Build in justice inspired by God 

Pastoral Letter from the Episcopal Conference of Guatemala 
by: Episcopal Conference of Guatemala | Source: cem.org.mx 

Pastoral Letter from the Episcopal Conference of Guatemala 
“BUILDING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, INSPIRED BY GOD”

THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Addressed to the priests, 
to the religious and consecrated, 
to the laity, 
to the men and women of goodwill in Guatemala. 
YEAR 2011 

INDEX
INTRODUCTION
I.        Aspects of the Reality that Most Concern and Our Pastoral Response.. 6 
I. 1.    Introduction:.. 6 
I. 1.1. Our mission as bishops:. 6 
I. 1.2. The place of faith in the life and thought of the Guatemalans:.. 6 
I. 1.3. The social doctrine of the Church:... 8 

I. 2.   Our Reality and its Doctrinal Enlightenment from the Social Doctrine 
          of the Church: 8 
1.2.1. The family, the basis of society, but injured by the environment and reality that   
          surrounds it:. 9 
I. 2.2. Environmental deterioration: 12 
1.2.3. Population growth and disrespect to life: 13 
1.2.4. Generalization of crime and violence: 15 
1.2.5. Poverty and inequality:.. 16 
1.2.6. Weak and corrupt state: 17 
1.2.7. Poor educational system:.. 17 

II.      In the Face of the Social Deterioration of Our Country, Our Proposal is an  
         Integral Human Development.. 19 
II. 1. Human development: the great yearning of our people and pastoral concern of the 
        Church 19 
II. 2. Theological sense of human development 20 
II. 3. The person: foundation of the ethics of development 20 
II. 4. Four fundamental principles in the Social Doctrine of the Church 22 
II. 5. The rights and duties of persons 24 
II. 6. The family: the basis of society. 25 
II. 7. Function and purpose of the State. 26 

II. 8. Sense of political authority. 27 
II. 9. The economy as a factor of development and social responsibility 28 
II. 10. Human and ethical meaning of the market 30 
II. 11. The company as an agent of development and social responsibility. 31 
II. 12. Ecological responsibility as an essential element of development. 33 
II. 13. Globalization as a cultural and economic context.. 34 
II. 14. Education: the basis for equitable participation. 34 
III. Integral Human Development in the Near Future of our  Homeland.. 35