Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching is all about living the Gospel; it is about living the life that Jesus calls us to live as his followers. Our Lord taught us that the two greatest commandments are to love God with all our being, and to love our neighbor as ourself (Matthew 22:34-40). But what does it look like to love God and neighbor in the midst of modern society? This is the question that has given rise to Catholic Social Teaching.
Each century of human history has provided its own unique set of challenges and moral questions that people of faith have sought to answer in the light of Scripture and Tradition. Indeed, it is both from the Bible and Sacred Tradition – this single Deposit of Faith – that forms the foundation for Catholic Social Teaching. As it is written on the USCCB website:
           
Catholic social teaching is a central and essential element of our faith. Its roots are in the Hebrew prophets who announced God's special love for the poor and called God's people to a covenant of love and justice. It is a teaching founded on the life and words of Jesus Christ, who came "to bring glad tidings to the poor . . . liberty to captives . . . recovery of sight to the blind"(Lk 4:18-19), and who identified himself with "the least of these," the hungry and the stranger (cf. Mt 25:45). Catholic social teaching is built on a commitment to the poor. This commitment arises from our experiences of Christ in the eucharist. 

A watershed moment in Catholic social thought came in 1891 when Pope Leo XIII issued an encyclical titled Rerum Novarum (“Of New Things”) to address the rapid advancement of technology during the Industrial Revolution which had created a dramatic shift in how the economy functioned and the relationship between capital and labor. Of fundamental importance to Leo XIII was defending the dignity of the human person. He did so by calling for just wages, a decent environment in which to work, adequate rest, and fair treatment of workers, among other things. Since Leo XIII, succeeding popes have built upon Rerum Novarum and addressed new concerns as they have arisen.

As one can imagine, from world wars to economic depressions, to totalitarian forms of government in various places in the world, to environmental concerns, to religious persecution, and more, Church leaders have needed to address these issues in the light of the Gospel to guide the flock entrusted to them on how to faithfully follow Jesus. However, Catholic social doctrine is not meant for Catholics only. Indeed, it is meant for all humanity, since what is proposed is not merely a set of doctrines to be assented to, but a way of life that leads to human flourishing. The need to learn and propose this teaching remains in our day, which has its own set of challenges. Pope Francis has issued two social encyclicals dealing with concerns of this time: Laudato Si (“On Care for Our Common Home”, 2015) and Fratelli Tutti (“On Fraternity and Social Friendship”, 2020), not to mention many addresses, exhortations and homilies dedicated to key themes of the Church’s social doctrine. It remains our task as followers of Jesus to attend to these teachings so that others may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

7 principles of Catholic Social Teaching:

1. Life and Dignity of the Human Person
2. Family, Community, and Participation
3. Rights and Responsibilities
4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
5. Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers
6. Solidarity
7. Care for Creation

If you are interested in learning more about Catholic Social Teaching, I recommend watching this series of introductory videos by the USCCB: https://youtu.be/G2G8jGOva7Y?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DD2S8DA5oXwyGCz6QS-BgMk