Catholic Social Teaching
Catholic Social Teaching, or CST, offers the Church’s shared wisdom on how our faith takes flesh in the social, economic, and political realities of the world. Rooted in the inherent dignity of every person, CST invites us to see human flourishing not in isolation but in relationship.
As Pope Francis reminds us in Laudato Si’, “everything is connected,” a conviction that lies at the heart of what he describes as integral human development. Rather than offering ready-made solutions, CST provides guiding principles that help us discern faithful responses to the complex challenges of our contemporary world – principles that, in Francis’s words, speak not only to Christians but also to “all people seeking paths of justice, peace, and solidarity.
1. Dignity of the Human Person
Every person has inherent dignity because they are created in the image and likeness of God. This foundation requires a focus on "Integral Human Development," which promotes the well-being of every person in every dimension of life.
2. Common Good
We must organize society—economically, politically, and legally—to prioritize the good of the entire human family over commercial interests. Human dignity can only be fully realized and protected through our relationships with society-at-large.
3. Solidarity
This is a commitment to the community and a recognition that we are all interconnected and "in this together". It involves fighting the structural causes of poverty and inequality to prioritize the life of all over the goods of a few.
4. Preferential Option for the Poor
A society is morally tested by how it treats its most vulnerable members. We are called to prioritize the needs of the poor over the desires of the rich and ensure workers' rights take priority over the maximization of profits.
5. Stewardship of Creation
The Earth is sacred and must be protected and cherished for its intrinsic value. We are responsible for holding the environment in trust for future generations, cultivating it with responsible freedom.
6. Subsidiarity & the Role of Government
Functions of government should be performed at the lowest level possible, provided they can be handled adequately. The state's primary task is to promote human dignity and protect the rights and duties of all citizens.
7. Participation
Because human beings are social, everyone has the right and the duty to participate in the community and in decisions that affect their lives. No one should be excluded from contributing to the cultural, economic, or political life of their society.
8. Rights & Responsibilities
Every person has a right to the things required for human dignity, which are innately linked to the responsibility to ensure those same rights for others. A just society requires that people recognize their mutual duties to establish a fair civic order.
9. Economic Justice:
The economy must serve the people rather than people serving the economy. All persons have a right to dignified work and fair wages, and consumers have a moral responsibility to use their purchasing power for social good.
10. Peace
Peace is more than just the absence of war; it is a positive "enterprise of justice" and the fruit of charity. It represents being in a right relationship with God and with one another.
“From the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace”