Catholic Social Teaching and its Relationship with Self and Community

This article discusses the principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and their relationship with the concepts of 'self' and 'community'. It explores the principles of solidarity, human dignity, common good, and subsidiarity, and how they contribute to the overall well-being of society. The article also provides practical examples to illustrate the connection between self and community in the context of CST.

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Introduction:
Catholic Social Teaching refers to the doctrines of the Christian Catholic religious
subdivision. The principles of CST covers aspects related to human dignity as well as
common welfare within the society. The principles widely cover aspects related to
oppression, role of the state, social organization, social justiceand optimal distribution of
wealth as well as concerns of subsidiarity. Pope Leo XIII is mentioned to have propounded
the principles and philosophies of CST in the year 1891 (Thomas Massaro, 2015). However,
historical accounts suggest that the actual root of CST can be traced from the writings of
philosophical thinkers such as Thomas Aquinas and Augustine of Hipo. Historical accounts
further mention that the philosophical thinkers derived the idea from the Biblical versus as
well as the medieval era (Thomas Massaro, 2015). Pope Benedict XVI mentioned that the
holistic purpose of the CST principles is to purify the cause for acknowledging and positively
contributing for a social cause that is ethical and justified. Pope John Paul II supported the
ideals of Pope Benedict XVI and stated that the principles of CST lies on the four pillars of
solidarity, human dignity, common good and subsidiarity (McKenna, 2019). The CST
principles suggest that human-life is sacred and human dignity forms the basis of the moral
vision for the society. The principle of solidarity can be defined as the willingness of the
individual to serve the neighbours. On the other hand, the principle of common good can be
defined as serving the community for greater good. Also, the principle of subsidiarity defines
the existing relationship between individual and social relationships. These principles are
responsible for social issues such as inequality, poverty, environmental degradation as well as
unemployment. In the words of Sison et al. (2016), the underlying principles of Catholic
Social Teaching is distinct and is coherent with the negative aspects of the modern, social as
well as political principles both for the moderate and the extremist beliefs. The CST
principles aim to acquire equilibrium between the liberty of mankind as well as the human

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rights for both the stronger and weaker sections of the society. This report intends to reflect
on the principles of CST and discuss its existing relationship with the concepts of ‘self’ and
‘community’.
Discussion:
One of the integral principles of Catholic Social Teaching focuses on emphasising on
developing self for improved community participation. It can be stated in this regard that the
human beings are the most precious creation of almighty and the purpose of the creation of
mankind was not restricted to self-sustainment. Living within a community was one of the
primary objectives that was expected to foster positivity within the society and is reflected by
the four principles of solidarity, human dignity, common good and subsidiarity. In this regard
it can be stated that the manner of living within a community reflects the expression of self
and respect shown to community members. In the words of John Paul II, a community can
only flourish for human beings if it comprises of a soul and the individuals living within the
society are the ones who can integrate a soul within the community (Tablan, 2015). Further,
the principles of common good, solidarity and subsidiarity also state that community
participation is a duty that must be consciously fulfilled by all the team members so as to
acquire holistic good.
In this regard it can be mentioned that each of the major themes within the doctrines
of CST are supported by a number of sub-themes. In fact, two of the principles cover the
elements of community and participation and contribution to greater good (Annett, 2016).
The principles are expected to be achieved by doing well across three domains of practical
realities that include, political action, family life as well as service.
The concept of ‘self’ and ‘community’ are tightly linked and are coherent with the
ideologies of the Catholic Social thought. The in depth understanding about the principles can

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help to estimate the manner in which the issues are related to the dignity of the individual and
the holistic realisation of the common human good. As per Thompson (2015), the individual,
family or the community members are unable to acquire holistic development for leading a
human life without the close association of one another. This majorly accounts for the reason
why there is a necessity for the creation of political institutions, academic institutions or other
community organizations which can help to acquire continuous community development
(Casey, 2017).
Practical examples can be cited which explain the existing relationship between self
and community. For instance, upon considering the role of a public health officer, it can be
stated that the primary role of the health officer is to not only develop policies to improve the
healthcare status of the patients within the concerned health care setting but to also ensure
that the wellness of the community members is also improved (Casey, 2017). Another
instance can be cited where a teacher is expected to impart education and think about the
holistic development of the children within a school. However, the professional duty of the
teacher is also expected to extend beyond the boundaries of the school for the development of
the community (Clarke, 2018). Instances where a teacher encounters poor parenting or
development of a poor habit within a child, a teacher must actively approach the parents of
the child and positively counsel them so as to acquire a positive outcome and develop the
children of the community (Clarke, 2018). The purpose for the same can be explained as
undertaking additional effort the development of the community for a humanitarian purpose.
In the same manner, it can be said that the individual actions undertaken by self can help to
integrate wellness within the community and ensure development of the community
(Thompson, 2015). The CST principles critically mention that the responsibility of
developing the community is a mandatory responsibility of all the members within a society
or a community. The factor of common good implies to every individual irrespective of their

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economic background or societal status and it is the responsibility of every individual to
ensure that every individual within the community is able to benefit from the welfare
measures and live an improved quality of life (Annett, 2016). Common good is another term
for inclusive good and does not exclude any specific section of the community population. In
fact, if any section of the community is excluded from the welfare, the cause or significance
of the greater good becomes invalid. The notion can be explained with the help of a
supporting example that mentions about the exclusion of poverty from the society. In fact if
individuals are excluded from a society on account of economic status, the governing
authorities have a primary responsibility to undertake appropriate measures so as to ensure
that the quality of life for the community members living below the poverty line is
significantly improved (Tablan, 2015). In the same manner, the corporate organizations as
well as every community members has a responsibility to proactively adapt measure to
eradicate poverty from the society for greater good (Tablan, 2015).
Conclusion:
Therefore, to conclude, it can be stated that a community mutually shares an optimal
amount of resources and the community members living together share a common essence of
history and cultural background. In fact the network of the relationships shapes the social ties
and forms the basis of a sound community where individual actions are responsible for an
overall outcome that impacts the community either in a positive or a negative manner.

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References:
Annett, A. (2016). Human flourishing, the common good, and Catholic social
teaching. World happiness report, 2.
Casey, K. (2017). I answer with my life: Life histories of women teachers working for social
change. Routledge.P.73,74
Clarke, S. (2018). Social Work as Community Development: A management model for social
change. Routledge.P.89
McKenna, K. E. (2019). A concise guide to Catholic social teaching. Ave Maria Press.P.44
Sison, A. J. G., Ferrero, I., & Guitián, G. (2016). Human dignity and the dignity of work:
Insights from Catholic social teaching. Business Ethics Quarterly, 26(4), 503-528.
Tablan, F. (2015). Catholic social teachings: Toward a meaningful work. Journal of Business
Ethics, 128(2), 291-303.
Thomas Massaro, S. J. (2015). Living justice: Catholic social teaching in action. Rowman &
Littlefield.P.79
Thompson, J. M. (2015). Introducing catholic social thought. Orbis Books.P.63