Additional information: Catholic Social Teachings

The Church's social encyclicals are a reflection upon the issues of the day
using the light of faith and reason. They offer commentary on the ways to
evaluate and address particular social problems—also using natural law
principles—in the areas of politics, economics, and culture. Quotes were
selected from the encyclicals that define and expand upon the primary
principles for the purpose of representing them for study, reflection, and use in
everyday personal and business encounters and decision making for
healthcare professionals.

Catholic social teaching offers Catholics a powerful critique of the social

contradictions and failures that can trouble our culture, which is based in faith
and scripture, not in political theory. In the same way we use Catholic moral
teaching to provide the foundation for our personal examination of
conscience.

Catholic social teaching provides a parallel framework to support an

examination of institutional, economic, or social conscience. CST helps us
track down structural occasions of sin and offer practical, commonsense, but
always compassionate guidelines for effecting change aimed at mitigating
such “social sin” and doing a kind of civic penance for it. CST escapes easy
political labeling intended to shut down debate on contemporary social
questions. It asserts a passionate moral challenge to Catholics of every
generation.

Some have called this nearly 120-year-old tradition the church’s best kept-
secret. Personally I don’t think CST is best kept secret for even a moment
longer. That’s because for young people wondering how their faith can be
relevant to their lives or the crushing social needs of our times, or suspecting
that Christians might be called to do more than respond with charity to social
inequities that lead to want among others, CST is often a shocking revelation.
It can motivate them to struggle for social justice while it contributes to a
deeper understanding of the radical implications of their Christian faith.

Six Practical Principles for Business

The principles of respect for human dignity and pursuit of common good are
the foundations of the Church’s social teaching. Joined with this six practical
principles of business, they can offer more specific guidance on the three
broad business objectives.(I,II,III)

I. Meeting the Needs of the world through the creation and development
of Goods and Services

1. Business contribution to the common good by producing goods that are

truly good and services that they truly serve.

2. Business maintains solidarity with the poor by being alert for opportunities
to serve deprived and underserved populations and people in need.

II. Organising Good and Productive Work

3. Business makes a contribution to the community by fostering the social

dignity of human work.

4. Business that embraces subsidiarity provides opportunities for employee

to exercise their gifts as they contribute to the mission of the organisation.

III. Creating Sustainable Wealth and Distributing it Justly

5. Business model stewardship of the resources--whether capital , human, or

environmental---under their control.

6. Business is just in the allocation of benefits to all stakeholders: employee,

customers, investors, supplies, and the community.

In summary

 As a Christian business leader, am I promoting human dignity

and common good in my sphere of influence?

 Am I supporting the culture of life; justice; international

regulations; transparency; civic, environmental, and labour
standards; and the fight against corruption?

 Am I promoting the integral development of the person in my

workplace?