Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic social teaching is a central and essential element of our faith. Its roots are in the Hebrew prophets who announced God's special love for the poor and called God's people to a covenant of love and justice. It is a teaching founded on the life and words of Jesus Christ, who came "to bring glad tidings to the poor . . . liberty to captives . . . recovery of sight to the blind"(Lk 4:18-19), and who identified himself with "the least of these," the hungry and the stranger (cf. Mt 25:45). Catholic social teaching is built on a commitment to the poor. This commitment arises from our experiences of Christ in the eucharist.

"To receive in truth the Body and Blood of Christ given up for us, we must recognize Christ in the poorest, his brethren" (CCC no. 1397)

Resources

Papal Teaching and Migration: Exploring Common Themes in Papal Teaching on Migration

  • Since 1914, the Church has invited us to celebrate the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR), which provides an opportunity for Catholics to reflect on the situation confronting migrant populations, both internationally and domestically. This study guide will provide an opportunity to consider several key themes that have consistently emerged in migration day messages during the pontificates of Pope Saint John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis, and emphasize the significant continuity across papacies on the issue of migration. The themes covered in this study guide include reflections on family, accompaniment, evangelization, and “solidarity and shared responsibility”. We suggest that discussion groups address one theme per session. Given the importance of the migration question to the Church, these study sessions can be conducted at any point during the year for small groups who are interested in learning more about this topic and how the Church approaches it.

    The study guide can be found here: Papal Teaching and Migration

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