Catholic Social Teaching

This week we are going to look at the list of actions that the Church has made for us as we try to live in the Kingdom of Heaven!

The list of ‘rules’ that the Church has written for us is called a set of principles. So, first, let’s learn about what a principle is.

1. A principle is a kind of rule or standard. It offers guidance to us so that when we have to make a decision or choose which way to act we have some ideals to work towards.
2. Principles are often very big statements without a lot of detail attached. In your class you might live by the principle ‘we care for each other and ourselves’. The principle doesn’t tell you every single thing you should do (like speak respectfully to each other, listen to each other, look carefully before you cross the road etc) instead it just says: ‘care for yourselves and each other’. You have to work out how to do that.

Activities

Here is a principle: Practice thankfulness.

You can see that it’s a bit like a rule, but that its very big and doesn’t tell you exactly what to do.

If we practice thankfulness we might make sure that we notice and appreciate everything we have. It might mean we say thank you for it…to the people who gave it to us, who shared it with us, who allowed us to have it.

If we practice thankfulness we might notice and appreciate all the people who help us, think about us, support us and include us.

If we practice thankfulness we might stop grumbling about what we don’t have; because we realise we have so much.

Make a diary in your books for the week of what you can be thankful for. Every day, write about something or someone you are thankful for.

Live the principle of practicing thankfulness

Principle Image	Name	Meaning
	The principle of Dignity of the Human Person	We know that everyone is important and valuable: no one is better than anyone else.
	The principle of Preferential option for the Poor	We share what we have so that everyone gets some; we make sure the people who have the least get served first.
	The principle of Stewardship – Care of our common home	We remember that the world is everyone’s home (even those people who haven’t been born yet!) and so we don’t mess it up.
	The principle of the Common Good	We work together so that our community is good for everyone to live in
	The principle of Solidarity	We stick together, and when we find that people aren’t being treated well or are being taken advantage of, we work to make it fair for them.
	The principles of Subsidiarity and Participation	We make sure everyone gets a chance to talk about decisions. We make sure we include those who will be most affected by any decision.

Choose some of the activities below

Choose 3 principles that you understand draw or write what you do in your home or school to live this principle.

To learn a little bit more about each principle visit the caritas site and read about the cartoon and watch the short videos.

https://www.caritas.org.au/learn/cst

Discuss which principle you think is the most important?

Look at all the principles and put them in order: most important to least important.

Answer