This document provides an overview of Catholic social teaching (CST). It discusses CST both broadly, as encompassing the Church's teachings on social life throughout its history, and more narrowly, as the modern body of literature from popes and bishops responding to current political, economic, and social issues. It outlines several key principles of CST, including the dignity of the human person, the common good, solidarity, and preferential option for the poor. It emphasizes that CST is rooted in Scripture and aims to guide how Catholics approach issues of justice, peace, and social organization.

1. Prepared by:
Sem. R-Jay T. Cunanan
La Salette Associates

3. There is a broad and a narrow understanding to
the expression Catholic social teaching. Viewed
one way, Catholic social
teaching (hereafter CST) encompasses all the ideas
and theories that have developed over the entire
history of the Church on matters of social life.
More commonly, as the term has come to be
understood, CST refers to a limited body of
literature written in the modern era that is a
response of papal and episcopal teachers to the
various political, economic and social issues of our
time. Even this more narrow understanding,
however, is not neatly defined.

5.  The dignity of the individual and the demands of
justice require, particularly today, that
economic choices do not cause disparities in
wealth to increase in an excessive and morally
unacceptable manner. Charity in Truth (Caritas
in Veritate. . . ), #32
 Human persons are willed by God; they are
imprinted with God's image. Their dignity does
not come from the work they do, but from the
persons they are. On the Hundredth Year
(Centesimus annus. . . ), #11

6. Catholic social teaching (CST) is deeply
rooted in the Catholic tradition. Pope
John Paul II wrote, “The Church’s social
teaching finds its source in Sacred
Scripture, beginning with the Book of
Genesis and especially in the Gospel
and the writings of the Apostles.
From the beginning, it was part of the
Church’s teaching… [It was] developed
by the teaching of the Popes on the
modern “social question,” beginning
with the Encyclical Rerum Novarum.”

7. Catholic social teaching is
social. Pope Benedict XVI wrote,
“No man is an island, entire of
itself. Our lives are involved
with one another, through
innumerable interactions they
are linked together. No one lives
alone. No one sins alone. No one
is saved alone.
The lives of others continually
spill over into mine: in what I
think, say, do and achieve. And
conversely, my life spills over
into that of others: for better
and for worse.”

8. Catholic social teaching isn’t only about dropping your
spare change into a bucket at Christmas. Jesus calls us
to a radically different kind of discipleship—a life that is
daily marked by care and concern for the poor and for
one another.
In his gospel, the evangelist Mark tells this story.
[Jesus] sat down opposite the treasury and observed
how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also
came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I
say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other
contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood.”

9. Charitable works and social justice have been called the
two feet of Catholic social teaching. Charitable works
meets the immediate needs of persons and families. It
treats the symptoms of social problems. Charitable
works calls forth a generous response from individuals
and responds to particular situations.
Social justice changes social structures that attack
human dignity, oppress people, and contribute to
poverty. It focuses on the rights of people, addresses
underlying social causes, and works for long term social
change. Pope Benedict XVI expresses it in this way, “The
church cannot neglect the service of charity anymore
than she can neglect the sacraments and the word.
Charity must animate the entire lives of the lay faithful
and therefore also their political activity, lived as
‘social charity.’”

12. The infographics above shows the different
dimensions of life we can apply our Catholic
Social Teaching to. The principles of our
Catholic Social Teaching are as follows:
1. Principle of the Dignity of the Human Person
– Every human person is of infinite dignity. All
of society must be directed towards the well-
being of the human person.

13. 2. Principle of Association – Human persons are
meant to be in community and have a right to
freely associate with one another to achieve the
common good.
3. Principle of Subsidiarity – No higher-level
body should take over what a lower-level body
can do for itself, so that people can develop and
flourish.
4. Principle of Participation – All human persons
have right and duty to take action in what
determines their well-being and future.
5. Principle of the Common Good – We must seek
the good of the broader community – that is,
each person, every person and the whole person
– and not just our own interests.

14.  6. Principle of the Universal Destination of Goods – God
intended for all the world’s resources to be enjoyed by
everyone, and not just a few people. We should have a
preferential option for the poor and see to it that the
most vulnerable have what they need.
 7. Principle of Solidarity– Every human person is deeply
connected to every other person. We are called to
stand together as one human family.
 8. Principle of the Dignity of Human Work – The human
person’s intrinsic dignity means that human work is
holy as well. Moreover, everyone should have working
conditions worthy of the children of God.
 9. Principle of the Dignity of Creation – Creation is holy
because this is the place where we relate to God. We
are the earth’s stewards, helping to bring the world
towards salvation.
 10. Principle of the Promotion of Peace – We have a
duty to seek true and lasting peace, which implies right
relationships all round – with God, self, others and all
creation.

16.  Every human being is
created in the image and
likeness of God and
therefore has inherent
dignity. No human being
should have their dignity or
freedom compromised.
 The dignity of every person,
independent of ethnicity,
creed, gender, sexuality,
age or ability, is the
foundation of CST.

17.  Every person should have
sufficient access to the goods
and resources of society so that
they can completely and easily
live fulfilling lives. The rights of
the individual to personal
possessions and community
resources must be balanced with
the needs of the disadvantaged
and dispossessed. The common
good is reached when we work
together to improve the
wellbeing of people in our
society and the wider world.

18.  All people have the
right to participate in
decisions that affect
their lives. Subsidiarity
requires that decisions
are made by the
people closest and
most affected by the
issues and concerns of
the community.

19.  Everyone belongs to one human
family, regardless of their national,
religious, ethnic, economic, political
and ideological differences. Everyone
has an obligation to promote the
rights and development of all
peoples across communities, nations,
and the world, irrespective of
national boundaries.
 We are called by the principle of
solidarity to take the parable of the
Good Samaritan to heart (Luke
10:29-37), and to express this
understanding in how we live and
interact with others.

20.  Caring for the poor is
everyone’s responsibility.
Preferential care should be
shown to poor and vulnerable
people, whose needs and rights
are given special attention in
God’s eyes.
 Jesus taught that God asks
each of us what we are doing
to help the poor and needy:
“Amen, I say to you, whatever
you did for one of these least
brothers of mine, you did for
me” (Matthew 25:40).

21.  Economic life is not
meant solely for
profit, but rather in
service of the entire
human community.
Everyone capable
should be involved in
economic activity
and should be able to
draw from work, the
means for providing
for themselves and
their family.

22.  We must all respect, care
for and share the
resources of the earth,
which are vital for the
common good of people.
Care for animals and the
environment is a common
and universal duty, and
ecological problems call
for a change of mentality
and the adoption of new
lifestyles.

23.  All Peace requires
respect for and the
development of human
life, which in turn
involves the
safeguarding of the
goods, dignity and
freedom of people.
Peace is the fruit of
justice and is
dependent upon right
order among human
beings.

24.  The Church's social doctrine is an integral
part of her evangelizing ministry. Nothing
that concerns the community of men and
women — situations and problems regarding
justice, freedom, development, relations
between peoples, peace — is foreign to
evangelization, and evangelization would be
incomplete if it did not take into account the
mutual demands continually made by the
Gospel and by the concrete, personal and
social life of man[85].