Adult Education

Catholic Social Teachings: An Essential Part of Faith Formation

By Heidi Busse

Good, quality adult faith formation integrates all aspects of Christ’s message and mission. A well-rounded year of adult programming, therefore, must include education on the social teachings of the Catholic Church.

As the U.S. Catholic Bishops state in their document Sharing Catholic Social Teaching, “Far too many Catholics are not familiar with the basic content of Catholic social teaching. More fundamentally, many Catholics do not adequately understand that the social teaching of the Church is an essential part of Catholic faith. This poses a serious challenge for all Catholics, since it weakens our capacity to be a Church that is true to the demands of the Gospel. We need to do more to share the social mission and message of our Church.”

As early planning begins for next year’s faith formation curriculum, it is important to reflect on the many Catholic social teachings and the ways they can be integrated into faith formation programming at all levels. Below is a list of some of the Church’s social teachings from the Archdiocesan Office for Social Justice in the St. Paul and Minneapolis diocese:

1. Dignity of the Human Person 

Belief in the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all Catholic social teaching. Human life is sacred, and the dignity of the human person is the starting point for a moral vision for society. This principle is grounded in the idea that the person is made in the image of God. The person is the clearest reflection of God among us. 

2. Common Good and Community

How we organize our society -- in economics and politics, in law and policy -- directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. The obligation to "love our neighbor" has an individual dimension, but it also requires a broader social commitment. Everyone has a responsibility to contribute to the good of the whole society, to the common good.

3. Option for the Poor

The moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. The option for the poor is an essential part of society's effort to achieve the common good. A healthy community can be achieved only if its members give special attention to those with special needs, to those who are poor and on the margins of society.  
 
4. Rights and Responsibilities

Human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency – starting with food, shelter and clothing, employment, health care, and education. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities -- to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.  

5. Stewardship of God's Creation 

The goods of the earth are gifts from God, and they are intended by God for the benefit of everyone. There is a "social mortgage" that guides our use of the world's goods, and we have a responsibility to care for these goods as stewards and trustees, not as mere consumers and users. How we treat the environment is a measure of our stewardship, a sign of our respect for the Creator. 

6. Global Solidarity and Development

We are one human family. Our responsibilities to each other cross national, racial, economic and ideological differences. We are called to work globally for justice. Authentic development must be full human development. It must respect and promote personal, social, economic, and political rights, including the rights of nations and of peoples.

There are many ways to integrate Catholic Social Teaching into faith formation programming. Offer a speaker series for adults on the teachings and be sure to offer time for dialogue and discussion. Young adults and teens are inundated daily with media reports that directly relate to the social teachings of the Church. Offer small-group discussions for this age-group with a local or national newspaper as your text. Finally, young children can learn about the basic concepts of human dignity (we are all special), stewardship (we share what we have been given) and global solidarity (we are all one human family). Set aside a few minutes at the beginning or end of each faith formation class to discuss the social teachings of the Church.