Catholic Identity                           

Just as the social teaching of the Church is integral to Catholic faith, the social justice dimensions
of teaching are integral to Catholic education
and catechesis. They are an essential part of
Catholic identity and formation.

If Catholic education and formation fail to communicate our social tradition, they are not
fully Catholic.

The Problem

Far too many Catholics are unfamiliar with the basic content
of Catholic social teaching.More fundamentally, many Catholics
do not adequately understand that the social mission of the
Church is an essential part of Catholic faith.

This poses a serious challenge for all Catholics, since it
weakens our capacity to be a Church that is true to the
demands of the Gospel. We need to do more to share the
social mission and message of our Church.

Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions
U.S. Bishops, 1998

  • The Church is a sign and a safeguard of the dignity
    of the human person.

  • A religious organization whose purpose is to help
    bring about the reign of God in history.

  • The social mission is “constitutive” not extra-curricular
    nor optional.