What Is Catholic Social Teaching?<\/h1>\n
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CAPP-USA, the United States affiliate of the Vatican-based Fondazione Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice<\/a>, introduces Catholic Social Teaching\u2014its foundations in Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium; its core principles of human dignity, solidarity, and subsidiarity; and its application to modern social and economic life.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> It is Not Liberal<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> It is Not Conservative<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> It is Charity<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> Catholic social teaching emerged in the late nineteenth century<\/strong> when the world was in trouble. Radical changes were taking place in politics, economics and society. The Industrial Revolution was at its height. Major dislocations of pastoral people to squalid industrial centers disrupted the way of life millions had known for generations. Mass migrations from Europe were splitting families. The writings of Karl Marx had taken root in widespread communist movements. \"A traditional society was passing away and another beginning to be formed \u2013 one which brought the hope of new freedoms but also the threat of new forms of injustice and servitude.\"\u00a0(Pope St. John Paul II, 4)<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n <\/b><\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> Catholic social teaching<\/strong> has a long and rich history. It is both old, in that it presents timeless\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>values<\/strong>, and new, as it constantly reflects the world around us<\/strong> \u2013 <\/span>as it is.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Catholic social teaching emerged in the late nineteenth century<\/strong> when the world was in trouble. Radical changes were taking place in politics, economics and society. The Industrial Revolution was at its height. Major dislocations of pastoral people to squalid industrial centers disrupted the way of life millions had known for generations. Mass migrations from Europe were splitting families. The writings of Karl Marx had taken root in widespread communist movements. \"A traditional society was passing away and another beginning to be formed \u2013 one which brought the hope of new freedoms but also the threat of new forms of injustice and servitude.\"\u00a0(Pope St. John Paul II, 4)<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n <\/b><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> At the height of this clash Pope Leo XIII interceded<\/strong>. In his landmark encyclical of 1891, Rerum\u00a0<\/span>Novarum, the Pope, and the Church with him, confronted a society torn by dispute and addressed it in pointed terms. This is where our story begins. We invite you to join us as we unfold this wonderful Church teaching \u2013 Catholic Social Doctrine.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Pope Leo XIII\u2019s letter began the modern systematization of the Church\u2019s reflection on social issues<\/strong>, which had been ongoing for millennia. In a sense the Pope\u2019s letter claimed the Church\u2019s \u201ccitizenship status\u201d. The Church recognized her right and duty to address the changing realities of public life and to suggest genuine solutions. \u201cIn the face of a conflict which set man against man\u201d Pope Leo XIII, for the first time, both established and firmly defended the Church\u2019s moral authority to promote justice in public life and, by so doing, \u201ccreated a lasting paradigm for the Church\u201d.\u00a0(Pope St. John Paul II, 5)<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Pope Pius XI stated: \"Leo\u2019s Encyclical has proved itself the Magna Charta upon which all Christian activity in the social field ought to be based, as on a foundation.\" (Quadragesimo Anno, 14)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/b><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> In fact, this Church teaching is so important and comprehensive that Pope St. John Paul II called on lay Catholic leaders to form their consciences on the tenets of the Church\u2019s social doctrine. (Ecclesia in America, 67)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Catholic social teaching has even \u201cgradually and imperceptibly worked its way into the minds of those outside Catholic unity who do not recognize the authority of the Church. Catholic principles on the social question have as a result, passed little by little into the patrimony of all human society.\u201d\u00a0(Pope Pius XI, 21)<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> Catholic social teaching is about principles not positions. It endorses neither side of a political argument because these principles (human dignity, solidarity, subsidiarity) are often lost in political wrangling over \u201cpositions\u201d. By overlooking the principles of Catholic social teaching, governments fail to consider all aspects of policy decisions to the detriment of the common good.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Individuals of the \u200bright<\/em>\u200b<\/strong> may latch on to the endorsement of free markets as an \u201cimportant source of wealth and should be viewed carefully and favorably\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II,\u00a040)<\/em><\/a> and draw great comfort from that fact \u2013 while forgetting<\/strong> about the evils of consumerism, improper business activities and the fact that their brothers and sisters are in dire economic straits.