1. Dignity of the Human Person
This principle is the bedrock of Catholic Social Teaching. It holds that every human being—regardless of race, religion, gender, or economic status—has an inherent and inalienable worth because we are all created in the image and likeness of God. This dignity is not something we earn; it is part and parcel of being human. For this reason, society must be structured to protect and promote the well-being of every person in every facet of life: spiritual, physical, social, and economic. This vision is known as “integral human development.” Any system that diminishes or exploits people is, at its root, unjust. As the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church puts it, a just society is only possible when it respects the transcendent dignity of the human person. Society exists to serve people, not the other way around: “Hence, the social order and its development must invariably work to the benefit of the human person, since the order of things is to be subordinate to the order of persons, and not the other way around” (§132).
2. Rights and Responsibilities
Because we have dignity, we also have rights. This principle affirms that every person is entitled to fundamental, inalienable human rights. These are not privileges but necessities for a dignified life, including the right to life itself, food, shelter, work, healthcare, and religious freedom. However, these rights are not a blank check; they come with corresponding responsibilities. We have a duty to respect the rights of others and to contribute to the common good of our communities. As Pope Saint John XXIII teaches in Pacem in Terris, a well-ordered society hinges on this balance: “A well-ordered human society requires that people recognize and observe their mutual rights and duties. It also demands that each contribute generously to the establishment of a civic order in which rights and duties are more sincerely and effectively acknowledged and fulfilled” (§31).
3. Solidarity and the Common Good
Catholic Social Teaching insists that we are one human family, bound together whether we like it or not. The principle of solidarity calls us to see others not as competitors but as brothers and sisters. It is a firm commitment to the well-being of all, especially those who are poor or suffering. This commitment is not just a warm feeling; it is the engine that drives us toward the common good.
The common good is not simply the sum of what individuals want. It refers to the social conditions—from safe streets and clean water to honest government and a just legal system—that allow every person and group to flourish and reach their full potential. Solidarity pushes us past sporadic acts of kindness and demands that we tackle the root causes of injustice. As the Second Vatican Council teaches in Gaudium et Spes, “God intended the earth with everything contained in it for the use of all human beings and peoples. Thus, under the leadership of justice and in the company of charity, created goods should be in abundance for all in like manner” (§69). In a nutshell, solidarity is the virtue that calls us to build a society for everyone, not just for a privileged few.
4. Preferential Option for the Poor
This principle flows directly from the last one. Because we are one family, we must pay special attention to those who are struggling. The preferential option for the poor and vulnerable highlights God’s particular love for those on the margins and calls us to do the same. This is not about excluding anyone; rather, it is about judging our societies, our economic policies, and our personal choices by how they affect the most vulnerable among us. Are they helped or harmed? Pope Saint John Paul II put it bluntly in a 1984 address: “The needs of the poor take priority over the desires of the rich; the rights of workers over the maximization of profits; the preservation of the environment over uncontrolled industrial expansion; the production to meet social needs over production for military purposes.” This principle is the moral litmus test of a just society.
5. Economic Justice
The economy must serve people, not the other way around. This principle insists that every person has a right to dignified work, fair wages, and safe working conditions. In Catholic thought, work is far more than a way to make a buck; it is a way we participate in God’s ongoing creation and contribute to the flourishing of our communities. Economic justice, therefore, demands an economy that protects workers’ rights, promotes a just distribution of wealth, and prioritizes human well-being over unchecked profits. This responsibility extends to all of us. As Pope Benedict XVI reminds us in Caritas in Veritate, our choices in the marketplace have moral weight: “purchasing is always a moral—and not simply economic—act” (§66).
6. Subsidiarity and Participation
This two-part principle addresses how society should be organized. First, subsidiarity is the idea that problems should be handled by the smallest, lowest, or least centralized group that is capable of addressing them. In other words, a higher-level body—like the national government—should not take over functions that a local community, a family, or an individual can handle effectively. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “neither the state nor any larger society should substitute itself for the initiative and responsibility of individuals and intermediary bodies” (§1894). This principle protects local institutions and human freedom from overreach by the state.
The flip side of subsidiarity is participation. Because we are social beings, we all have both a right and a duty to take part in the life of society. Our dignity is affirmed when we can contribute to the common good and have a say in the decisions that shape our lives. Participation ensures that power is not just held at the top but shared widely, empowering people to be active citizens rather than passive subjects. As the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church notes, participation is a duty we all share to contribute to the cultural, economic, and political life of our community (§189).
7. Stewardship of Creation
This article affirms that the Earth is a gift from God, entrusted to us not as absolute owners but as stewards. Creation has its own intrinsic value, and we have a moral duty to care for it responsibly. This principle calls us to protect the environment, preserve biodiversity, and manage natural resources sustainably for the sake of both current and future generations. We are called to be caretakers, not conquerors, of the natural world. Pope Benedict XVI captured this beautifully in his 2008 World Day of Peace message: “The family needs a home, a fit environment in which to develop its proper relationships. For the human family, this home is the earth, the environment that God the Creator has given us to inhabit with creativity and responsibility. We need to care for the environment: it has been entrusted to men and women to be protected and cultivated with responsible freedom, with the good of all as a constant guiding criterion.”
The Goal of It All: Peace
Finally, we arrive at the goal toward which all these principles point: peace. In Catholic Social Teaching, peace is not merely the absence of war. It is something much more profound—a state of tranquility, order, and wholeness that flows from justice. True peace requires right relationships with God, with our neighbors, and with creation itself. It is built day by day through respect for human dignity, the pursuit of the common good, and the tireless work for justice. As the Second Vatican Council’s Gaudium et Spes so powerfully puts it, peace is “an enterprise of justice” (§78).