SummarySummary

Seven Themes of Seven Themes of Catholic Social TeachingCatholic Social Teaching

Life and Dignity of the Human Life and Dignity of the Human PersonPerson

All persons exist All persons exist with God present with God present within them.within them.

All persons must All persons must be respected from be respected from conception to the conception to the grave with little to grave with little to no exceptions.no exceptions.

The Call to Family, Community, The Call to Family, Community, and Participationand Participation

The family structure The family structure is the foundation of is the foundation of society.society.

Each person and Each person and community has the community has the right to participate right to participate within society to the within society to the highest degree highest degree based on age and based on age and maturity and law.maturity and law.

Rights and ResponsibilitiesRights and Responsibilities

Every person has a Every person has a fundamental right to fundamental right to life and a right to life and a right to those things required those things required for human decency.for human decency. Thrival and SurvivalThrival and Survival

Corresponding to Corresponding to these rights are duties these rights are duties and responsibilities to and responsibilities to one another, to our one another, to our families, and to the families, and to the larger society.larger society.

Option for the Poor and Option for the Poor and VulnerableVulnerable

In our care for the In our care for the common good of all, common good of all, the most poor and the most poor and vulnerable must be vulnerable must be taken care of first.taken care of first.

This does not mean This does not mean allowing allowing “freeloading” but it “freeloading” but it does allow for does allow for “empowerment.” “empowerment.” (Helping people help (Helping people help themselves.)themselves.)

Dignity of Work and Rights of Dignity of Work and Rights of WorkersWorkers

The economy must The economy must serve people, not the serve people, not the other way around. other way around.

Basic rights of workers Basic rights of workers must be respected: must be respected: The right to productive The right to productive work, to decent and work, to decent and fair wages, to organize fair wages, to organize and join unions, to and join unions, to private property, and private property, and to economic initiative.to economic initiative.

SolidaritySolidarity

We are our We are our brothers' and brothers' and sisters' keepers, sisters' keepers, whatever our whatever our national, racial, national, racial, ethnic, economic, ethnic, economic, and ideological and ideological differences. differences.

We must strive for We must strive for the common good the common good of all.of all.

Care for God’s CreationCare for God’s Creation

We are called to be We are called to be stewards of stewards of creation not creation not conquerors of conquerors of creation.creation.

We are called to We are called to protect and live protect and live “within nature” “within nature” and not live above and not live above it.it.