Many Kinds of Justice

Below is the 19th in the August Catholic Social Teaching series: Many kinds of Justice

Justice has many applications depending upon the situation.  Thus we can say there are seven forms of justice.  All of them have some reference to Catholic Social Teaching but some more specifically than others

Teresita Scully, MTS

Seven Types of Justices

Contributive Justice: Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world.

“Listening to the cry of those who suffer violence and are oppressed by unjust systems and structures, and hearing the appeal of a world that by its perversity contradicts the plan of its Creator, we have shared our awareness of the Church's vocation to be present in the heart of the world by proclaiming the Good News to the poor, freedom to the oppressed, and joy to the afflicted. The hopes and forces which are moving the world in its very foundations are not foreign to the dynamism of the Gospel, which through the power of the Holy Spirit frees people from personal sin and from its consequences in social life.” #5. Justice in the World - World Synod of Catholic Bishops, 1971

Particular Justice: Directed toward the private individual common good.

Catechism of the Catholic Justice #1928: “Society ensures social justice when it provides the conditions that allow associations or individuals to obtain what is their due, according to their nature and their vocation. Social justice is linked to the common good and the exercise of authority.”

Distributive Justice: How we share the world’s goods with all the world

“Distributive justice requires that the allocation of income, wealth, and power in society be evaluated in light of its effects on persons whose basic material needs are unmet. The Second Vatican Council stated: “The right to have a share of earthly goods sufficient for oneself and one’s family belongs to everyone. The fathers and doctors of the Church held this view, teaching that we are obliged to come to the relief of the poor and to do so not merely out of our superfluous goods”. Minimum material resources are an absolute necessity for human life. If persons are to be recognized as members of the human community, then the community has an obligation to help fulfill these basic needs unless an absolute scarcity of resources makes this strictly impossible. No such scarcity exists in the United States today.” Economic Justice for All, U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1986 #70

Commutative Justice: One-on-one in contracts, buying and selling.

“Without commutative justice, no other form of justice is possible” (Catechism, 2411).

“The right of property is distinct from its use. That justice called commutative commands sacred respect for the division of possessions and forbids invasion of others’ rights through the exceeding of the limits of one’s own property; but the duty of owners to use their property only in a right way does not come under this type of justice, but under other virtues, obligations of which “cannot be enforced by legal action.” Therefore, they are in error who assert that ownership and its right use are limited by the same boundaries; and it is much farther still from the truth to hold that a right to property is destroyed or lost by reason of abuse or non-use.” Quadragesimo Anno (“After Forty Years”), Pope Pius XI, 1931 #47.

Legal Justice:

Meaning of Legal Justice - Legal justice refers to the fair and impartial application of laws within a society, ensuring equality before the law and upholding individuals’ rights. Rooted in substantive and procedural laws, it involves the functioning of legal institutions like courts and law enforcement agencies.

Rerum Novarum (“On the Condition of Labor and the Working Classes”), Pope Leo XIII, 1891 #33.

“As regards the State, the interests of all, whether high or low, are equal…and therefore the public administration must duly and solicitously provide for the welfare and the comfort of the working classes; otherwise, that law of justice will be violated which ordains that each man shall have his due…Among the many and grave duties of rulers who would do their best for the people, the first and chief is to act with strict justice – with that justice which is called distributive – toward each and every class alike.”

Restorative Justice: Determines the harm resulting from a crime, what is done to repair the harm and who is responsible for the harm

Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice

"We are still a long way from the time when our conscience can be certain of having done everything possible to prevent crime and to control it effectively so that it no longer does harm and, at the same time, to offer to those who commit crimes a way of redeeming themselves and making a positive return to society. If all those in some way involved in the problem tried to . . . develop this line of thought, perhaps humanity as a whole could take a great step forward in creating a more serene and peaceful society."  Pope John Paul II, July 9, 2000

Retributive Justice: What law was broken, who broke it and how they should be punished.

Britanica defines Retributive Justice a “response to criminal behavior that focuses on the punishment of lawbreakers and the compensation of victims. In general, the severity of the punishment is proportionate to the seriousness of the crime.

Psalm 28:4 -  Repay them as their deeds deserve, as befits their treacherous actions; as befits their handiwork repay them, let their deserts fall back on themselves

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE, A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE | OC Catholic - “Restorative justice is a response to crime and violence that shifts the focus from punishment to “responsibility, rehabilitation and restoration.” It holds offenders accountable even as it opens paths to healing, especially with victims. And it addresses the needs of everyone impacted by crime: victims, offenders, families, communities, and those working in the criminal justice system. (California Catholic Conference of Bishops)

I encourage you to watch the video here