Catholic Social Doctrine: A Video Series
by Angela Espada and Alexander Mingus
The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church (CSD) is often called “the Church’s best-kept secret”.
It’s not likely that many of us experienced a comprehensive catechesis in CSD. Rather, we likely experienced little bits here and there. The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church reminds us that CSD “must be considered as a whole, since [its principles are] characterized by an ever greater interconnectedness, influencing one another mutually and becoming increasingly a matter of concern for the entire human family.” This is no small task, but it is a task the Indiana Catholic Conference accepts as a part of its mission.
Why? Our public policy work is entirely influenced by this teaching.
Without proper formation, a minimal awareness of CSD effectively leaves the Catholic faithful’s formation on essential questions of human life and the just ordering of society to the forces of our culture. Some of these cultural forces may point us toward aspects of the Christian vision of the world, but the Gospel has a logic of its own that Catholics should understand.
Take a moment to examine your own formation. Have you spent significant time praying with and digesting the Church’s social doctrine? Has it been a part of your formation as a Catholic Christian?
As the US Bishops teach in Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, every Catholic bears the “moral responsibility to hear, receive, and act upon the Church’s teaching in the lifelong task of forming his or her own conscience. Foremost amongst those teachings are the four basic principles of Catholic social doctrine: the dignity of the human person, the common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity” (no. 5).
These basic principles are the primary topic of reflection in our 7-part video series, where we hope discussion about these principles leads to greater understanding and reception of the immutable truths of our Catholic faith. Our hope is to make Catholic social teaching something that people in their pews, homes or businesses think about; not in a lofty, only-aspirational way, but in a concrete and attainable way to order their lives inside and outside the home.