Cardinal Peter Turkson has encouraged business school faculty to teach their students about the Catholic Church's social teaching and to form them in ethics, morals, and stewardship. During an recent address, the cardinal pointed to the Church's social doctrine and its use in business, asking "that your graduates develop themselves to be 'principled leaders,' not merely market technicians, with their guidance provided by a 'faith with works' philosophy."Cardinal Turkson, who is president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, was speaking at the 2014 Business Ethics Conference for
deans of Catholic schools of business, held in Houston, Texas. "Faith is incomplete without a vision of the world and our place within it – our works," the cardinal said, explaining that Catholic social teaching is built upon the truth that Christ “looked for more than faith
alone” – for Christians to follow him in action, as well.The principles underlying the Church's social teaching are human
dignity, the common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, and stewardship, he
explained.These principles can be applied to the business world, and when taught
to students "these same beacons or lenses will help them to make sound
judgements and act accordingly." Cardinal Turkson emphasized that "multidimensional business enterprise
contributes to the larger common good by fulfilling its threefold
purpose of good goods, good work, and good wealth”: focusing on "truly
good" service, "good and productive work," and being "good stewards of
the resources given to them." Business should "not to be reduced to a single objective, such as
maximizing profit or enhancing shareholder wealth, just as marriage
should not be reduced to sentiment between partners, or education to
credentials for a career." He warned that morality is often separated from business, adding that
"education and formation is much larger than the objectives of a few
ethics courses." By focusing only upon the market, students learn "that the marketplace
and business decisions are morally neutral," and the consequences of
this attitude – such as the financial crisis of 2007-08 – "can be
ruinous." To relegate ethics to a course and have the rest of the courses be
'non-ethical' is to foster the divided life – deformation rather than
formation." The cardinal said to the Catholic business school leaders that by
attending a Catholic school, students "have an opportunity to learn that
respecting everyone, whether employee, shareholder, supplier, client,
or other stakeholder, provides the foundations for long-term success." Cardinal Turkson encouraged the educators to present students with
ethical case-studies that they will meet in their daily lives, and teach
students how to act "when confronted with decisions that are immoral." He challenged the educators to "shape business through research and by forming future business leaders." The current economic system holds ethical and systemic problems,
Cardinal Turkson said, and business leaders can help form a solution
"grounded in fundamental truth about our human nature and destiny."
In the quiet, dusty corners of our hearts, we often harbor blueprint drafts of how we think our lives should unfold. We carefully map out our timelines, hoping for a smooth path, and it is only natural to feel a bit lost or weary when a sudden storm alters our course or a door we prayed would open remains closed. Yet, our Lord does not stand at a distance during these moments of uncertainty; He is a tender Shepherd who walks beside us, gently whispering, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" ( Jeremiah 29:11). When our own plans crumble, it is not a sign that He has abandoned us, but rather an invitation to fold our hands, release our grip on the pen, and offer our own quiet fiat—letting Him guide us into green pastures we could never have found on our own. Placing our trust in His loving providence allows us to breathe deeply and find rest, even when the road ahead is shrouded in mist. E...