Themes of Catholic
Social Teaching

"Catholic social teaching is a central and essential element of our faith. Its roots are in the Hebrew prophets who announced God's special love for the poor and called God's people to a covenant of love and justice. It is a teaching founded on the life and words of Jesus Christ, who came "to bring glad tidings to the poor . . . liberty to captives . . . recovery of sight to the blind"(Lk 4:18-19), and who identified himself with "the least of these," the hungry and the stranger (cf. Mt 25:45). Catholic social teaching is built on a commitment to the poor. This commitment arises from our experiences of Christ in the eucharist" (USCCB).

Solidarity

Solidarity is one of the themes of Catholic social teachings. It is the idea that no matter the difference in race, ethnicity, location, or wealth, we are all one human family. Solidarity is about loving your neighbor. “If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him?” (1 John 3:17). This verse shows that at the heart of Catholic teachings is showing others compassion. Locking up innocent families and separating children from parents is not showing others compassion. Choosing to detain immigrants goes against the teaching of solidarity.

Rights and Responsibilities

Rights and Responsibilities is a Catholic social teaching that means, "The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities--to one another, to our families, and to the larger society" ("Rights and Responsibilities." USCCB). A key phrase that stands out from this definition is the protection of human dignity. The mistreatment of immigrants directly goes against this. By leaving immigrants in unsafe centers that have failed health checks for long periods of time, giving them limited food, and separating families, the dignity of immigrants is something that is basically nonexistent.