Often the church is thought to deal only with the spiritual aspect of life, specifically concerning itself with its members’ personal relationship with God, and administering the sacraments. When the church does make news headlines, they are often negative, relating to sex scandals or abortion. Where Catholic Social Teaching is well-known, it is sometimes criticized as the Catholic Church trying too hard to insert itself in public policy, or to meddle in affairs of state.
Catholics attend Mass on Sundays, go to confession, and believe that their spiritual life is fulfilled. In truth, caring for the poor—beyond simply sending a check to a relief agency when guilt sets in—is an integral part of relationship with God.
Catholic Social Teaching: 10 Principles
In truth, the ten principles that comprise CST stem directly from Scripture. The Bible states over and over that those who follow Christ are meant to involve themselves deeply in the redemption of the world, and this is to be done through relationship with and redemption of the poor. The body of teaching does not involve endorsing specific political parties or political issues. Rather, it is a system of thought regarding how one can live out one's faith.
The ten principles are, in brief: human dignity, community and the common good, rights and responsibilities, option for the poor and vulnerable, participation, dignity of work and rights of workers, stewardship of creation, solidarity, role of government, and promotion of peace.
Putting Social Justice into Practice
These principles point to a much wider and deeper swath of social issues than abortion, which often seems to be the only issue around which the Church rallies. In reality, the Catholic Church is working for social justice nationally and worldwide according to the system of Catholic Social Teaching.
The Church is implementing the principle of community and the common good by working through Catholic Relief Services to change women’s lives through microlending in India. It is implementing the stewardship of creation and solidarity by working through Catholic Charities to protect small family farms in Iowa.
Individuals Working for Justice
Catholics and Christians seeking to incorporate these principles into their lives are called to think deeply, critically and creatively about their actions in nearly every aspect of life, from what type of coffee they buy to what political policies they support to how they can create solidarity with people suffering around the world. To accomplish this, many find it helpful to join an intentional community.
JustFaith, a curriculum sponsored by Catholic Charities, is one such opportunity. Groups meet weekly to discuss books, pray, and find ways to reach out to their communities. Other churches sponsor prayer groups, Lenten communities, or discussion forums as ways to implement the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.
Churches all over America and all over the world are taking Catholic Social Teaching to heart and putting into practice in their own communities and in the global community.
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