Catholic Social Teachings

Note: The following blog post has nothing to do with the textbook, but rather a handout we received

The handout about the nine key themes of Catholic social teachings was quite interesting for me to read, especially because most of these themes seem like important values to have in our lives.  The nine main themes of Catholic social teachings are: the dignity of every person and human life; solidarity, common good, and participation; family life; subsidiarity and the proper role of government; property ownership in modern society, and the rights and responsibilities that come with it; the dignity of work, rights of workers, and support for labor unions; colonialism and economic development; peace and disarmament; and option for the poor and vulnerable.  While many of these themes seem very familiar, the Catholic Church emphasizes them in special ways.

For example, with the topic of the dignity of every life, the Catholic position on this is rooted in the belief that each human being is made in God's likeness.  Because of this belief, they are entitled to be treated with the upmost respect and dignity, as God intended us to be.  Catholics take this idea to its logical extreme, believing that there is nothing one can do to forfeit this lofty status.  While some may find this somewhat extreme and/or naive, such a view of human life can serve to guide us on our interactions with others.  Perhaps most crucially, the idea of human dignity contains a strong element of equality regardless of differences in ethnic, religious, or any other aspect of one's background.

Catholic social teaching also emphasizes the connections we have with our fellow human beings, encouraging us to be interdependent on one another for the good of the whole community, not just as individuals.  With the common good in mind, there is also a major emphasis on family life, since families are considered to be the most basic unit of society.  This is because a family is the most intimate sphere in which people cooperate, as well as the first place children learn about themselves.  For these reasons, healthy societies are dependent on healthy families, so families should get as much support as possible, including support from the government.  These themes were the ones that stuck out to me the most.