Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching is founded in Scripture and includes statements and letters written by Church leaders. It offers wisdom and insights on living the Gospel in today’s world. Modern Catholic Social Teaching is said to have originated in 1891 with the encyclical letter, Rerum Novarum. Since then, a wealth of teaching continues to give new life to the Scriptures and shape the Church’s response to our modern world. For example, Pope Francis continues to add to Catholic Social Teaching with his own encyclicals, including Laudato Si’ (2015) and Fratelli Tutti (2020).

From these Catholic Social Teaching documents and encyclicals, we can derive core principles.

Each half term, we are going to introduce the pupils to one of the Catholic Social Teaching principles through liturgy and classroom activities.

You are made in the image and likeness of God.

You are special, unique and important to God.

Treat everyone with the dignity and love they deserve.

In our liturgy, the scripture reading taught us that God created humans in His own image and likeness, which means that we are special and valuable to God. We thought about how treating someone with dignity means treating them with love, kindness and respect and that everyone should be treated with dignity because we are made in the image and likeness of God.​ This means we should care for each other, help those in need, and stand up for what is right, just like Jesus taught us.

Pray together:

Loving God,

We come together to thank you for each other. You created each of us in Your image and likeness. Through Your Son, You taught us how to show everyone the love, respect and kindness they deserve. Encourage us to share the good things of the earth and to work for justice and equality for every human being. Help us to treat everyone with dignity and love.

Amen

Catholic Social Teaching Principle: Stewardship

As Christians, we are called to be good stewards of creation.

That means we are meant to look after the world that God created for us. We must all work to leave our world in a better condition for the people who come after us.

Pope Francis said, ‘Creation is a gift, it is a wonderful gift that God has given us, so that we care for it and we use it for the benefit of all.’ Pope Francis, Laudato Si’

Pope Francis wrote a letter called Laudato Si’, addressed to everyone in the whole world, asking us all to take care of our common home. You can see an animation of his letter here: https://cafod.org.uk/education/primary-teaching-resources/laudato-si-for-children

Remember, that even small actions can make a big difference in caring for God's creation. Always take a moment to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the world around you – it's a gift from God, and it's up to us to protect it.

Pray together:

Loving God,

Thank you for our world. You created the Earth for us to live and prosper in. You taught us how to care for the world you created.

Let us give thanks for the joy our world brings us and pray that we become good stewards of creation.

Amen