1. What is Catholic Social Teaching?

Catholic Social Teaching sums up the teachings of the Church on issues of justice between
groups in society, and with creation. It shines the light of the Gospel on the social justice issues
that arise in the complex network of relationships in which we live. These teachings make use of
reason, tradition and experience as well as Scripture to respond to social justice issues.Catholic
Social Teaching’s vision of a just society is grounded in biblical revelation, the teachings of the
leaders of the early church, and in the wisdom gathered from experience by the Christian
community as it has tried to respond to social justice issues through history.There have been
Catholic social justice teachings since the very beginning of the Church. Since the nineteenth
century, a systematic, formal body of international teachings for the modern era has developed.

2. What do the Catholic social teachings teach us?

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.
3. What are the 7 principles of Catholic Social Teaching reflection?
At the core of Catholic Social Teaching are a number of key concepts and principles. Chief
among these are justice, human dignity, the common good, the principles of participation,
solidarity, and subsidiarity, the universal destination of the world's goods, and the option for the
poor.
4. What is your understanding about the social teaching of the Church?
The Church's social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living
lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. Modern Catholic social teaching has
been articulated through a tradition of papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents.
5. Why is it important to study Catholic Social Teaching?
Catholic Social Teaching (CST) offers a way of thinking, being and seeing the world. It provides a
vision for a just society in which the dignity of all people is recognised, and those who are
vulnerable are cared for.
6. What are the most important principles of Catholic Social Teaching?
Catholic social teaching (CST), a branch of moral theology, addresses contemporary issues within
the political, economic, and cultural structures of society. The threefold cornerstone of CST
contains the principles of human dignity, solidarity, and subsidiarity.
7. What is the remarkable essence of Catholic social principles?
These principles build on the foundation of Catholic social teaching: the dignity of human life.
This central Catholic principle requires that we measure every policy, every institution, and
every action by whether it protects human life and enhances human dignity, especially for the
poor and vulnerable.
8. What are examples of common good Catholic Social Teaching?
Needs (Prosperity): The common good requires the social well-being and development of the
group itself. Public authorities should make accessible what is needed to lead a truly human life,
for example: food, clothing, health, work, education and culture, information, and the right to
establish a family
9. Three Elements of Catholic Social Teaching
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11. Catholic Social Teaching has three distinct elements:
a. principles for reflection;
 b. criteria for judgment; and
c. guidelines for action.
Each has a different level of authority. You may find one, two or all three of these
elements in a Catholic Social Teaching document.

12. The key principles for reflection are sometimes called perennial principles because they apply
across every time and place. They are highly authoritative, but also rather abstract and general.
Guidelines for action, on the other hand, can vary for different times and places. Because
societies are very different from one another, and they are always changing, uniform guidelines
for action are rarely possible. Guidelines for action always depend on judgments made with the
information available at the time, so there is often scope for legitimate differences of opinion.
Criteria for judgment help us to connect general principles and the need for action guidelines in
specific situations. They are less authoritative than the principles for reflection but more so than
the guidelines for action.
13. Key Principles - The four key principles of Catholic Social Teaching are:
a. human dignity;
b. the common good;
c. subsidiarity; and
d. solidarity. The teachings also include other principles, criteria for judgement, and
guidelines for action.
14. Themes in Catholic Social Teaching
Catholic Social Teaching themes bring together principles for reflection, criteria for judgement
and guidelines for action. Often they address issues or particular areas of concern, such as work
or the rights of indigenous peoples. They may also develop from the Church’s reflection on key
concepts in the light of experience over time. For example, Catholic Social Teaching’s
understanding of the role of structures in injustice or of the role of the state.

Some examples of Catholic Social Teaching themes are:

– A Preferential Option for the Poor
– Civil Society & the State
– People on the Move
– Social Sin – Structures of Sin, Structures of Grace
– The Rights of Indigenous Peoples

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