‘Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.’
1 John 3:18 (ESV)
Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is based on a tradition of episcopal and papal writings on political, economic and social issues facing our time. CST provides us with a structure on how to encompass and apply these reflections to our daily lives. More importantly, it guides us on how we should live out our faith, and respond to God’s call to work towards a common good.
An essential part of the Catholic faith, the key values of Catholic Social Teaching are found at the core of the Gospel. These underpin all that we do at Caritas Westminster The key themes of CST are:
- Human Dignity
- Community & Participation
- Care for Creation
- Dignity in Work
- Option for the Poor
- Solidarity & Peace
Volunteering is at the very heart of CST. Volunteering is a form of vocation or calling by God to use our gifts for the benefit of the common good, be it for our local community, or more broadly within the world. It forms part of our response to God’s plan for each of us – volunteering puts that plan into action.
We have created Love in Action an engagement programme that aims to help parishes, youth groups, schools, or faith-sharing groups explore the main themes of CST. The programme gives groups the tools to start their own outreach projects, helping them to address the needs of their communities and put love into action.
To find out more about Love in Action, visit the website here
In addition, our Caritas Ambassadors programme is a Catholic Social Teaching course for school groups. Find out more about Caritas Ambassadors, and other CST related resources for schools here.