Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic social teaching begins with what God has revealed to us about himself. His very nature is communal and social: God the Father sends his only Son Jesus Christ and shares the Holy Spirit as his gift of love. We, who are made in God's image, share this communal, social nature and are called to reach out and to build relationships of love and justice. To guide us, the US bishops wrote Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, which outlines seven principles of social justice in Catholic teaching.
 

1. Dignity of the Human Person — We are called to ask whether our actions as a society respect or threaten the life and dignity of the human person.
2. Call to Family, Community, and Participation  — We are called to support the family—the principle social institution—so that people can participate in society, build a community spirit, and promote the wellbeing of all.
3. Rights and Responsibilities — We are called to protect the rights that all people have to those things required for a decent human life, such as food, clothing, and shelter.
4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable — We are called to pay special attention to the needs of those who are poor.
5. The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers. —  We are called to protect the basic rights of all workers: the right to engage in productive work, fair wages, private property, and the right to organize, join unions, and pursue economic opportunity.
6. Solidarity  —  We are called to recognize that, because God is our Father, we are all brothers and sisters, with the responsibility to care for one another.
7. Care for God’s Creation — We are called to care for all that God has made

Learn more from the UCSSB on each of the  Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching.