The Common Good and Community
“Human beings,” Kenneth R. Himes O.F.M. said in his book Responses to 101 Questions on Catholic Social Teaching, “only truly flourish in the context of a community.” Human beings can only reach their full individual potential if they work to promote and protect the good of society as a whole. Our obligation to love our neighbor is not only an individual commitment; it requires a broader social responsibility.
“It is imperative that no one, out of indifference to the course of events or because of inertia, would indulge in a merely individualistic morality. The best way to fulfill one's obligations of justice and love is to contribute to the common good according to one's means and the needs of others, and also to promote and help public and private organizations devoted to bettering the conditions of life.”