In our Catholic Social Teaching programs, we challenge members of the Cabrini community to think deeply about issues of injustice in light of centuries of reflection and action by the Church. Our Living Justice Series and Founder's Day Celebration honor scholars and practitioners who embody the Cabrinian legacy of transformative work for social justice.

The activities of the Wolfington Center are informed by the following Principles of Catholic Social Teaching as articulated by the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops.

Life and Dignity of the Human Person 
The first social teaching proclaims the respect for human life, one of the most fundamental needs in a world distorted by greed and selfishness.

The Catholic Church teaches that all human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation for all the social teachings. This theme challenges the issues of abortion, assisted suicide, human cloning, and the death penalty.

The Catholic Church holds the belief that every human life is precious and is a gift from God, and that every institution is measured by whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

Call to Family, Community, and Participation 
The second social teaching proclaims that the human person is not only sacred, but also social. It stresses that how we organize society in economics, politics, and law or policy directly affects human dignity and community.

Society often proclaims the importance of individualism, but Catholic Social Teaching argues that human beings are fulfilled in community and family. The Catholic Church believes we have the responsibility to participate in society and to promote the common good, especially for the poor and vulnerable.

Rights and Responsibilities 
Human dignity can only be protected if all human rights are protected and responsibilities of all human beings are met.

Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to the basic needs of life. The Catholic Church teaches that every person has a duty and responsibility to help fulfill these rights for one another, for our families, and for the larger society.

Public debate in our nation is often divided between those who focus on personal responsibilities and those who focus on social responsibilities, but the Catholic tradition insists that both are necessary to respond to the basic and fundamental rights of every human being.

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable 
This world is shaped by the division between growing prosperity for some and poverty for others. The Catholic Church proclaims that the basic moral test of a society is how the most vulnerable members are faring. Our society is marred by a deepening division between rich and poor.

From the Last Judgment reading (Mt 25:31-46), all people are instructed by God to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.

The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers 
The Catholic Church teaches that the economy must serve the people. Too often the marketplace takes precedence over the rights of workers. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation.

The rights to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative are all part of protecting the dignity of work by protecting the rights of the workers. Respecting these rights promotes an economy that protects human life, defends human rights, and advances the well-being of all.

Solidarity 
Our society often stresses individualism, indifference, and sometimes isolationism in the face of international responsibilities. The Catholic Church proclaims that every human being has a responsibility to our brothers and sisters, wherever they live.

We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. Solidarity is about loving our neighbors locally, nationally, as well as internationally.

This virtue was described by John Paul II as “a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say, to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all”  (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, no. 38).

Care for God’s Creation 
The Catholic tradition insists that every human being show respect for the Creator by our stewardship of His creation.

We are called to protect people and the planet by living our faith with respect for God’s creation. In a society with controversy over environmental issues, the Catholic Church believes it is a fundamental moral and ethical challenge that cannot be ignored.

To explore these themes in greater depth, consult the USCCB website usccb.org, with sections on Catholic Social Teaching and Faithful Citizenship.

Adapted from the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Peace and Justice website.