Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic social teaching is an important part of our faith and is rooted in the Gospel. The following are the seven key themes of Catholic social teaching. For a more indepth understanding of Catholic social teaching, go to the USCCB's website.

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. The value of human life is being threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty. The intentional targeting of civilians in war or terrorist attacks is always wrong. 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."

~From "Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching" USCCB's website

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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."

~From "Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching," USCCB's website

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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."

~From "Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching" USCCB's website

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Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

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."

~From "Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching" USCCB's website

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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." 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."

~From "Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching" USCCB's website

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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."

~From "Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching" USCCB's website

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"Catholic social teaching is a central and essential element of our faith."

~Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions (USCCB, 1998)

Contact

If you have any questions about Catholic social teaching in the Archdiocese of Seattle, contact Terri Nelson, Director of Integral Human Development, terri.nelson@seattlearch.org.