Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is rooted in Scripture, formed by the wisdom of Church leaders, and influenced by grassroots movements. It is our moral compass, guiding us on how to live out our faith in the world.

Our faith calls us to love God and to love our neighbours in every situation, especially our sisters and brothers living in poverty. Following in the footsteps of Christ, we hope to make present in our unjust and broken world, the justice, love and peace of God.
Modern Catholic Social Teaching is said to have originated in 1891 with the encyclical letter, Rerum Novarum. Since then, a wealth of teaching continues to give new life to the Scriptures and shape the Church’s response to our modern world. Pope Francis’ continues to add to Catholic Social Teaching with his own encyclicals including Laudato Si’ (2015) and Fratelli Tutti (2020)

From these Catholic social teaching documents and encyclicals we derive core principles. There is no fixed or official list of principles. Different organisations and writers include different ones. However, they will include the same ideas and beliefs. At St Francis de Sales we use the Caritas Rooted in Love principles. There will be cross over between these principles and our actions for global and local justice will often be in response to more than one principle at a time.

Caritas - Rooted in Love

Rooted in Love is a new project to support schools in their journey with Catholic Social Teaching, St Francis de Sales started this project in September 2023.

Autumn 1 - Care of Creation

The earth and all it contains has been created by God. It is a gift, given to all for the good of all. The resources of the earth are not infinite. They have been given to us and to future generations. How we have treated and continue to treat the earth has profound impacts on people now and in the future. Too often we have destroyed elements of the earth for a quick gain. At a General Audience in May 2014, Pope Francis described our destruction of creation as ‘like saying to God, 'I don't like it' ... Care for creation is care for God's gift to us, and it means saying to God, 'thank you, I am the custodian of creation, but to enable it to progress, never to destroy your gift'’. As stewards, or custodians, of creation we have a special role to play. How we care for the earth is another sign of how we are Christians, how we show God’s love in the world and put our love into action. In Autumn One we aim to introduce the children to the concept of caring for creation – what it means to be a ‘good steward’ and how they could look after our world. It is important that the children understand that the way we treat our common home affects everyone, in every country, now and in the future.

Autumn 2 - Option for the poor

The Church holds that we should all have a special focus on supporting, walking alongside, and sharing with people who are living in poverty. Pope Francis’s much quoted phrase about wanting ‘a poor church for the poor’ holds the Catholic social teaching principle of the preferential option for the poor at its heart. Although it includes the charitable support of the Church, both the institution and individual members, for those living in poverty locally and globally, it is also wider than this. The option for the poor includes talking with, and listening to, those who are living in poverty. It is not just thinking that we know what people want or need, but listening to people, sharing in their suffering, being the ‘voice for the voiceless’ when it is not being heard, whilst enabling the voice, the experience, the needs of people to be heard by others in our communities, society, and the world.

Spring 1 - Solidarity and Peace

Solidarity is a word which can be overused and little understood. However, it is fundamental to the way in which we treat one another. If we truly believe that we are all sisters and brothers of one another, made in God’s image and likeness as seen in the guideline of human dignity, then seeking the good of one another cannot be ignored. The quotation from St John Paul II is an ongoing challenge. Solidarity is not just feeling sorry for those who suffer. It is a commitment to action. “We are all really responsible for all” – all of us. Wherever we are. Whatever our age. Whatever our circumstances. We are all responsible for one another, those close by, and those far away. All of our actions have consequences locally and globally. From how we treat people we meet in the street, to the coffee we buy in the supermarket. It is how we live out Caritas, love in action.

Spring 2 - Community and Participation

As human beings, we are called to live in community, with others, growing together and flourishing as a result. We are also called to get involved. At World Youth Day in 2013, Pope Francis challenged us: “Don’t be observers, but immerse yourself in the reality of life, as Jesus did.” We are called to be active members of society, our local and global community. Observing the reality of the world, remembering that first guideline of the dignity of all people, supporting one another and recognising how our gifts and talents could be used to the advantage of the wider community. We can’t just sit back and bemoan what’s happening, whether in our own parish and community, society, or the world. We are called to get our hands dirty, to get involved, to help build a better world. We’re all called to put love into action. These lessons help students to understand the role we all have to play in creating a fair society and strong communities.

Summer 1 - Dignity of workers

The Church has long been a supporter of the right of people to work. Work is more than simply being able to earn money. It is about being able to support oneself, and one’s family. It is about finding a role and place within society, finding fulfilment and a sense of purpose and worth. It is also about people being paid a just wage and having adequate facilities to do the work they are tasked with, which is why the Church supports both the Living Wage and Fair Trade movements. In Summer One we aim to introduce the children to the concept of having dignity in one’s work – what that means and how it should be maintained. It is important that the children understand being treated with dignity at one’s place of work should be a universal constant across all industries and sectors; there is no ‘minimum threshold’ of responsibility or wage that ‘entitles’ one to dignity at work.

Summer 2 - Human Dignity

The dignity of every human person, whoever they are, is the starting point for the Church’s teaching around social justice. The Church clearly states that we are all made lovingly in God’s image and likeness. We are all sisters and brothers of one another. If we truly believe this principle, then we are challenged to firstly realise that we ourselves are made in God’s image and likeness. We are lovingly created by God. We are beautiful. This can be difficult for many of us to accept. What flows from this is that every person we meet - family, friends, neighbours, strangers, people on the other side of the world - are also made in God's image and likeness. They deserve our respect. They must be treated fairly. It is the underlying principle of all CST, so it is crucial for students having an understanding on living out the teaching of the Gospel in today’s society