<\/p>\n Individuals<\/strong> of the \u200bleft<\/em>\u200b<\/strong> might focus primarily or only on the principle of solidarity and the Church\u2019s endorsement of the \u201cpreferential option for the poor\u201d. These are individuals who have been enamored of government responses to the social problems, ignoring<\/strong> the clear call of Catholic social teaching for free markets and Subsidiarity.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> Pope Benedict XVI<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> To provide criteria for forming our cultural, economic, and political positions<\/strong> \u2013 based on the principles of Catholic social teaching and for the Common Good.\u00a0The lessons of Catholic social teaching are always relevant. They provide guidance on how individuals can be better citizens.\u00a0These lessons also guide social institutions in creating<\/strong>\u00a0environments<\/strong> in which all<\/b> can<\/strong> prosper<\/strong> (i.e. promote the common good).<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> This is a critical point<\/strong>! As Pope Francis points out, apart from understanding Catholic social teaching \u201ceach individual becomes the criterion for measuring himself and his own actions\u2026This leads to an effective lack of concern for others and\u2026to human impoverishment and cultural aridity\u201d where \u201cwe no longer have the capacity to build authentic human relationships\u201d.\u00a0(Address to the Council of Europe)<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n LEARN MORE<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> We must understand: to practice Catholic social teaching is\u00a0charity.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCharity is at the heart of the Church\u2019s social doctrine.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 2)<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Indeed, \u201cTo defend the truth, to articulate it with humility and conviction, and to bear witness to it in our life are\u2026exacting and indispensable forms of charity\u201d.\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI, 1)<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n The practice of Catholic social teaching \u201cis the institutional path \u2014 we might also call it the political path \u2014 of charity, no less excellent and effective than the kind of charity which encounters the neighbor directly<\/strong>\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI, 7)<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n And, \u201cWe must participate in politics because politics is one of the highest forms of charity<\/strong> because it seeks the common good. And Christian lay people must work in politics.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> This has been clear for decades. Pope Pius XII told us, \u201cThe social program of the Catholic Church is based upon three powerful pillars: truth, justice and Christian charity.\u201d (Pope Pius XII, Message to German Catholics, September 4, 1949)<\/p>\n Charity<\/em>\u200b can be expressed in various ways: \u200bcorporal works of mercy; spiritual works of mercy;<\/em>\u200b or, implementing the tenets of Catholic social teaching<\/em>\u200b in society. This inaccurate labeling (of corporal works of mercy as synonymous with the practice of Catholic social teaching) obscures our recognition that, in charity, we have a similarly binding requirement to confront improper and even sinful social \u200bstructures<\/em>\u200b \u2013 the domain of Catholic social teaching.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>Origin of Catholic Social Teaching<\/h4><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>Origin of Catholic Social Teaching<\/h4><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>Rerum Novarum<\/h4><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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Catholic social teaching<\/strong> explores the three key principles (Human Dignity, Solidarity, Subsidiarity) underlying evaluation of all political, economic and cultural issues. Knowledge of these principles, in combination with our faith<\/strong>, provides<\/strong> the foundation to address current social questions<\/strong>.<\/h5><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>
Not Conservative or Liberal<\/h4><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
Most Importantly<\/h4><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
- both sides often fail<\/strong> to implement Catholic social teaching through their\u00a0lives. And both run the risk of forgetting a key message of Catholic social teaching:\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIt\u00a0is clear that no economic, social or political project can replace the gift of self to another\u2026 <\/strong>He who does not give God gives too little\u201d.<\/h5><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
So, What Is Catholic Social Teaching?<\/h4><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
To what end?<\/strong><\/h5><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>It Is Charity!<\/h4><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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