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 Catholic Social Teaching 

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_social_teaching Catholic social teaching is a body of doctrine developed by the Catholic Church on matters of poverty and wealth, economics, social organization and the role of the state. Its foundations are widely considered to have been laid by Pope Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical letter Rerum Novarum, which advocated economic Distributism and condemned Socialism, although its roots can be traced to the writings of Catholic thinkers such as St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine of Hippo, and is also derived from concepts present in the Bible. According to Pope Benedict XVI, its purpose "is simply to help purify reason and to contribute, here and now, to the acknowledgment and attainment of what is just…. [The Church] has to play her part through rational argument and she has to reawaken the spiritual energy without which justice…cannot prevail and prosper",[1] According to Pope John Paul II, its foundation "rests on the threefold cornerstones of human dignity, solidarity and subsidiarity".[2] These concerns echo elements of Jewish law and the prophetic books of the Old Testament, and recall the teachings of Jesus Christ recorded in the New Testament, such as his declaration that "whatever you have done for one of these least brothers of Mine, you have done for Me."[3] Catholic social teaching is distinctive in its consistent critiques of modern social and political ideologies both of the left and of the right: liberalism, communism, feminism,[4][5] atheism,[6] socialism, libertarianism, capitalism,[7] fascism, and Nazism have all been condemned, at least in their pure forms, by several popes since the late nineteenth century.

Key Themes for Catholic Social Teaching
 * Sanctity of human life and dignity of there person
 * Call to the family, community, and participation
 * Rights and responsibilities
 * Option for the poor
 * Dignity of work
 * Solidarity
 * Care for God's creation

Option for the poor

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Option_for_the_poor:

The phrase "option for the poor" was used by Fr. Pedro Arrupe, Superior General of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1968 in a letter to the Jesuits of Latin America.

The principle was articulated by the Catholic Bishops of Latin America (CELAM) at the influential conferences in Medellin and Puebla, as well as by several popes, particularly Pope John Paul II.

Pope John Paul II's encyclical Centesimus Annus (1991) elaborates on the principle.[5]

The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church published by the Roman Curia summarizes the principle.[6]

Background

Jesus states "on the Day of Judgment, God will ask what each person did to help the poor and needy: "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." This is reflected in Catholic canon law, which states, "The Christian faithful are also obliged to promote social justice and, mindful of the precept of the Lord, to assist the poor." While the common good embraces all, those who are weak, vulnerable, and most in need deserve preferential concern. A basic moral test for our society is how we treat the most vulnerable in our midst. An unknown author states: "In a society marred by deepening disparities between rich and poor, Scripture gives us the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and reminds us that we will be judged by our response to the “least among us.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains: Those who are oppressed by poverty are the object of a preferential love on the part of the Church which, since her origin and in spite of the failings of many of her members, has not ceased to work for their relief, defense, and liberation through numerous works of charity which remain indispensable always and everywhere.* Pope Benedict XVI has taught that “love for widows and orphans, prisoner*s, and the sick and needy of every kind, is as essential to [the Church] as the ministry of the sacraments and preaching of the Gospel”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_social_teaching
 * http://web.archive.org/web/20060216183419/http://www.osjspm.org/cst/themes.htm
 * http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html