Through grant-giving: to fund research into Catholic Social Teaching and Thought so that it can inform public policy; to educate leaders to become agents of positive change in their communities; and to assist charity partners drive educational social action that addresses injustice and restores the dignity and agency of disadvantaged people and groups.
Living in solidarity with others
Love your neighbour as yourself: we have a duty to help those less fortunate than ourselves, particularly those living in poverty and those most marginalised in our society. As Pope Francis teaches, love works for the common good, in solidarity with others.
Life is sacred
We believe that every human person is made in the image and likeness of God and God is present in every person. As such, all human life is sacred and everyone has an equal right to be treated with dignity, respect and acceptance. This means having enough to live on, the right to work, earn a fair wage, be represented by a union, enjoy autonomy and economic independence, and live free from violence and abuse..
Seeking the common good
We are one human family, with a common origin and a common destiny, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. As such we have a duty of care for one another. We believe that the moral health of a society can be judged on how it treats its poorest and most vulnerable citizens. We, our governments and other institutions, have a responsibility to promote the common good through the provision of education, healthcare and social welfare services that respect the dignity of all in our society, not just the privileged few. No-one should feel excluded from participating fully in the economic, political, and cultural life of society.
Custodians of creation
The earth belongs to all of us, it is our common home. Pope Francis exhorts us to be “loving custodians of creation”. Thoughtlessly exploiting its resources has led to catastrophic destruction of biodiversity, pollution, and climate change, all of which impact the poorest people most. We have a duty to care for our common home and help preserve and restore the environment for current and future generations.
We all belong to each other
There is a close relationship in Catholic Social Teaching between peace and justice. Peace is the fruit of justice and is something we must strive to achieve in all that we do. We can’t have an equitable society without peace, and we can’t have peace without justice. This common belonging then requires us to promote peace in the world and justice towards one another.
The Catholic Church has a rich tradition of social teaching, reaching from the early church fathers and philosophers of the past to the saints and activists of today.