Summary: Catholic Social Teaching

-- for St. Vincent's Parish Bulletin by: Dennis Wells

Catholic social teaching has been regarded by some as “our best kept secret”; the secret has been kept so well, in fact, that most Catholics know almost nothing about it. In this series of articles, we have attempted to provide an introduction to some of the basic principles of Catholic social teaching along with a few glimpses into some of its major documents. The principles that we looked at were those that the U.S. Bishops have highlighted for us to address:

• Human Life & Dignity : the fundamental Judeo-Christian-Muslim truth – we are all created in the image and likeness of God. Our dignity flows from our relationship with God and binds us to each other.
• Call to Family, Community, Participation : since we are bound to each other, we have an obligation to seek the Common Good (the good of all and the good of each individual); we are obliged to participate in working toward a just society.
• Rights & Responsibilities : as we seek the Common Good, we recognize that we each have a right to the fruits of Creation (the “universal destination of goods”); we also have a responsibility to protect the rights of others.
• Preferential Option for the Poor & Vulnerable : since we must uphold the rights and human dignity of all, we are called first and foremost to look out for those who have the least resources; even if we have to forego some of our own privileges.
• Dignity of Human Labor : we are made in God’s image and our labor is an extension of God’s work of creation – our labor is an extension of our dignity; our economic systems must uphold the rights and the dignity of workers.
• Solidarity : we are bound to each other and we come to know God through community; we are called to stand with one another and continue to transform our world so that dignity and justice are protected for all.
• Stewardship of Creation : we participate in creation, we share the fruits of creation, we are called to care for creation; we have a responsibility not only to those around us but to those who will come after us generations from now.

The U.S. Bishops have proposed a pattern of apostolic reflection:

ART – Act, Reflect, Transform.

This process tells us that the wisdom of the Church lies not only in its formal teachings but in our own hearts as well. More and more of the Bishops’ statements end with questions rather than with answers; we are called to seek the wisdom that will help us transform our world. Let us look at our lives, at our actions, and ask:

How do we uphold human dignity and justice in our world, in our church, in our homes?

____________________________________________________________________________________

Index, Catholic Social Teaching: Overview; 1)Human life & dignity, 2)Call to family, community/ participation, 3)Rights/Responsibilities, 4)Option for the poor/vulnerable, 5)Dignity of human labor, 6)Solidarity, 7)Stewardship of Creation; Summary: Catholic Social Teaching

Look here for more links on Catholic Social Teaching

Parish Mission Statement

We, the people of St. Vincent's Parish in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri, are committed to following Christ, evangelizer of the poor. We do this through:
- Worship and continued spiritual formation for both laity and clergy
- Serving the poor and oppressed
- Preaching the Gospel by word and action in an ecumenical spirit