Honorary Degree Dinner for John J. Sweeney

Remarks by John J. DeGioia
Honorary Degree Dinner for John J. Sweeney
Riggs Library
Georgetown University
September 3, 2009


Besides being one of the most beautiful spaces on campus, this is also the place where we traditionally honor our most important guests—and tonight is no exception. But in honoring the life and legacy of John Sweeney, we also honor the social teaching and tradition of the Church—teaching which, as we know, would inspire and inform John in is championship of workers’ rights and workers’ solidarity.

I’ll say more about this tradition—and why it’s especially important at this moment in time—after dinner. But to begin our evening, in a moment I’ll ask Archbishop Wuerl to provide tonight’s blessing.

It’s fitting that we have the Archbishop with us this evening, because today marks the feast day of Pope St. Gregory the Great. A Doctor of the Church—and the man who would reform the famous chant which bears his name—he’s also the patron saint of teachers. As we know, Archbishop Wuerl is known nationally for his catechetical and teaching ministry, and for his efforts on behalf of Catholic education. Before coming to Washington in 2006, he served for 18 years in Pittsburgh—his hometown—where he was known as “the teaching bishop.” He’s also the Chairman of the Board of the National Catholic Educational Association. It’s our great privilege to have him with us tonight.

Archbishop Wuerl….

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I trust that you all enjoyed your dinner. And I want to say, again, what a privilege it is for Georgetown to honor a man who has so embraced, and embodied, the very spirit of Catholic social teaching on the dignity of work…and workers.

As Catholics, we are the heirs of a long tradition of thought and teaching on the moral dimensions of economic activity and economic relations. Our faith has always been measured—and tested—by how we treat the neediest, the most vulnerable, the most wounded in our midst. This is not a new concern for us. It’s as ancient as the Old Testament prophets…as forceful as the letters of St. Paul…and as timeless as the Gospels.

But while the Gospel message does not change—the lens through which we interpret it does shift according to the challenges and circumstances of any given time. Not surprising, the definition and description of what the Old Testament calls the “anaweem”—“the little people of the land”—or the marginalized, the exploited, the voiceless and the powerless…all those that Jesus would champion…is also not static.

It was in response to changing times…and changing “anaweem,” that in 1891 Pope Leo XIII wrote Rerum Novarum—often considered the cornerstone of Catholic social teaching on the proper relations of employers and employees.

It was the height of the Gilded Age—when the polarization of wealth was greater than at any other time in human history…

…When workers—seen as little more than factors of production to be used, abused, and discarded—toiled in the most deplorable of conditions…

…And when English philosopher Herbert Spencer would propose the idea of social Darwinism and coin the term, “survival of the fittest.”

Addressing these conditions and circumstances, Leo would write in his landmark document that, “by degrees it has come to pass that working men have been surrendered, isolated and helpless, to the hardheartedness of employers and the greed of unchecked competition.”

The encyclical went on to firmly support the right of workers to form unions or other associations to secure fair wages and working conditions. It championed collective bargaining. And it asserted that the State has a duty to intervene on behalf of justice, and for individual and social well-being.

Throughout the 20th century, the church continually affirmed and reaffirmed these positions. But while the message always remained the same, it was the articulation that changed in reaction to changing times and anaweem…to the shifting of the lens.

Pope John Paul II, in Centesimus Annus—issued on the 100th anniversary of Rerum Novarum— best conveys how the Church responded to changing times with an unchanging tradition. He notes:

“At the beginning of industrialized society, [work] was often ‘a yoke little better than that of slavery itself,’ which led my Predecessor [Leo XIII] to speak out in defense of man. Over the past hundred years, the Church has remained faithful to this duty. Indeed, she intervened in the turbulent period of class struggle after the First World War in order to defend man from economic exploitation…After the Second World War, she put the dignity of the person at the center of her social messages, insisting that material goods were meant for all, and that the social order ought to be…based on a spirit of cooperation and solidarity.”

Given this tradition of teaching and faith, it’s not surprising that John Sweeney credits much of our nation’s social legislation to the collaboration between the Catholic Church and the unions. In a 2006 article in the Jesuit magazine, America, he would state that:

“Together we created and enlarged public education, ended child labor, won the 40-hour week, established the minimum wage, as well as health and safety standards in our workplaces….Through our union, we extended Catholic social teachings into the political fiber of our country…”

But the importance of Catholic social teaching on economic activity is not, of course, a thing of the past. It’s especially imperative, now, as the lens, and the anaweem, have once again changed.

We all know that the forces of globalization have led to opportunities and possibilities that were unthinkable even a generation ago. But they have also produced staggering differences in wealth and well being. Over three billion people live on two U.S. dollars a day—and that number increased by 90 million this year alone, thanks to the world financial crisis. Entire communities are being economically exploited, neglected, and marginalized—as workers are viewed only as economic units…as instruments of profit…as resources for production.

In this “brave new world,” it’s not surprising that the church—once again—has responded to changing conditions and challenges—this time, those brought on by globalization.

In his latest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that “every economic decision has a moral consequence.” He urges unions to turn their attentions to workers in developing countries—where social rights are often violated. This is something John certainly understands, for as I mentioned at our Honorary Degree Ceremony, he has shepherded the expansion of AFL-CIO relationships internationally.

In his encyclical, the Pope also presents the case for global economic governance—since it’s unrealistic to expect international market forces to regulate themselves. And—in an important innovation in Catholic social thought—he argues that we must distinguish between a “capitalist economy,” which is aimed at maximizing total wealth…

…and other types of “market economies”—such as a civil one—which are aimed at achieving the common good.

At their core, all of these ideas engage with the crucial contemporary debate about what economic reforms are needed to prevent another global financial crisis.

Directed at a new age—with new problems and possibilities—Caritas in Veritate continues the Church’s seamless thread on economic and social justice—not simply from Rerum Novarum, but from the Gospel’s themselves.
Rooted in the Gospels…in the life of Christ…in the example of individuals like Pope Gregory the Great, who took special care of the poor of Rome, the church’s economic teachings are based on ancient tradition.

Yet, they find modern expression in every age, addressing the challenges of the time…the conditions of society…and the needs of all of God’s children—including all the workers in the Lord’s vineyard. The articulation may certainly change—but the message remains ever the same.

John Sweeney has dedicated his life to ensuring that this teaching—this tradition—finds expression in the laws and legislation that protect the rights and dignity of America’s—and now the world’s—workers. In recognition of this, I’d like to ask John to join me at the podium.

John, you’ve been a global force for good…a global champion for the dignity of all who labor…and a global voice for those who stand on the margins of our international economy. For all that, Georgetown is proud to have you as our newest alumnus…to honor you this evening…and to present you with this crystal globe. For the difference, and the contribution you’ve made, thank you.

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Thank you John, and thank you all for joining us tonight. Your presence is recognition of the efforts of John Sweeney—and the Catholic Church—to advance, promote—and celebrate—the authentic dignity of every human person. Again, thank you for being with us, and good evening.