Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching is founded in Scripture and includes statements and letters written by Church leaders. It is our moral compass, guiding us on how to live out our faith in the world.  Jesus tells us to love God and to love our neighbours, especially our sisters and brothers living in poverty.

Modern Catholic Social Teaching is said to have originated in 1891 with the encyclical letter, Rerum Novarum. Pope Francis continues to add to Catholic Social Teaching with his own encyclicals, including Laudato Si’ (2015) and Fratelli Tutti (2020).

At Christ the Word Catholic School, we use the 9 CAFOD Catholic Social Teaching principles to guide our actions and to help us build a world of justice, love and peace. The principles are:-

• Human Dignity
• Common Good
• Participation
• Subsidiarity
• Stewardship
• Solidarity
• Preferential Option for the Poor
• Distributive Justice
• Promoting Peace