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Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and
Directions
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Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and
Directions
Reflections of the U.S. Catholic Bishops
“Far too many Catholics are not familiar with the
basic content of Catholic social teaching. More
fundamentally, many Catholics do not adequately
understand that the social teaching of the Church is
an essential part of Catholic faith.
This poses a serious challenge for all Catholics,
since it weakens our capacity to be a Church that is
true to the demands of the Gospel. We need to do
more to share the social mission and message of our
Church.”
Life and Dignity of the Human Person
The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is
sacred and that the dignity of the human person is
the foundation of a moral vision for society. This
belief is the foundation of all the principles of
our social teaching. In our society, human life is
under direct attack from abortion and euthanasia.
Cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use
of the death penalty are threatening the value of
human life. Catholic teaching also calls on us to
work to avoid war. Nations must protect the right to
life by finding increasingly effective ways to
prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful
means. We believe that every person is precious,
that people are more important than things, and that
the measure of every institution is whether it
threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the
human person.
Call to Family, Community, and Participation
The person is not only sacred but also social.
How we organize our society in economics and
politics, in law and policy directly affects human
dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in
community. Marriage and the family are the central
social institutions that must be supported and
strengthened, not undermined. We believe people have
a right and a duty to participate in society,
seeking together the common good and well-being of
all, especially the poor and vulnerable.
Rights and Responsibilities
The Catholic tradition teaches that human
dignity can be protected and a healthy community can
be achieved only if human rights are protected and
responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person
has a fundamental right to life and a right to those
things required for human decency. Corresponding to
these rights are duties and responsibilities--to one
another, to our families, and to the larger society.
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable
members are faring. In a society marred by deepening
divisions between rich and poor, our tradition
recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46)
and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and
vulnerable first.
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 the organization and joining of
unions, to private property, and to economic
initiative.
Solidarity
We are one human family whatever our national,
racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological
differences. We are our brothers’ and sisters’
keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor
has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the
core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of
justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that “if you
want peace, work for justice.”1 The Gospel calls us
to be peacemakers. Our love for all our sisters and
brothers demands that we promote peace in a world
surrounded by violence and conflict.
Care for God’s Creation
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.
Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and
Directions (Washington, DC: USCCB, 1998) and
Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political
Responsibility (Washington, DC: USCCB, 2003).
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