Catholic Social Teaching is a central and essential element of our faith, recognizing Christ in the poorest among us. It is based on, and inseparable from, our understanding of human life and human dignity. As we are made in the image and likeness of God, Catholics believe that human life and human dignity are inherently sacred. Catholic Social Teaching is the way we live out God’s greatest commandment, which is:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
and with all your mind. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
This central and essential element of our Catholic faith calls us to reach out and build personal relationships with those in most need of mercy and justice. It also calls us to inspire and defend the sacred dignity of the human person while also promoting the common good. We have an enduring duty of commitment to the poor and to the most vulnerable.