Catholic Social Teaching
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"An authentic faith – which is never comfortable or completely personal – always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better that we found it. We love this magnificent planet on which God has put us, and we love the human family which dwells here, with all its tragedies and struggles, its hopes and aspirations, its strengths and weaknesses. The earth is our common home and all of us are brothers and sisters. If indeed “the just ordering of society and of the state is a central responsibility of politics”, the Church “cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice”. [Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est (God is Love)]"
—Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), no. 183
Key Themes of Catholic Social Teaching
Solidarity | Life & Dignity of the Human Person | Rights & Responsibilities
Call to Family, Community & Participation | Peace & Non-violence | SubsidiarityThe Dignity of Work & the Rights of Workers | Option for the Poor and Vulnerable | Care for God's Creation
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Solidarity
Solidarity is one of the key pillars of the Church's social doctrine, defined as "a commitment to the good of one's neighbor with the readiness, in the Gospel sense, to 'lose oneself' for the sake of the other instead of exploiting him, and to 'serve him' instead of oppressing him for one's own advantage (cf. Mt 10:40-42, 20:25; Mk 10:42-45; Lk 22:25-27)" (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 193).
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"Solidarity. . . is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all.”
—Pope John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (On Social Concern), no. 38
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Our commitment to solidarity speaks loudly in today's world for the need to provide justice for Dreamers. The USCCB has long been vocal in its support of the DACA program, advocating for a permanent, legislative solution that provides Dreamers a path to citizenship.
Dreamers are productive members of our economy, contributing over $40 billion annually, and are valuable members of our communities. And, nearly 27,000 Dreamers are health care professionals working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The USCCB’s Justice for Immigrants coalition is petitioning the Senate to pass the bipartisan DREAM Act (S. 874) or a bill similar to the American Dream & Promise Act (H.R. 6), which the House passed last year. You can help by raising your voice in solidarity! -
". . .[T]o DACA youth, through today's decision and beyond, we will continue to accompany you and your families. You are a vital part of our Church and our community of faith. We are with you. . . [W]e urge the President to strongly reconsider terminating DACA. . . [and] strongly encourage our U.S. Senators to immediately pass legislation that provides a path to citizenship for Dreamers. Permanent legislative protection that overcomes partisanship and puts the human dignity and future of Dreamers first is long overdue."
—Statement from USCCB on the Supreme Court's decision to uphold DACA on June 18, 2020
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Life and Dignity of the Human Person
“Whatever insults human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children. . .disgraceful working conditions. . .all these things and others of their like are infamies indeed.”
—Second Vatican Council and Pope Paul VI, Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope)
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Peace and Non-violence
"Violence is overcome day by day, choice by choice, person by person. All of us must make a contribution."
—USCCB, "Confronting a Culture of Violence: A Catholic Framework for Action"
"If you want peace, work for justice."
—Pope Pius VI, 1972 message for the Celebration of the Day of Peace
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Rights & Responsibilities
“In human society one man’s natural right gives rise to a corresponding duty in other men; the duty, that is, of recognizing and respecting that right. Every basic human right draws its authoritative force from the natural law, which confers it and attaches to it its respective duty. Hence, to claim one’s rights and ignore one’s duties, or only half fulfill them, is like building a house with one hand and tearing it down with the other.”
—Pope St. John XXIII, Peace on Earth (Pacem in Terris), no. 30
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The Call to Family, Community & Participation
A key role of the family “is to form persons in love and also to practice love in all its relationships, so that it does not live closed in on itself, but remains open to the community, moved by a sense of justice and concern for others, as well as by a consciousness of its responsibility towards the whole of society.”
—St. John Paul II, The Family in the Modern World (Familiaris Consortio), no. 64
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Subsidiarity
The principle of subsidiarity can be summarized by the following: “A higher level of government or organization should not perform any function or duty that can be handled more effectively at a lower level by people who are closer to the problem and have a better understanding of the issue” (Catholic Relief Services, “Guiding Principles”).
In his 2017 address to the Conference on Human
Development, Pope Francis reminded us that each and every individual has a right and a duty to serve society as a whole. No one can be excluded, and “all peoples should be able to become the principal architects of their own economic and social development” (World Synod of
Catholic Bishops, Justicia in Mundo (Justice in the World), no. 71).
To that end, the state has an obligation to intervene by promoting human dignity, protecting human rights, and developing the common good when it is beyond the control of the individual or private groups (Pope John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, no. 48).
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The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is a great example of the principle of subsidiarity. Check out the video above to see how!
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The Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers
”The economy exists for the person, not the person for the economy, All economic life should be shaped by moral principles.”
—USCCB, “A Catholic Framework for Economic Life”
Catholics are called to work for greater economic justice in the face of persistent poverty and social disparity, and ensure every person's right to decent work is respected.
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Poverty USA (an initiative of the CCHD & USCCB)
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To deprive an employee of wages is to commit murder.
Sirach 34: 26-27Economic life should recognize that we are all God’s children and members of one human family, called to exercise a clear priority for “the least among us.” Learn more at Poverty USA.
Socially responsible investing (SRI) allows investors to apply moral values by investing in companies that are socially responsible. Recent studies have shown ethical and sustainable funds to match or outperform traditional funds over the last ten years. Learn how you can create or switch to ethical investments.
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Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
“Those who are oppressed by poverty are the object of a preferential love on the part of the Church which, since her origin and in spite of the failings of many of her
members, has not ceased to work for their relief, defense, and liberation.”—Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 2444, 2448
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The special commitment our Faith has to the poor is not meant to pit one group or class above another but to make clear that the “deprivation and powerlessness of the poor wounds the whole community,” and those wounds can only be healed “by greater solidarity with the poor and among the poor themselves” (USCCB, Economic Justice for All, no. 88).
"The needs of the poor must take priority over the desires of the rich; the rights of workers over the maximization of profits; the preservation of the environment over uncontrolled industrial expansion; production to meet social needs over production for military purposes."—Pope John Paul II, "Address to the members of different churches and Christian communions," Apostolic visit to Canada, 1984
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God of Justice:
Open our eyes
to see you in the face of the poor.
Open our ears
to hear you in the cries of the exploited.
Open our mouths
to defend you in the public squares
as well as in private deeds.
Remind us that what we do
to the least ones,
we do to you.
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Care for Creation
“The Church has a responsibility towards creation and she must assert this responsibility in the public sphere. In so doing, she must defend not only earth, water and air as gifts of creation that belong to everyone. She must. . . protect mankind from self-destruction."
—Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), no. 51
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"We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored."
—USCCB, "Care for Creation"
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