Key Principles of Catholic Social
Teaching
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www.caritas.org.au/cst with cartoons, film clips and lesson plans for the classroom.
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Last updated June 2017
KEY PRINCIPLES OF
CATHOLIC SOCIAL
TEACHING
BACKGROUND ON
CATHOLIC SOCIAL
Catholic Social Teaching
TEACHING
sums up the teachings of
the Church on social justice
issues.
It promotes a vision of a just
society that is grounded in
the Bible and in the wisdom
gathered from experience
by the Christian community
as it has responded to
social justice issues through
history.
Watch this short animation ‘CST in 3
minutes’, created by several Caritas
Internationalis agencies.
BACKGROUND ON
CATHOLIC SOCIAL
TEACHING
The four core principles of
Catholic Social Teaching
are:
• The Dignity of the
Human Person,
• The Common Good,
• Solidarity and
• Subsidiarity.
A Somali refugee child in Kenya, 2011.
Photo credit: Laura Sheahen/Catholic Relief Services
BACKGROUND ON
CATHOLIC SOCIAL
Out of the four core principles
TEACHING
flow the principles of the
Preferential Option for the Poor,
Participation, Economic Justice
and Stewardship, among
others.
These principles are responsive
to particular social issues such
as poverty and inequality, the
right to work, and environmental
degradation.
Children in Darfur 2014. Photo credit: Annie Bungerouth/ACT-Caritas
CARITAS AUSTRALIA AND
CATHOLIC SOCIAL
Our long-term development and
TEACHING
emergency aid work is shaped by
the tradition of Catholic Social
Teaching (CST). CST covers all
spheres of life – the economic,
political, personal and spiritual.
With human dignity at its
centre, a holistic approach to
development, founded on the
principles of CST, is what Pope
Paul VI called ‘authentic
development’.
Mariama and her daughter in Niger, 2015.
Photo credit: François Therrien
HUMAN DIGNITY
We believe that every
person is made in God’s
image.
We believe that every
person has inherent dignity
and every life is sacred.
The innate dignity of each
person is the foundation
and inspiration of our vision
for a just and
compassionate world.
HUMAN DIGNITY
We see the image of God
in every person, no
matter their
circumstance.
The women, men and
children most vulnerable
to extreme poverty and
injustice should not be
hindered from living a life
equal to their dignity.
South Sudanese girl in Ugandan refugee camp. Refugees have fled conflict and
famine in East Africa, 2017. Photo credit: Tommy Trenchard/Caritas
THE COMMON GOOD
We believe that humans are
not only sacred but social
and that we experience the
fullness of life in our
relationships with others.
Working towards the
common good requires a
commitment from each of us
to respect the rights and
responsibilities of all people.
THE COMMON GOOD
We believe every person is
entitled to share in
society’s resources. Every
person is also responsible
for sharing our society’s
resources – the common
good - with others.
This extends beyond our
personal interests, and
beyond national borders, to
our one global human
family.
Shepherd (13 years old) in Zimbabwe, 2016. Photo credit: Isabel Corthier/Caritas
SOLIDARITY
Solidarity requires that we
see another person as a
neighbour, a fellow human
who is equal in dignity.
Solidarity means recognising
the responsibilities we have
to each other, and taking an
active role in helping others
attain their full potential.
This is more than just a
feeling. It drives us to action.
SOLIDARITY
We are called by the
principle of solidarity to take
the parable of the Good
Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37)
to heart, and to express this
understanding in how we
live and interact with others,
not as a matter of charity,
but of justice.
Solidarity makes it
impossible for us to look
away from the injustices that
our sisters and brothers
experience.
Myanmar refugees in Thailand, 2013. Photo credit: Patrick Nicholson/Caritas
SUBSIDIARITY
Subsidiarity means that all
people have the right to
participate in decisions
that affect their lives.
These decisions should be
made at the appropriate
level, by the people most
affected by the decision.
SUBSIDIARITY
It also means that those in
positions of authority have
the responsibility to listen to
everyone’s voice, and make
decisions according to the
common good.
Partnerships and
collaboration amongst
groups, including all levels
of government and social
institutions, are necessary
to work toward a shared,
unified vision for society.
Darfur. Photo credit: Annie Bungerouth/ACT-Caritas
PREFERENTIAL OPTION FOR
THE POOR AND VULNERABLE
Children, women and men
most vulnerable to extreme
poverty and injustice are rich
in the eyes of Jesus.
We are called to be
companions to women, men
and children who are in
vulnerable circumstances.
We recognise that extreme
poverty is not inherent but
constructed in societies and
cultures.
REFERENTIAL OPTION FOR
THE POOR AND VULNERABLE
We are called to expose the
institutions and structures
which create and perpetuate
inequality and hold them to
account.
