as the “age of dialogue”. “Cancelling”, misrepresentation of opponents and 280-character Twitter assertions seem to be the modes of the moment. Pope Francis has called us to take a different path. In Laudato Si’, the word “dialogue” appears nearly as often as the word “ecology”. Fratelli Tutti contained nearly 50 references to “dialogue” or its derivatives, and there was a whole chapter on “Dialogue and Friendship in Society”. With war now waging within Europe, it is more urgent than ever that we return to a culture of jaw-jaw.
Within the Church, too, whether we are theologians or liturgists or economists, we should lead by example. If we only partake in dialogue with others who share our views, our own tradition will be impoverished. Many issues connected with Catholic social thought and teaching require careful discernment, and reasonable people might well differ.
