Page 15 - Lessons and Activities on What Makes Us Catholic

ACTIVITY SHEET 5
The Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching
The dignity of the human person
◾ All people are holy, made in the image of God.
◾ God made every one of us. We are called to treat others with great respect and fairness because God made them too.
We are called to live as family and community
◾ People are both holy and social; when one su ers, we all su er.
◾ We, as humans, need to be around other people to be happy and healthy. Jesus wants us to live in families, have friends and neighbors, and also care for one another.
Rights and responsibilities
◾ Every person needs food, work, a home, school, and medical care in order to live. Every person has a right to have these.
◾ When some people don’t have these things, it is our responsibility to help them obtain their rights.
An option for the poor and vulnerable
◾ The gospel test of a community (or society) is how it treats those in need.
◾ Some people do not have what is necessary to live: food, water, work, housing, school, and medical care. They are considered poor. Our church teaches that these brothers and sisters must be treated with extra respect and extra care and given what they need.
The dignity and rights of workers
◾ Money, work, and business exist to serve people, not the other way around.
◾ Work gives us the means to live, giving us a chance to use the talents God gives us. Through our work, we are helping God create our world. Because everyone is created by God, workers deserve to have safe conditions, reasonable hours, and fair wages.
Solidarity
◾ We are called to work for justice for all people.
◾ The people of the world need each other, and we must work together if we are
to live. When we share our lives with others around the world, we become
the best we can be. Despite di erences, we are one family—the family of God.
We are called to stewardship
◾ The earth and all life on it is God’s creation. When we use the earth’s resources unwisely, many people su er.
◾ Making wise choices is called “good stewardship.”
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