We are called to mobilise our
resources, our networks and
our prayers in support of the
children, women and men who
are systematically denied
opportunities to exercise and
enjoy their rights, freedoms
and dignity.
South Sudanese father and child in Refugee camp in Uganda, 2017.
Photo credit: Tommy Trenchard/Caritas
PARTICIPATION
The principle of participation
recognises that everyone has
something valuable and
unique to contribute.
Participation is an innate
expression of human dignity.
The principle of participation is
both a right and a
responsibility.
PARTICIPATION
Everyone has the right to
participate in activities
necessary for human
fulfilment, such as work,
education, and political
participation.
Participation also implies
shared responsibility, where
each person, according to their
role and ability, participates in
society, seeking together the
well-being of all.
Child in Darfur, 2014. Photo credit: Annie Bungerouth/ACT-Caritas
STEWARDSHIP OF CREATION
As Christians we believe that
the whole universe was
created by God.
We are part of creation,
connected to all beings.
Furthermore, we have been
entrusted by God with the
responsibility of caring for
His creation.
STEWARDSHIP OF CREATION
As stewards of creation, we
must respect, care for and
share all gifts God has
given us – including
animals, land, the
environment, our own
personal talents and other
resources.
We must care for creation
responsibly, as true
stewards rather than
consumers.
Carteret Islands, Papua New Guinea, 2012.
Photo credit: Patrick Nicholson/Caritas
THE PROMOTION OF PEACE
Peace goes beyond the idea
of the absence of war or
violence.
The desire for peace is more
than an aspirational goal.
Peace is a fruit of justice;
and requires a respect for
human dignity of all, and a
society which is directed
towards the common good.
THE PROMOTION OF PEACE
Injustices and extreme
disparities jeopardise peace.
We work together with
communities to promote
peace through right
relationships that embody
respect, justice and
collaboration.
Lebanon, 2012. Photo credit: Sam Tarling/Caritas
ECONOMIC JUSTICE
We believe that everyone
capable should be involved
in economic activity with
fair working conditions, and
should be able to draw
from work the means to
provide for themselves and
their family.
ECONOMIC JUSTICE
Economic activity is not
meant solely for profit, but
rather in service of the
entire human community.
Economic justice means
not placing money in the
centre or prioritising profit
and financial wealth over
people’s dignity and
wellbeing.
Kumari cooks sweet snacks that she sells for 10 rupees each. Nepal, 2016.
Photo credit: CRS/Caritas Nepal
CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING AND
THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM
Caritas Australia works in partnership
with communities around the world to
end poverty, promote justice and
uphold dignity. Our work is guided by
the principles of Catholic Social
Teaching.
These principles can be a powerful tool
to help students assess social realities
such as poverty, in the light of the
Gospel. It supports their ability to think
critically and contribute meaningfully as
they grow as global citizens.
Broadly, Catholic Social Teaching
principles can be integrated into inquiry
learning across Civics and Citizenship,
Economics and Business, Geography
and many other curriculum areas. They
can also contribute to addressing the
Cross Curricular Priorities and General
Capabilities.
Most Caritas Australia education
resources link to the Catholic Social
Teaching principles and the Australian
Curriculum.
For example:
Civics and Citizenship Curriculum Key
ideas:
How societies and economies operate and
how they are changing over time.
How people exercise their responsibilities,
participate in society and make informed
decisions?
Year 7 Geography
Unit 1: Water in the world
Unit 2: Place and liveability
Year 9:
How ideas about and experiences of
Australian identity are influenced by global
connectedness and mobility.
Reflect on their role as a citizen in
Australian, regional and global contexts.
Year 10: Reflect on their role as a citizen
in Australian, regional and global contexts.
Year 10 Civics and Citizenship:
The Australian Government’s role and
responsibilities at a global level, for
example provision of foreign aid,
peacekeeping, participation in international
organisations and the United Nations.
For example:
Ethical Understanding: exploring the types
of participation that Australia has in the Asia
region and internationally (for example,
exchange programs, peacekeeping, election
monitoring, health programs, disaster
management). Asia and Australia’s
Engagement with Asia: Investigating
Australia’s involvement with the United
Nations (for example, representation in the
organisation and adherence to conventions
and declarations that Australia has ratified)
exploring the provision of Australian
government or non-government aid to a
country in the Asia and Pacific region or
elsewhere in the world and analysing its
effects on places in that country.
Intercultural Understanding: researching
connections between Australia and countries
in the Asia and Pacific regions (for example,
in terms of migration, trade, tourism, aid,
education, defence or cultural influences)
and explaining the effects of at least one of
these connections on their own place and
another place in Australia.