Washington D.C., Sep 3, 2009 / 23:01 pm
Writing in their Labor Day Statement, the U.S. bishops have highlighted the dignity of work and “the contributions and rights” of the American worker, the importance of health care reform, and recent collaboration between the Catholic Church, unions, and health care workers.
The statement, dated September 7, was written by Bishop of Rockville Centre William F. Murphy, Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The statement, titled “The Value of Work; the Dignity of the Human Person,” also discussed portions of Pope Benedict XVI’s latest encyclical.
Bishop Murphy observed that despite today's economic challenges, the American people remain “fundamentally” optimistic.
“We have an abiding faith in the values that have shaped our nation and an ongoing commitment to work together to address the problems and build on the strengths of who we are,” his statement read, describing this attitude as a mirror of the Christian virtue of hope.