Articles on Catholic Social Teaching

The Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching

What is Catholic Social Teaching -by Fred Kammer SJ

The Two Feet of Love in Action

Resources
We Are Salt and Light (www.WeAreSaltAndLight.org) is a website of the USCCB Dept. of Justice, Peace and Human Development that includes more than 100 resources to help faith communities be salt and light, in addition to 80+ success stories, dozens of videos, a resource finder, assessment tools, and more.

Faithful Citizenship (https://www.usccb.org/offices/justice-peace-human-development/forming-consciences-faithful-citizenship) provides materials and resources to prepare Catholics to bring their faith to public life and to live as faithful citizens.

In the Footsteps of Jesus is a resource manual and video to introduce groups of all ages to Catholic social teaching and the Two Feet. Download the English manual and the videos (https://www.usccb.org/resources/footsteps-jesus ); the Spanish version of the manual is available for download.

Learn How to Visit, Call, or Write to an Elected Official (www.votervoice.net/USCCB/campaigns) Get tips on how to make a phone call, write a letter, or visit your elected officials, and participate in action alerts so that you can make your voice heard!

Sacraments and Mission series (https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments-and-sacramentals/sacraments-and-social-mission) Learn more about how our sacramental practice as Catholics leads us to mission in the world. Available in Spanish.

Life and Dignity of the Human Person

The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching. In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion and euthanasia. The value of human life is being threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty. The intentional targeting of civilians in war or terrorist attacks is always wrong. Catholic teaching also calls on us to work to avoid war. Nations must protect the right to life by finding increasingly effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

More on Life and Dignity of the Human Person

Podcast episode on Critical Race Theory
What Catholics need to know about Critical Race Theory

Call to Family, Community, and Participation

The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society -- in economics and politics, in law and policy -- directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

More on Call to Family, Community, and Participation

USCCB Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development (www.usccb.org/jphd) engages Catholics in prayer, reflection and action to protect the lives and dignity of the human family at home and around the world.

National Catholic Partnership on Disability (www.ncpd.org) works to ensure meaningful participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of the life of the Church and society.

Catholic Charities (www.catholiccharitiesusa.org) agencies provide social services to assist persons in poverty around the United States. Catholic Charities also provides programs and resources for advocacy, networking, training, leadership, and disaster response.

 

Rights and Responsibilities

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. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities--to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.

More on Rights and Responsibilities

Articles
Ron Klutho, speaker for our upcoming (Sept 2022) Welcome Neighbor Dinner has provided us the following articles on Immigration here in St Louis:

"My Bosnians" editorial

May 1999 op ed

June 2019 op ed

Resources
World Refugee Day

Fratelli Tutti

Justice for Immigrants (www.justiceforimmigrants.org) is a campaign of the U.S. Catholic bishops that educates about Church teaching on migration, works to create political will for positive, comprehensive immigration reform, and organizes Catholic networks to assist qualified immigrants.

USCCB Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church (https://www.usccb.org/committees/cultural-diversity-church) pursues the goal of making diversity and its implications more recognized and understood among church leaders—clergy, religious, and laity.

Catholic Relief Services (www.crs.org) is the international aid agency of the Catholic bishops in the United States and assists poor and disadvantaged persons in over 100 countries. CRS also engages Catholics in the U.S. in education and advocacy and has five U.S. regional offices.

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.

More on Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

Resources
Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) (www.usccb.org/cchd) is the domestic anti- poverty program of the U.S. Catholic bishops. CCHD provides funding to community organizations working to address the causes of poverty and also educates Catholics about poverty in the U.S.

Catholics Confront Global Poverty (http://confrontglobalpoverty.org) is an initiative of the U.S. Catholic bishops and Catholic Relief Services which works to educate Catholics about global poverty and involve them in advocacy to end it.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (http://www.svdpusa.org/) offers tangible assistance to those in need on a person-to-person basis. It also advocates on behalf of those who are defenseless or voiceless.

Free Grants for Veterans (https://freegrantsforveterans.org/) provides comprehensive details on grants for veterans. ...These grants are given away for free, and they could help low income veterans with bills, mortgage, rent, housing, college, and medications . Please note that grants are only given for veterans who can prove financial difficulties. Apply for multiple grants to ensure your needs are met.  We offer information on the following : (1) grants for rent (2) housing assistance (3) help with bills (4) education grants (5) medical bills grants (6) business grants

PovertyUSA.org and PobrezaUSA.org are websites sponsored by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development with facts and figures about poverty in the United States and what can be done to address it. The PovertyTour video is an educational tool to help viewers understand the challenges of trying to live at the Poverty Line.

The Story of Stuff - (video) https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-stuff/ 

The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers

The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in Gods creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected--the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.

More on the Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers

Resources

Catholic Rural Life Conference (https://catholicrurallife.org/) works to apply the teachings of Jesus Christ for the social, economic, and spiritual development of rural America with responsibility for the care of God's creation.

Caritas in Veritate lesson plans and individual study guide (www.usccb.org/beliefs-and- teachings/who-we-teach/adults/caritas-in-veritate-resource-material.cfm) can help you learn more about Social Justice and Charitable Works as articulated in Pope Benedict’s encyclical. Study resources, cliff notes, and a reflection guide are available to assist you.

Solidarity

We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers and sisters keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that if you want peace, work for justice.1 The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers. Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.

More on Solidarity
 

Open Wide Our Hearts (a pastoral letter on racism)

Podcast episode on Critical Race Theory
What Catholics need to know about Critical Race Theory

Care for God's Creation

We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of Gods creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

Laudato Si'

Resources
Catholic Coalition on Climate Change (www.catholicsandclimatechange.org/) provides a forum to explore the issues and faith implications of climate change and to help state and diocesan leaders and partners educate about the issues climate change.

Catholic Rural Life Conference (https://catholicrurallife.org/) works to apply the teachings of Jesus Christ for the social, economic, and spiritual development of rural America with responsibility for the care of God's creation.

Caritas in Veritate lesson plans and individual study guide (www.usccb.org/beliefs-and- teachings/who-we-teach/adults/caritas-in-veritate-resource-material.cfm) can help you learn more about Social Justice and Charitable Works as articulated in Pope Benedict’s encyclical. Study resources, cliff notes, and a reflection guide are available to assist you.

The Unconventional Weapon Against Future Wildfires: Goats  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/18/business/wildfires-goats-prevention.html?referringSource=articleShare 

Video
#Film4Climate 1st Prize Short Film Winner - “Three Seconds”