This resource provides you with an introduction to the principles of Catholic Social Thought. It provides an overview of the principles and how they relate to ACU’s Mission and Identity.
This resource provides you with an introduction to the principles of Catholic Social Thought. It provides an overview of the principles and how they relate to ACU’s Mission and Identity.
Overview
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Background ACU's Mission and the CST principles What are the CST principles used at ACUThe principles of Catholic Social Thought (CST) are borne from the catholic intellectual tradition. The principles are related to developing more peaceable and compassionate societies over the centuries. It is important to acknowledge that the principles of catholic social thought and concerns expressed in these principles are not unique to Catholics or Christians. Even though they may not use the same terms, virtually all of the world’s major religions, faith traditions, belief systems and indigenous people are concerned with matters of social justice.
On the other hand, the term Catholic Social Teaching is sometimes used interchangeably with Catholic Social Thought. In this case, Catholic Social Teaching is considered the official teaching of the Church that comes to us from the Church’s teaching authority. It includes encyclicals from Popes, documents from Church synods and Councils, documents from the various Congregations of the Curia (Vatican) and statements form Conferences of Bishops.
Regardless of the terms, the CST principles are not exclusive to the Catholic Church but are common to humanist approaches to assist with addressing social justice and human development.
You may encounter different resources listing CST principles. At times you may see 10 principles listed, others may list five or even seven. At ACU, we use nine CST principles. They are the same ones which all our undergraduates study in the Core Curriculum units (UNNC100 and UNCC300) which they all have to successfully complete to graduate in their degree.
As a Catholic university, we’re guided by our clear mission, strong sense of identity and firm set of values. All three influence the decisions we make as an institute of higher education and guide our staff and students in their day-to-day lives.
ACU's Mission is as follows:
“Within the Catholic intellectual tradition and acting in Truth and Love, Australian Catholic University is committed to the pursuit of knowledge, the dignity of the human person and the common good.”
So, how does the Mission relate to the CST principles?
There are nine principles (see Tohill, 2004) we use at ACU. They are:
This principle is based on two ideas: (1) that every person is made in the image of God, (2) that we all have inherent dignity because we are member of the human species. The dignity of the human person is not diminished by age, ability, ethnicity, economic status or any other factor.
The common good aims for the needs of all people to be met—not just a few or the majority, not just the wealthy or the powerful or the educated or the healthy—but all. It includes the flourishing and fulfilment of all people in all the different dimensions of their humanity (for example, intellectual, physical, relational, spiritual, affective, and so on), and goes beyond the needs of any individual.
When decisions are made by first considering the needs of the poor. We are called to look at public policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor. It states that the deprivation and powerlessness of the poor wounds the whole community. This principle is an essential part of society’s effort to achieve the common good.
This principle holds that the functions of government should be performed at the lowest level possible (that is, at the level closest to those people who are affected by decisions and policies) as long as they can be performed adequately and that they are at the right level of authority. When the needs in question cannot be adequately met at the lower level, then it is not only necessary but crucial that higher levels of government intervene.
This principle is related to the principle of subsidiarity, but it is not the same. This principle states that everyone has a right and the duty to participate at all levels of society (economically, politically, culturally, and religious).
This principle is also a fundamental demand of justice and a requirement for human dignity that all people be assured they can participate at a minimum level in the community.
The goods of Earth are gifts from God and they are intended for the benefit of everyone. Further, the duty to care for the earth as a God-given gift is a personal responsibility for each person and also contributes to the common good.
This principle holds that we are all interconnected and part of one human family. Our responsibilities to each other cross national, racial, economic and ideological differences. We are called to work globally for justice. Authentic development must be fully human development. It must respect and promote personal, social, economic and political rights, including the rights of nations and of all peoples.
Christian values promote peace as a positive, action-oriented concept. It involves collaboration and binding agreements. This principle holds that there is a close relationship between peace and justice. Peace is the fruit of justice and is dependent upon right order among human beings. In sum, everyone has the duty to respect and collaborate in personal relationships at local, national and global levels.
This suggests that the earth’s resources serve every person’s needs regardless of who ‘owns’ them. So then, it is argued that the goods of Earth are for all people to share. People have the right to own private property, however, this right comes with a caveat: we may not accumulate excess wealth for ourselves alone. Justice demands that all people should have access to the goods of society and that these must be equally shared in order to allow all to flourish.
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