St Anne's Catholic Primary School

achieving excellence in all our God given talents

Lowe Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B12 0ER

0121 675 5037

enquiry@st-annes.bham.sch.uk

Catholic Social Teachings

We can all make a difference in making our world a better place for all.

Pope Francis: Pray for immense suffering of people in Holy Land - Catholic  Bishops' Conference

‘Dear young people… The Lord wants to turn your hands, my hands, our hands, into signs of reconciliation, of communion, of creation. He wants your hands to continue building the world of today.’

Pope Francis 

Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is rooted in Scripture especially in the teachings of Jesus found in the Gospels, and influenced by grassroots movements. It is our moral compass, guiding us on how to live out our faith in the world.

Our faith calls us to love God and to love our neighbours in every situation, especially our sisters and brothers living in poverty. Following in the footsteps of Christ, we hope to make present in our unjust and broken world, the justice, love and peace of God. It is our vocation to live as Jesus and saints throughout the ages, bettering our world for everyone.

The Catholic Church has seven principals of social teaching that we will explore in school, just like our virtues. Throughout your child's spiritual journey at St Anne's, we explore these principals through our curriculum and everyday actions. 

 

Dignity of the Human Person

St Paul tells us that each person is a work of art, created by God and chosen for a unique purpose. Ephesians 2:10

 

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 until the end of their natural life on earth.

Dignity of Work

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40

 

Work is a way in which we can continue to participate in God’s creation.  Work gives dignity to life and must be carried out in such a way that the basic rights of workers are respected.  Everyone has the right to productive work, to fair and livable wages, and to organise and join a union.  The economy must be conducted so that it serves the needs of the people.

Family and Community

“You are not making a gift of your possessions to the poor person.  You are handing over to them what is theirs.” St Ambrose (340-397 AD)

 

The human person is not only sacred, but social.  How society is organised, be it socially, economically, legally or politically has a direct impact on the dignity and growth of every human person and community.  Marriage and family should be supported and strengthened.  Every person has a right to work to support themselves and their families as well as the building up of the common good for all.

Solidarity and The Common Good

Blessed Pope Paul VI taught that “If you want peace, work for justice”. The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers.

 

We are all People of God, one family.  Therefore what happens to one has an impact on all, locally, nationally and globally.  At the heart of solidarity is the pursuit of peace and justice.  Our love for all calls us to work for a peaceful and just society where everyone has a fair share of the goods needed for a sustainable life, and opportunities for growth and development are offered equally. The dignity of every person is respected.

Rights and Responsibilities

Fear not for I am with you. I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

 

Every person has a fundamental right to life.  It is this right that makes all other rights possible.  Everyone has the right to food, health care, housing, education and employment.  We all need to strive to secure and respect these rights for others both locally and globally.

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Matthew 25:35-40

 

Society is judged on how it cares for the poor and vulnerable – our brothers and sisters.  We read in scripture how God has a special concern for the oppressed, poor, vulnerable and those forced to the margins of society. The Church calls us to respond to the cry of the poor and put their needs first.  This preferential treatment for the poor and vulnerable must be seen in action in our daily lives.

Stewardship of God's Creation

The ecological crisis is also a summons to profound interior conversion…Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience. Pope Francis – Laudato Si

 

The world God has created for us has been entrusted to everyone and we are responsible and accountable to God as stewards of the earth. The world has been given to us as a gift, to enjoy and care for so that future generations can enjoy it too. It is in caring for creation that we show our love and respect for its creator.

Catholic Social Teaching – Good Ground Press

Everyone has the right and responsibility to live in our world constructively, not destructively, and to ensure that we leave it in a better state than when we entered it.

What-We-Do-700-x-467 - I J Golding

 AT SAINT ANNE'S

At St Anne’s we show we are part of a community by:

  • working together
  • working for the common good
  • participating and engaging
  • being active members of our community

 

At St Anne’s we show we care for creation by:

  • taking responsibility for our environment
  • making environmentally responsible choices
  • having awe and wonder for the natural world

At St Anne’s we recognise the human dignity of others by: 

  • being respectful
  • treating people equally
  • raising awareness of civil rights
  • preferential option for the vulnerable

At St Anne’s we show solidarity by:

  • raising awareness of social justice
  • writing to our local leaders
  • praying for others
  • making connections
  • making socially responsible choices

At St Anne’s we show a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable by: 

  • fundraising for charitable causes
  • raising awareness 
  • treating others with dignity and respect
  • thinking of the needs of others

At St Anne’s we show that we are part of the community by:

 

  • participating and engaging 
  • being active members of our community

At St Anne’s we recognise the dignity of work by:

  • respecting all workers
  • contributing to society
  • making responsible economic choices
  • supporting wellbeing and workers' rights
  • sharing our talents with others

At St Anne’s we show we are people of peace by:

  • treating each other kindly
  • turning away from conflict
  • creating bonds between people