Catholic Social Teaching

What is Catholic Social Teaching?

Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is the official teaching of the Church on the social order, impacting on all dimensions of society, including the economic and the political. It is an essential part of the Catholic faith.

At the core of CST is the common good. That is, the good of the community. St Augustine describes the common good as one which is not diminished by being shared with others.

The Church wants to build a just society and it seeks to do so on the solid foundation of four fundamental values: Truth, Freedom, Justice and Love. Note, however, that it is not the Church’s role to replace the state and politics. Neither is it the Church’s role to make policies; rather, the Church seeks to inspire the state and, in particular, its political institutions with the beauty and goodness of CST in order to bring about a more just society.

It is useful to briefly introduce the fundamental values of social life mentioned above. The three values of truth, freedom and justice, which are all underpinned by love, are the highest and universal criterion of the whole of social ethics.

CAFOD's MASCOTS and KEYS

At SS Peter and Paul Primary School, we use CAFOD's mascots to introduce our pupils to the 9 principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Each principle is illustrated with two images. These images are memorable and engaging and aim to provide a visual connection with the principle.  We use the animal mascots with EYFS, KS1 and Lower KS2 and we use and introduce the keys in Upper Key Stage 2. 

INTRODUCTION TO THE CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING MASCOTS and KEYS
Information about the CST Mascot	Prayer for that CST Mascot	Keys
	Human Dignity
	The Common Good
	Participation
	Subsidiarity
	Stewardship
	Solidarity
	Preferential Option for the Poor
	Distributive Justice
	Promoting Peace

Catholic Social Teaching Videos