In last Sunday s bulletin, I noted that Pope Leo XIII laid the foundation of the body of thought known as Catholic Social Teaching.What is that about? Based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and comprised of the teaching of the Popes and Vatican II, Catholic Social Teaching contains seven themes:
¨ Life and the dignity of each human person: this theme emphasizes the inherent worth and dignity of every human being from conception to natural death and the importance of respecting life in all of its stages.
¨ Call to family, community and participation: this theme highlights the importance of family, the need for strong communities, and the right and responsibility of citizens to participate in public life.
¨ Rights and responsibilities: every individual has fundamental rights to life, food, shelter, healthcare and education.These rights come with corresponding responsibilities.
¨ Preferential option for the poor and vulnerable: the needs of the poor and vulnerable come first in society s priorities.
¨ Dignity of work and the rights of workers: the importance of work for self-respect and contributing to society, and the rights of workers to fair wages, safe working conditions and the right to organize.
¨ Solidarity: we are all interconnected as members of one human family, and need to work together build a more just and peaceful world.
¨ Care for God s creation: humanity is responsible to care for the natural world and to protect it for future generations.
For more information about Catholic Social Teaching check the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org, also, A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching by Fr.
Kevin McKenna (Ave Maria Press, 3rd edition
2019) and The Challenge and
Spirituality of Catholic Social Teaching by Marvin Krier Mich (Orbis Books, revised edition, 2011).
Grace and Peace,
Fr. Gary Tyman