Catholic Social Teaching

At Christ Our Hope all are welcome to grow in Faith, Hope and Love through vibrant celebrations of liturgy; programs of faith formation, evangelization & compassionate outreach; and responsible stewardship.

Our mission is based in the Church's social teaching - our guide to building a just society and living lives of holiness, especially in the heart of downtown Seattle. 

LIFE AND DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

Human life is sacred and the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching. Every person is precious, people are more important than things, and the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

CALL TO FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND PARTICIPATION

The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society—in economics and politics, in law and policy—directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. Marriage and family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. 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.

OPTION FOR THE POOR AND VULNERABLE

A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, we recall the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first. ‘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.' Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2448.

THE DIGNITY OF WORK AND THE RIGHTS OF WORKERS

The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected—the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION

We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. "A true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor." Pope Francis, Laudato Si', no 49. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

SOLIDARITY

We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. "God has so constructed the body [that]... if [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.” (1 Corinthians 12:24-26). Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.

- Selected excerpts from "Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions" from the USCCB.