The Social Teachings of the Catholic Church- is the official teaching of the

Church on the social order, impacting on all dimensions of society, including the
economic and the political. It is an essential part of the Catholic faith.

At the core of CST is the common good. That is, the good of the community. St
Augustine describes the common good as one which is not diminished by being
shared with others.

The Church wants to build a just society and it seeks to do so on the solid
foundation of four fundamental values: Truth, Freedom, Justice and Love. 

The first source of Catholic Social Teachings is the Bible. Consider the Ten
Commandments (the old law) and Christ’s perfection of the old law when he calls
us to love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and our neighbour as we love
ourselves.

The second source is the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. The Fathers, such as
St Augustine, took the teachings of the Apostles and explained and defended them
in the years following Christ’s death and resurrection.

The Doctors of the Church are teachers who have made important contributions to
the faith through the years. For example, St Thomas Aquinas, St Catherine of
Siena, and St Anthony are doctors of the Church.

The third source is the evangelical letters and speeches of the Popes, and the
Magisterium of the Church. The first encyclical to tackle social issues was Rerum
Novarum by Pope Leo XIII in 1892. In it the pope outlined a just social order in
response to a lack of basic employee rights and an increasing tendency towards
class warfare