Diocese of Kalamazoo

Catholic Social Teaching (CST)

Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching

  1. Life and Dignity of the Human Person -We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

  2. Call to Family, Community, and Participation - We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

  3. Rights and Responsibilities - Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities -- to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.

  4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable- In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.


  5. The Dignity of Work and the Right of Workers - If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected -- the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to organize and join unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.


  6. Solidarity - We are our brothers' and sisters' keepers, wherever they live. Learning to practice the virtue of solidarity means learning that "loving our neighbor" has global dimensions in an interdependent world.

  7. Care of God's Creation - We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God's creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

Contact the Sr. Susan Ridley if you want a list of 101 Ways to Live Catholic Social Teaching, a presentation on CST, resources on CST, legislative alerts on CST, list of web sites on CST.

The USCCB Department of Social Development and World Peace works on behalf of the Catholic bishops to share and apply Catholic social teaching on domestic and international issues.