Catholic Social Teaching states that for everyone to be included and no one to be left behind, there needs to be a preferential option for the poor, vulnerable and marginalised.
Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.
Matthew 25:40
Catholic Social Teaching states that for everyone to be included and no one to be left behind, there needs to be a preferential option for the poor, vulnerable and marginalised.
This principle has to be central to our decision-making and social action. It recognises that if the strong are separated from the weak, the strong also become impoverished. To be fully human means to live together with equal dignity alongside the rest of God’s creation.
Dignity
Human life is sacred and the dignity of every human being is the foundation of a moral vision for society. We believe that every person is precious and that people are more important than things. We measure dignity by what enhances or threatens life, including war.
Call to Family, Community, and Participation
The person is not only sacred but is a social being in relationship with other people. How we organise our societies in economics, politics, law and policy directly affects our capacity to build community. Marriage, family life and relationships are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened. All people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking the common good and well-being of all.
Rights and Responsibilities
The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can only exist if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to flourish as a whole being. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities to one another, to our families, and to wider society.
Preferential Option for the Poor
How we treat our most vulnerable people defines our values and principles. In a world where there are increasing divisions between rich and poor, our faith instructs us to put the needs of poor and vulnerable first for the sake of the common good.
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected: the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to a safe working environment, to the organisation and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.
Solidarity
We are one human family regardless of our national, racial, ethnic, economic and ideological differences. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they live in the world. Loving our neighbour has local, national and global implications. At the core of solidarity is the pursuit of universal justice and peace.
Care for God’s Creation
We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth and all its in habitants is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect both people and planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This global challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.
For a more detailed exploration of Catholic social teaching go to:
An Introduction to Catholic Social Thought by Michael P. Hornsby-Smith, CUP, 2006.
DOCAT | Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church – DoCat
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church – Vatican
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How you can put your Catholic faith into action through acts of service like volunteering.
