Arbiter of Justice

Here I will attempt to answer some questions that came up in one of the combox's from the "Questions for Members of Labor Unions on Abortion" post. I believe that an entire book could probably (and has already been I'm sure) be written on the subject.

Here are the questions: (Thanks Vero Possumus)
1. "What is "justice"? Who is the arbiter of what constitutes "justice".
2. "In human affairs, who is the arbiter of what constitutes justice?"

First some definitions- (mine unless noted otherwise)
Justice- when you get what you deserve
Arbiter- One who has the power to judge or decide (American Heritage®: 4th Ed.)

Q1. Who is the arbiter of what constitutes justice?

I will rephrase the questions to better explain in what manner I understand what is being asked. Who established/decided what is right and wrong, and who decides/interprets what is fair and equitable in human affairs? To a certain degree that query begs the question, ("is there an absolute right and wrong?"), to which my answer is a resounding yes. To keep from getting sidetracked though, I will just leave that assumptive truth as the fact upon which to base the answers to the two aforementioned questions.

The existence of an absolute right and wrong, as opposed to relativism, necessarily leads one to the admission of an absolute Deity. If all truth is relative then there would exist more than one truth. In either or propositions there is no room for a “both and”. Moral relativists can and do argue otherwise, but then they are defeated by their own argument. If they’re right, then I’m also right. Or at least they can’t tell me I’m wrong. If they tell me I’m wrong, then they lose their argument.

So an absolute Deity exists. In this belief I would describe myself as Thomistic. Without getting too in depth as to what that means, suffice it to say that I am Trinitarian. I believe that the second person of the Triune God became incarnate of Mary who remained ever virgin, just as Martin Luther taught and believed. The second person of the Trinity is Jesus who is Christ. As a follower of Christ and as a believer in His “Good News”, I am a Christian.

So the answer to question 1 is: God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The real difficulty isn’t so much found in question #1 however; it’s found in question #2. Because it’s one thing to know that there is a correct answer available. It’s another thing entirely to know who, amongst the voices clamoring for attention, knows the answer. Bottom line, it’s a question of authority. There are two distinct parts to the answer. Distinct yet united in that they are both disposed toward an orderly society.

Q2. In human affairs, who is the arbiter of what constitutes justice?
First the rephrase of the question: Who decides/interprets what is fair and equitable in human affairs?

Answer part 1- The prudential civil authority decides this. But depending on what that authority understands and administers as true justice, what they decide as being fair and equitable may or may not be just.

Let’s use the United States as an example: We have the Constitution as the highest authority of justice in our society. It is here in the Constitution where what is fair and equitable is defined. But that isn’t enough. If everybody was empowered to private interpretation of the Constitution there would be chaos. The Founding Fathers, in their wisdom, recognized this. So, built in to the Constitution was the mechanism for giving life to the document. Thus two branches of government protect and build upon these laws. A third branch judges the protective actions and tertiary laws enacted by the other two branches against the written word of the Constitution and the tradition of how it has been followed.

Answer part2- Since what a civil authority decides on as being fair and equitable may be inconsistent with what God has actually decided is fair and equitable we must look further into the question.

God had established what is right and wrong. Throughout time God has revealed His truth to us in both oral (tradition) and written form. God has also embedded the truth on our hearts. There are things, without being revealed through oral or written means, that every person can know, (e.g. taking another person's property against their will is wrong). God, also in his wisdom, recognized that every individual can’t be empowered to authoritatively determine what divine truth is. Especially when that determination of right and wrong binds other people.

Throughout history, God has given certain individuals/groups the power to govern his people and authoritatively interpret matters of faith and morals (Justice). In the fullness of time God revealed Himself to man in the person of Christ Jesus. Now Jesus shook things up pretty good.
1- He gathered about him twelve followers and gave them authority over people. (Matt 18:18)
2- Of the twelve followers, Simon Bar Jonah was given special authority and had his name changed by Jesus to reflect this (Cephas). (Matt 16:19)
3- These twelve had successors who wield their authority in perpetuity.
4- For the last 2,000 or so years this line of succession has continued.
5- Some have attempted to appropriate this authority through leaving the community and the obligation for obedience to its proper authority.

In the end, there is only one actual authority on Earth for interpreting equity and justice according to God’s revelation and investment of responsibility. All other interpretations are true only in as much as they measure up to what God has established in the Catholic Church.

So the short answer would be: The Magisterium of the Catholic Church headed by the Pope.