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Read the Catechism in a Year

Day 242 - Injustice and Solidarity

Why is there nevertheless injustice among men?
All men have the same dignity, but not all of them meet with the same living conditions. In cases where injustice is man-made, it contradicts the Gospel. In cases where men have been endowed by God with different gifts and talents, God is asking us to rely on one another: in charity one should make up for what the other lacks.
There is a kind of inequality among men that does not come from God but rather originates in societal conditions, especially in the unjust distribution of raw materials, land, and capital worldwide. God expects us to remove from the world everything that is plainly contrary to the Gospel and disregards human dignity. Yet there is another sort of inequality among men that is quite in keeping with God’s will: inequality in talents, initial conditions, and opportunities. These are an indication that being human means being there for others in charity so as to share and to promote life. 
How is the solidarity of Christians with other people expressed?
Christians are committed to just societal structures. Part of this is universal access to the material, intellectual, and spiritual goods of this world. Christians also make sure that the dignity of human work is respected, which includes a just wage. Handing on the faith is also an act of solidarity with all mankind.
Solidarity is the practical hallmark of a Christian. Practicing solidarity is not just a command of reason. Jesus Christ, our Lord, identified completely with the poor and the lowly (Mt 25:40). To refuse solidarity with them would be to reject Christ. (YOUCAT questions 331-332)
Dig Deeper: Corresponding CCC section (1936-1947) and other references here.