Catholic Social Teaching & Love in Action

Catholic Social Teaching (CST)

CST sits at the center of Caritas Plymouth, it comprises of 6 core themes detailed below. Information below is sourced from the CST website.

Human Dignity

Human dignity is something that can’t be taken away. Catholic Social Teaching states that each and every person has value, are worthy of great respect and must be free from slavery, manipulation, and exploitation.

“Catholic social teaching believes that human beings, created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27), have by their very existence an inherent value, worth, and distinction”. – Daniel Groody “Globalization, Spirituality and Justice”

“How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points? This is a case of exclusion.” – Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium

Community and Participation

We are not created by God to live alone. Living in community is an essential expression of who we are. But Community does not just happen – it is something that men and women must work together to develop.

“…A community needs a soul if it is to become a true home for human beings. You, the people must give it this soul.” – John Paul II

“Participation is a duty to be fulfilled consciously by all, with responsibility and with a view to the common good.” – Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

Care for Creation

Respect for human life means respecting all of God’s creation. We must re-engage with our environment and take responsibility for it; live sustainably, live so that there are enough resources for everyone.

The relationship between human activity and global warming must be constantly monitored for “the climate is a good that must be protected”. – Vatican’s Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, para 470

“Creation is not a property, which we can rule over at will; or, even less, is the property of only a few: Creation is a gift, it is a wonderful gift that God has given us, so that we care for it and we use it for the benefit of all, always with great respect and gratitude.” – Pope Francis

Dignity in Work

Catholic Social Teaching holds that work is dignified and an intrinsic good, and workers must always be respected and valued

Jesus became “like us in all things, devoted most of the years of his life on earth to manual work at the carpenters bench” – Saint John Paul II – Laborem Exercens, On Human Work

[The state] “has also the duty to protect the rights of all its people, and particularly of its weaker members, the workers, women and children. It can never be right for the State to shirk its obligation of working actively for the betterment of the condition of the workingman.” – John XXIII – Mater et Magistra

Peace & Reconciliation

Peace can only come about when we learn to treat each other as brothers and sisters and recognise our shared vocation as children of God.

“Peace is not merely the absence of war; nor can it be reduced solely to the maintenance of a balance of power between enemies; nor is it brought about by dictatorship. Instead, it is rightly and appropriately called an enterprise of justice.” – Gaudium et Spes

Solidarity

Solidarity is about valuing our fellow human beings and respecting who they are as individuals.

“The many situations of inequality, poverty and injustice, are signs not only of a profound lack of fraternity, but also of the absence of a culture of solidarity. New ideologies, characterized by rampant individualism, egocentrism and materialistic consumerism, weaken social bonds, fuelling that “throw away” mentality which leads to contempt for, and the abandonment of, the weakest and those considered “useless”. In this way human coexistence increasingly tends to resemble a mere do ut des which is both pragmatic and selfish” – Pope Francis

“We are all one family in the world. Building a community that empowers everyone to attain their full potential through each of us respecting each other’s dignity, rights and responsibilities makes the world a better place to live” – Sollicitudo rei socialis – ‘On Social Concern’ (1987)

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♥ Love in Action ♥

What is Love in Action?

Love in Action is a parish programme designed by the Diocese of Westminster, to introduce your congregation, youth, school or faith-sharing group to the principles of Catholic social teaching (CST). After completing the programme, you will have the tools to reflect on the needs of your community and start your own social outreach projects.

How does Love in Action Work?

Love in Action introduces Catholic social teaching (CST) through Sunday Liturgy, group activities, and school assemblies. The programme uses a three-step process to help people to engage with CST:

Inspire

Six principles of CST are explored in the Sunday liturgy and in parish life: parish groups, families, with children and young people

Form

People are invited to go deeper, to meet together for a workshop on CST and social action.

Discern and Plan

People can then embark on a creative process to develop an Action Plan to discern their community response and to put love into action.
Want to learn even more about Love in Action check on the Diocese of Westminster Caritas Site here. And make sure to check back with this site soon to see updates from Caritas Plymouth.

Want to learn even more about Love in Action check out the Diocese of Westminster Caritas site here. And make sure to check with this site soon updates will be coming.