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."
Finding St Anthony Among the Lost Items
Saint Anthony of Padua, though often associated with finding lost articles, was primarily known in his lifetime as a powerful and eloquent preacher. Originally a Canon Regular of St. Augustine, he was inspired to join the newly formed Franciscan order after witnessing the martyrdom of the first Franciscan missionaries in Morocco. His conversion to the mendicant life under St. Francis of Assisi transformed him, deepening his commitment to poverty, humility, and evangelical preaching. Gifted with profound theological knowledge and a captivating speaking style, he traveled across Italy and France, drawing immense crowds with his clear and passionate sermons, converting many and combating heresy with his unwavering faith and intellectual rigor. Beyond his public ministry, St. Anthony was a mystic who enjoyed profound spiritual experiences, most notably a vision of the Infant Jesus. This intimate connection with the Christ Child is a hallmark of his iconography, often depicting him c...
