Faith is personal, but it is never only private. The prophets spoke out against injustice, and Jesus identified Himself with the hungry, the stranger and the prisoner. Since Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum in 1891, the Church has developed a body of teaching on how to build a just society, called Catholic social teaching.
The bishops of the United States sum it up in seven themes:
- Life and dignity of the human person.
- Call to family, community and participation.
- Rights and responsibilities.
- Option for the poor and vulnerable.
- The dignity of work and the rights of workers.
- Solidarity.
- Care for God's creation.
Everything starts with human dignity. Every person, from conception to natural death, whatever their race, religion, ability, wealth or citizenship, is made in God's image and has a worth no one can take away. Society exists for the person, not the person for society or the economy.
The common good is the set of conditions that let all people, as groups and as individuals, flourish: peace, safety, education, health care, fair laws and a healthy environment. Two principles help. Solidarity means we are responsible for one another, even across borders. Subsidiarity means decisions should be made at the most local level that can handle them well, with larger bodies helping families and communities, not replacing them.
The option for the poor means a society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable members, as in Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Work has dignity because it shares in God's creative work: workers deserve fair wages, safe conditions and rest, and the economy must serve people, not the other way around.
Catholic social teaching does not fit neatly into any political party. It asks Catholics to form their consciences and bring the whole Gospel into public life: protecting life, welcoming the stranger, caring for the poor and creation, and supporting families. Charity meets immediate needs; justice changes the causes. Christians need both.