Now, let’s expand the idea still farther. How about a good article from a Catholic perspective about the dignity of the work of the entrepreneur? How about the dignity of the investor? Both these kinds of “workers” provide a critical contribution to the common good in the economic arena. Without their “work”, virtually no jobs would be created. Advances in economic well-being would not happen. People’s wants and needs would not be met, or at least not nearly so well.

Probably the reason we hear little about the good these contributors do is that so few of us understand the processes of creating a business and gathering the capital which will make it run. We can easily envision the contribution of the one who works with his hands, and to some extent that of the “white-collar” workers. But few understand what it takes to take huge risks, to dream about an enterprise which does not yet exist, and to know how to bring the dream to fruition.

You can find information, presented from a Catholic perspective, on the value of these “workers” at the Acton Institute. But I would like to see these ideas more broadly known. If it were, Catholic witnessing in favor of economic justice and poverty reduction would be more realistic, thus more efficacious. In particular, it would be nice if the USCCB would take notice.