Catholic Social Teaching
Catholic Social Teaching refers to the political, social and economic issues in the world today – and our rection and action linked to these matters, in light of the faith we hold.
Catholic Social Teaching calls us all to work for the common good, help build a just society, uphold the dignity of human life and work for justice and the dignity of all our brothers and sisters, especially those in greatest need. Our faith calls us to love God and to love our neighbours in every situation, especially our sisters and brothers living in poverty. Following in the footsteps of Christ, we hope to make present in our unjust and broken world, the justice, love and peace of God.
Rooted in Scripture, Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is 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. It offers a set of principles to help us think about how we should interact with others. It forms the foundation of the choices we make and how we view creation – guiding us on how we live out our faith in our local, national and global communities.
At St Charles, we use Catholic Social Teaching to draw from scripture, from the example of Jesus, to create in us a need to ‘do something’ – and the ‘something we do’ is how we reflect and live out our faith in an overt and proactive way.
Some of the CST principles which inspire our work:
- Dignity
- Solidarity
- Common good
- Option for the poor
- Peace: Celebrating Differences
- Care for Creation
- The dignity of Work and Participation
For more information about Catholic Social Teaching please visit: https://cafod.org.uk/pray/catholic-social-teaching
At St Charles, these CST principles are
woven through the learning experience,
aiming to foster empathetic, proactive and just citizens, connecting our faith with real-world issues.
Through the curriculum, children learn to understand and live out CST in their actions, both locally and globally.
CST is embedded in our class ‘Catholic Life Groups’ and into planning across all subjects, allowing children to make connections between their learning and real – world CST issues.
CST themes are woven through our curriculum in the form of ‘Big questions’ and discussion in class, alongside the curriculum subjects taught. The themes are supported by a quote from Scripture or prominent figures from within the Catholic Church. In each theme, the children consider its relevance to themselves, and the wider community of which they are part. Links are made to Catholic Teaching and how we are all called to respond.
