2 Cathwor 3 Elements Of Cst Week 2

Catholic Social Teaching Introduction to Church’s Social Mission

Justice in the World, 1971 Synod of Bishops

What is Catholic Social Teaching?

Catholic Social Teaching ✔Catholic Social Teaching

sums up the teachings of the Church on social justice issues. ✔It promotes a vision of a just society.

Catholic Social Teaching … a society that is grounded: ✔ … in the Scriptures. ✔… in the wisdom gathered from

Christian community’s experiences as it has responded to social justice issues.

Catholic Social Teaching … likewise, CST is also ✔ … grounded in the

Word of God and the Christian Community ✔ … which continually

developed with the changes of the historical conditions and the social justice issues being addressed.

Three Elements of Catholic Social Teaching

Three Elements of CST The social teachings are made up of 3 different elements: ✔1. Principles for Reflection ✔2. Criteria for Judgment ✔3. Guidelines for Action

1. Principles for Reflection ✔These apply across

many different times and places, but the guidelines for action can change for different societies or period.

1. Principles for Reflection ✔Uniform

guidelines for action will not work because societies are so different from one another...

1. Principles for Reflection ✔… societies are

always changing over time creating new situations with different problems and possibilities.

2. Criteria for Judgment ✔These may be considered

as ‘middle axioms’ mediating between the (1) highly authoritative, but necessarily general and abstract principles for reflection, and the (2) details of the concrete social reality.

3. Guidelines for Action ✔These are always

dependent on contingent judgments and the information available through human knowledge.

Guidelines for Action ✔Often, there is a scope

for legitimate differences of opinion among believers on a range social justice issues. ✔A Method is necessary to resolve these

differences.

SEE, JUDGE & ACT…

Catholic Social Teaching Introduction to Church’s Social Mission

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