Catholic Social Teaching
Catholic social teaching is based on the belief that God has a plan for creation, a plan to build his kingdom of peace, love and justice.
Catholic social teaching is rooted in Scripture, formed by the wisdom of Church leaders, and influenced by grassroots movements. It is our moral compass, guiding us on how to live out our faith in the world.
Jesus’ instruction to “love your neighbour as yourself” (Mark 12:431) is at the heart of how Catholics believe they should participate in their community and the wider world.
Our faith calls us to love God and to love our neighbours in every situation, especially our sisters and brothers living in poverty. Through our Mission Statement Walking in the footsteps of Jesus, growing in the light of His love we aim to guide our children in the principles of Catholic social teaching and to foster a sense of justice, love and peace of God.
The Catholic Church has seven principles of social teaching that we share with our children through all that we do, through the curriculum, special events and through our daily actions in school.
At St Hugh’s, Catholic social teaching is incorporated into our curriculum. Children are asked to put their faith into action and reflect on how their learning enables them to do so.
Catholic social teaching underpins the essence of our daily school life. As members of the Catholic Church, we are all called upon to preserve the dignity of all human beings, to care for creation, and to reach out to our sisters and brothers in need. Pope Francis emphasises that it is our duty to work to bring about a more just and peaceful world: to put love into action. It is vital that our children can articulate the connection between Jesus’ teaching and doing good deeds. We use the CAFOD Catholic social teaching resources alongside our Rights Respecting Schools work to support our children’s understanding of the principles.
To help us put our call into action of making the world the best possible place it can be, and as God intended it to be when He gave it to mankind as a gift, we often revisit the 7 CAFOD themes of Catholic Social Teaching.
In some of our assemblies we spend time reflecting on Sunday’s Gospel or issues that are arising in the world and discuss, contemplate and pray for guidance on identifying how CST can enable us to understand the outward show or action of our Catholic faith that will impact on many aspects of our life and, in turn, lead us to making an impact on the world so it can be as God intended it to be.
We are all called to uphold the principles of Catholic social teaching.
Human Dignity – Everyone is special
St Paul tells us that each person is a work of art, created by God and chosen for a unique purpose. Ephesians 2:10
At St Hugh’s we recognise the human dignity of others by:
- being respectful
- treating people equally
- making everyone feel that they BELONG
The Common Good – Taking Part in our Communities
“You are not making a gift of your possessions to the poor person. You are handing over to them what is theirs.” St Ambrose (340-397 AD)
At St Hugh’s we show we are part of a community by:
· - working together
· - working for the common good
· - being active members of our community eg litter picking locally, singing at a local nursing home, writing to our local MP about contextual issues
Participation – The dignity of Work
Do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honour. (James 3:17)
At St Hugh’s we recognise the dignity of work by:
· - respecting all workers
· - contributing to society
· - making sensible economic choices
· - sharing our talents with others
Subsidiarity – All people should have a Say
Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right – Psalms 106:3
At St Hugh’s we acknowledge our rights and responsibilities by:
· - working towards our Silver and Gold Rights Respecting Schools Award
· - Recognising our duties as members of a community
· - Standing up for what is right
· - Following our Golden rules, the St Hugh’s Way
Stewardship – Caring for God’s Creation and Gifts
The ecological crisis is also a summons to profound interior conversion … Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience. Pope Francis – Laudato Si
At St Hugh’s, we show we care for creation by:
· - taking responsibility for our environment
· - making environmentally responsible choices
· - having awe and wonder for the natural world
Solidarity – We are One Big Family
Blessed Pope Paul VI taught that “If you want peace, work for justice.” The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers.
At St Hugh’s, we show solidarity by:
· - raising awareness of social justice
· - praying for others
· - making socially responsible choices
Option for the Poor – Some People need Extra Help
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Matthew 25:35-40
At St Hugh’s, we show a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable by:
· - fundraising for charitable causes
· - treating others with dignity and respect
· - welcoming all people from their starting points
· - thinking of the needs of others
Distributive Justice – Being Fair
“… we are agreed today that the earth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone.” Pope Francis, Laudato Si
At St Hugh’s, we recognise the need to share the worlds resources fairly by:
· - by sharing our belongings
· - by regularly praying for leaders of the world to make fair decisions
Promoting Peace – We are called to be God’s instruments of Peace
“Our common bonds of humanity demand that we live in harmony and that we promote what is good for one another. These ethical implications are the reason why solidarity is a basic key to peace.” St John Paul II
At St Hugh’s, we show we are people of peace by:
· - following our Golden Rules – The St Hugh’s Way
· - treating each other kindly
· - forgiving those who may hurt us
· - turning away from conflict
· - creating bonds between people
· - making everyone feel like they BELONG here