Catholic Social Teaching

St Bernadette’s will continue to ensure that all members of our community understand the principle underpinning the ‘common good’. That it is the care for the greatest good of all persons. As a school we have adopted using the Rooted in Love resources, a project by Caritas, to support schools in their journey with Catholic Social Teaching.

Because we are interdependent, the common good is more like a multiplication sum, where if any one number is zero then the total is always zero. If anyone is left out and deprived of what is essential, then the common good has been betrayed.

The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales Choosing the Common Good, paragraph 8.

Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of His love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades.

Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium

What does ‘Catholic Social Teaching’ mean?

The Catholic Church has six principles of social teaching that we share with our children through all that we do, through the curriculum, special events and activity and through our ordinary actions in school.

● Human Dignity
● Community and Participation
● Care for Creation
● Dignity in Work
● Peace & Reconciliation
● Solidarity

LIFE AND DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, every person’s life and dignity must be respected and supported from conception through natural death. We believe that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

CALL TO FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND PARTICIPATION

The human person is not only sacred, but social. How we organize our society — socially, economically, legally and politically — directly affects human dignity and the ability of every human person to grow in community. Marriage and family, the foundations for social life, should be strengthened and supported. Every person has a right to participate in society and a corresponding duty to work for the advancement of the common good and the well-being of all.

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION

The world that God created has been entrusted to all of us. Our stewardship of the earth is a form of participation in God’s act of creating and sustaining the world. In our use of creation, we must be guided by a concern for generations to come. We show our respect for the Creator by our care for creation.

DIGNITY OF WORK

The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. To uphold the dignity of work, the basic rights of workers must be respected — the right to productive work, to fair and liveable wages, and to organize and join a union.

SOLIDARITY

We are one human family. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbour has global dimensions. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Our love for all of our brothers and sisters calls us to seek a peaceful and just society where goods are distributed fairly, opportunity is promoted equally and the dignity of all is respected.

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Every person has a fundamental right to life — the right that makes all other rights possible. Each person also has a right to the conditions for living a decent life — food, health care, housing, education and employment. We have a corresponding duty to secure and respect these rights for others and to fulfil our responsibilities to our families, to each other and to our larger society.

OPTION FOR THE POOR AND VULNERABLE

Scripture teaches that God has a special concern for the poor and vulnerable. The church calls on all of us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first. This preferential option for the poor and vulnerable should be reflected in both our daily lives and public policies. A fundamental measure of our society is how we care for and stand with our poor and vulnerable brothers and sisters.

 Catholic Social Teaching in action at St Bernadette

Faith Friends - Meet Our Mission Team

Our Chaplaincy team ‘Faith Friends’ representatives were chosen after completing the initial application and interview process. We meet weekly after assembly to respond to key questions regarding our call to action and to plan key events across the year.

Our Aims:

• Promote the Catholic character of our school.
• Encourage pupils to show their Catholic values in daily living.
• Develop good relationships within and beyond the school community.
• Support the liturgy, prayer and spiritual life of the school.
• Involve pupils to act positively and fundraise for charities.
• Provide a link with the parish and Chaplaincy Teams in other schools.
• Support our school with our Mission Statement.

CST Assemblies 

To help us put our call into action of making the world the best possible place it can be, and as God intended it to be when He gave it to mankind as a gift, we consistently revisit the 6 Caritas themes of Catholic Social Teaching. In our weekly praise assemblies we spend time reflecting on the value focus for that half term and contemplate and pray for guidance on identifying how CST can enable us to understand the outward show or action of our Catholic faith that will impact on many aspects of our life and, in turn, lead us to making an impact on the world so it can be as God intended it to be.