Joshua Bennett
Catholic social teaching is a rich tradition that offers a moral framework for decisions in public life. It emphasizes the dignity and sacredness of human life, highlighting that people are more important than things. This belief is the foundation of Catholic social justice principles, which promote justice and peace, and oppose war, torture, racism, and the death penalty. These principles guide Catholics in evaluating political candidates and policies, prioritizing the common good, and respecting the environment. They also uphold the right to life and religious freedom, and support private ownership and social justice through broad ownership distribution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Human life is sacred | Human dignity, social and economic equality, justice, peace |
| Dignity of the human person | Common good, well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable |
| Solidarity | Justice, peace, protection of people and the planet |
| Right to life | Opposition to abortion, euthanasia, cloning, death penalty, racism, poverty |
| Right to private ownership | Private ownership, inheritable property |
| Right to religious freedom | Religious freedom, freedom of conscience |
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What You'll Learn
Human life and dignity
Human life is sacred in Catholic social teaching, and the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of Catholic social teaching. Human dignity is a principle of Catholic social thought. According to the church's catechism, "Being in the image of God, the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession, and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons."
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that " [e]xcessive economic and social disparity between individuals and peoples [...] is a source of scandal and militates against social justice, equity, human dignity, as well as social and international peace." It is the duty of individuals, families, businesses, community organizations, and governments to build a world of respect for human life and dignity.
Catholic social teaching opposes collectivist approaches such as communism, unrestricted laissez-faire policies, and the notion that a free market automatically produces social justice. The state has a positive moral role to play, as no society will achieve a just and equitable distribution of resources with a totally free market. All people have a right to participate in the economic, political, and cultural life of society, and under the principle of subsidiarity, state functions should be carried out at the lowest practical level.
Human life is under direct attack from abortion, euthanasia, cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty. Catholic teaching calls on its followers to work to avoid war and protect the right to life by finding increasingly effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. Nations are called to protect the right to life by seeking effective ways to combat evil and terror without resorting to armed conflicts except as a last resort.
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Solidarity and subsidiarity
Solidarity
Solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that "if you want peace, work for justice". The Gospel calls Catholics to be peacemakers, to promote peace, and to address the violence and conflict in the world. Solidarity demands that we love our neighbours and respect God's creation. This means protecting people and the planet. It also includes welcoming strangers, including immigrants, and addressing issues of extreme poverty, disease, and racism.
Subsidiarity
Subsidiarity is a principle of social philosophy that states that larger institutions should not overwhelm or interfere with smaller or local institutions. However, larger institutions have essential responsibilities when local institutions cannot adequately protect human dignity, meet human needs, and advance the common good. This principle is closely linked to solidarity, as the pursuit of justice and a just social order is guaranteed by ensuring that each person receives their share of the community's goods.
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Common good
Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is a branch of moral theology that addresses contemporary issues within the political, economic, and cultural structures of society. CST is rooted in Scripture, formed by the wisdom of Church leaders, and influenced by grassroots movements. It is a moral compass that guides Catholics on how to live out their faith in the world.
The Common Good is one of the seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching. According to CST, the common good is about seeking the good of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. It is about creating social conditions that allow individuals to love God and their neighbors. This involves respecting human rights, such as religious liberty, decent work, housing, healthcare, freedom of speech, education, and the right to raise and provide for a family.
The Common Good is also about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to fulfill themselves and contribute to society. This includes the right to work, just wages, time with family, and rest. Work is seen as essential to human dignity and a means to achieve fulfillment.
The principle of subsidiarity is closely related to the common good. It states that higher communities or authorities should support and coordinate with lower communities, rather than interfering in their internal affairs. This ensures that decisions are made at the most appropriate level and promotes freedom and responsibility for individuals and communities.
The pursuit of the common good requires reflection on the political, economic, and social structures in society. It involves evaluating how these structures promote or undermine human well-being and justice. CST emphasizes that the state should pursue justice and guarantee each person's share of the community's goods.
In summary, the common good in Catholic Social Teaching is about creating social conditions that allow individuals to love God and their neighbors, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to fulfill themselves and contribute to society, and promoting justice and human well-being through appropriate political, economic, and social structures.
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Charity
The practice of charity is not limited to individual acts of kindness, but also includes working to transform unjust political, economic, and social structures. This is reflected in the work of Catholic social justice advocates, who fight for a minimum wage, racial equality, and the rights of workers to just wages and trade unions.
Catholic social teaching also emphasises the importance of charity at a global level, especially towards those living in poverty. This is reflected in the concept of "option for the earth", which recognises that the poor are the most vulnerable to environmental impacts and endure disproportionate hardship when natural areas are exploited or damaged.
Overall, charity is a fundamental principle of Catholic social teaching, guiding Catholics on how to live out their faith in the world and put their beliefs into action.
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Justice and peace
The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of Catholic social teaching. The Church's social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness in the face of the difficulties posed by contemporary society.
Catholic social teaching opposes collectivist approaches (such as communism), unrestricted laissez-faire policies, and the notion that a free market automatically produces social justice. The state has a positive moral role to play, since no society will achieve a just and equitable distribution of resources with a totally free market. All people have a right to participate in the economic, political, and cultural life of society. Every person has a fundamental right to life and to the necessities of life, and the right to exercise religious freedom publicly and privately.
Catholic teaching also calls on its followers to work to avoid war. Nations must protect the right to life by finding increasingly effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. Pope Paul VI taught that "if you want peace, work for justice". The Gospel calls Catholics to be peacemakers. Their love for all their sisters and brothers demands that they promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.
Pope Benedict writes that the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity have the potential to place men and women on the path to discovering their supernatural destiny. The pursuit of justice must be a fundamental norm of the State, and the aim of a just social order.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholic social teaching is rooted in the belief that human life is sacred and that human dignity is the foundation of a moral vision for society. It promotes the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable, and values the role of intermediary organisations such as community groups and labour unions.
The Catholic Church believes that social justice requires more than just political commitment. It involves individuals, families, businesses, community organisations and governments all working together to uphold human dignity and promote justice and peace.
Catholic social teaching holds that the state has a positive moral role to play in achieving a just and equitable society. It emphasises the importance of the principle of subsidiarity, which means that state functions should be carried out at the lowest practical level.
The Catholic Church considers abortion a direct attack on innocent human life and therefore opposes it. This belief is based on the principle that human life is sacred and has inherent dignity.
Catholic social teaching opposes collectivist approaches such as communism and unrestricted free-market policies. It argues that social and economic structures should promote social justice by ensuring a broad distribution of ownership and providing for the needs of the weak.
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