The Catholic social teachings, for a number of years, have become the fundamental deposit of our

practicality in living the Gospel truths and teachings adhering to our Catholic Faith. We revisit this
matter, the key themes which are fundamental teachings of our faith.

A. Call to family, community, and participation

At The dawn of the 21 st century, arising are the challenges that tested the dignity and value of the
Christian family and communities. Divisive issues have shattered principles that need to be addressed
whereas to protect their value in our Christian life. Pope Francis in his apostolic exhortation, Amoris
Laeticia echoes the call that the family, should be an agent of proclaiming the Gospel in which we bear
witnesses through carrying our works of mercy, having solidarity with the poor, promoting justice and
the common good. The challenge does not end with these acts, but also to protect the sanctity of
marriage that bonded a family firsthand.

As families were the building structure of a society, it is a moral obligation of a family to form each
member to become responsible citizens. Forming a strong community in the light of the gospel is to
instill a sense of responsibility, respecting diversity but also agents of justice, always in the context of
what is good and true, and in the principle of the common good.

B. Rights and Responsibilities

Connecting to the underlying principle of the Common good must consider the most basic rights which
is to respect the human person. Everyone is called to defend and promote the common good. To
achieve this, we are offered to consider a sense of responsibility towards our brethren, especially the
poor. At the height of the pandemic, we have seen such struggles that everybody faced. Now, we are
given the opportunity to show a sense of responsibility towards others, that through simple acts of
concern by protecting ourselves and others from sickness, or by simply helping by providing whatever
we can share. That simplicity shows how we demonstrate the right to life and a sense of responsibility.

As members of the state, we are bound to obey the law, which in line with faith, corresponds to the
principle of the common good. These laws must always draw to the natural law, and that corresponds to
the most basic of human rights. The state then shall also protect the dignity of all its citizens, most
especially, its weaker members.

C. The dignity of Work and Rights of workers.

This theme particularly teaches how we continually participate in the creation of God. Still, in the
context of modernism, Pope Francis then reminds us in his encyclical, Laudato Si that we were given the
ability to work when we were created. The replacement of human labor with technology should not be
the ultimate goal because this would be harmful to humanity. Work is a need, a component of the
purpose of existence on this planet, and a means of progress, advancement, and personal fulfillment.

At the dawn of the pandemic, many businesses and the workforce sectors were forced to shut down. By
slowly recovering from the damages, opted to transition into a lesser workforce and replace it with
technological advancements. True that it is cost-efficient, which means only fewer investments were
involved, but the income would be sustainably steady. This notion may be engaging, but with this, the
unemployment rate uproars, but their wages remain flat. In another encyclical, Evangelii Gaudium, Pope
Francis recalls growth in justice necessitates more than economic growth, even though it depends on it.
It calls for policies, plans, and procedures that are specifically designed to improve income distribution,
create employment opportunities, and advance the interests of the poor in a way that goes beyond
traditional welfare policies.

D. Care for God’s Creation

Ever since the world began, God made man, a steward of His creation. He entrusts to us, humans the
care of our home, where we drew our resources. This entails the responsibility to which we should fight
for our common home. Echoing again from the encyclical, Evangelii Gaudium, We humans are not just
the beneficiaries of other creatures, but also their stewards. God has bonded us to the environment so
deeply through the creation of our bodies that we can experience the loss of a creature as a painful scar
and the dryness of the soil practically as a bodily illness. Let's avoid leaving a trail of death and
destruction that will have an impact on both our lives and the lives of future generations.

This draws us back to the principle of the common good to which we know that everything in this world
is connected. It is a domino effect in which our actions affect not only those around us but so is the
future lying ahead. By means of these actions, we must consider the heart of our faith- the poor. When
we disregard our responsibilities, we also disregard those who are dependent on the resources
destructed. The effect will also circle back to us. Particularly, we experience climate change due to
extensive abuse of us humans to the environment. Who suffers then? Of course, the answer would be
us. But who suffered the most? It is the neediest, the poor, and the vulnerable. So this is both a call and
a challenge to consider always for the common good.

E. Solidarity

An overrated Bible passage “love your neighbor” is the core of our reflection on solidarity. In this age
where rampant injustices and chaos ravage our home, we are challenged to be the bearer of justice and
become peacemakers. Responding to this challenge takes us to the core principle, the common good.
Every action is linked to each other. That if we would want to channel peace, we must reflect first that
in the notion of family and life, we must be socially responsible. In the notion of our rights and
responsibilities, we must condemn injustice and uphold the dignity of a human person. In the notion of
the dignity of work and rights of workers, it calls us to create opportunities accessible to all. And in the
notion of caring for God’s creation, we are again called to protect the dignity of creation. Everything
links to this notion of solidarity where we may find that it is not just sympathy but taking part in each
other’s responsibility. Solidarity builds connections and bridges so as through our openness to our
brethren, we may become a true brother’s keeper. Love implies a concern for all. We cannot simply
choose whom to love, but we can choose whether or not to love.