ABSTRACT

This paper was the first-ever lecture given in the Joel E. Tabora, S.J. auditorium of the St. Alphonsus Theological and Mission Institute on the occasion of its inauguration and blessing. It analyzes solidarity and care as lived experiences within the Philippines’ pandemic context and as ethical concepts conceived through philosophical and theological perspectives. The discussion proceeds with an empirical study of concrete practices of solidarity and care. It then interfaces praxis and theory by conceptually analyzing both terms from the viewpoints of feminist relational ethics and Catholic social teaching. In conclusion, this article proposes a theological (Christological) ethics of solidarity and care that entrenches human dignity and the common good not only during times of crisis but in every human experience of heightened vulnerability and social evil.