St. Bede's Catholic Junior School
Catholic Social Teaching
Catholic Social Teaching Prayer
Dear God,
You made every person in Your image.
Help us to remember the dignity of the human person and treat everyone with respect, kindness and love.
Teach us the importance of family and community so we can live and learn together in peace and friendship. Help us to include others, listen well and support one another.
Remind us to work for the common good by sharing what we have and making sure everyone is cared for.
Help us to be stewards of creation, protecting the Earth – our common home – and using its gifts wisely and gently.
Show us how to have solidarity with others, especially with people who are poor, lonely or treated unfairly. Help us to stand together as one global family.
Teach us the option for the poor and vulnerable so we remember to put the needs of the weakest first, just like Jesus did.
Bless the work we do each day and help us see the dignity of work and the rights of workers. May we always try our best and value the work others do.
Loving God, help us to live out these principles in our school and in the world with joyful hearts, just like St. Bede.
The Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
Human Dignity
celebrating diversity and the strength it gives us as we come together to seek justice for all
We recognise that everyone is special, unique and beautiful, and that God is present in every person.
We are called to treat every person and creature with loving respect, just as all of us are infinitely loved by our Creator.
Dignity of Work
valuing those who work or want to work and viewing work as a way that all people can participate in creation and community
We believe that everyone has the right to earn a living, receive a fair wage and be safe and cared for in their workplace.
Work is an essential part of our human dignity and we are called to ensure that the human person is always put before profit.
The Common Good
following Jesus’ example of ensuring that quieter voices are heard so that every one of us, and our Mother Earth, may flourish
We think of the needs of all rather than our own selfish needs and desires. We ask, "What is right and good for everyone?" rather than, "What is best for me?"
We are called to share the fruits of the Earth and the gifts of Creation with everyone.
Participation
working together to confront the problems of our world and seek solutions, and speaking out boldly for others when it is right to do so
We believe in taking part.
Everyone has the right, duty and responsibility to take an active role in society.
We are called to participate in supporting our communities, improving our neighbourhoods and walking with others.
Subsidiarity
believing that local communities have the power to influence changes around the globe
We believe that everyone should have a say and that people are active agents who can think for themselves.
We are called to encourage communities to speak up and make their own decisions, and ensure governments support the people they represent.
Stewardship
hearing the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor and responding to it
We believe that everyone should care for our common home because all life on Earth is interconnected and all of creation praises God.
We remember the words of Pope Francis - Laudato Si' - which invite us to consider how our actions affect the Earth and its people, especially those in the poorest communities.
Solidarity
uniting as individuals, families, communities and nations to make a stand for what we believe in
We believe in showing we care.
We are called to stand side by side with those living in poverty or who are victims of conflict and violence.
Preferential Option for the Poor
caring the most for those who have the least
We recognise that those most in need should be put first, just as God's universal love begins with the humble, poor and vulnerable.
Distributive Justice
recognising the difference between equality and equity, and seeking the justice that will remove barriers and create freedom and access for everyone
We believe in sharing fairly.
We are called to ensure that everyone's basic needs are met and that no few store up wealth while the many go without.
Promoting Peace
finding ways to build peace in places where conflict, war and violence are happening
We are all peacemakers in a troubled world crying out for peace. We are called to stand against conflict, mend broken relationships and choose non-violent solutions.
We believe in building understanding, choosing mercy, working for justice, showing forgiveness and seeking reconciliation with God and one another.
How is Catholic Social Teaching made visible in St. Bede's?
Not only does Catholic Social Teaching underpin teaching and learning in Religious Education, it is fully embedded into the wider curriculum at St. Bede's. Through our rich, diverse and high-quality curriculum, pupils come to know and understand the principles of Catholic Social Teaching more deeply and more practically.
The day-to-day running of St. Bede's Catholic Junior School operates with Catholic Social Teaching at its core. Our school lives out the principles of Catholic Social Teaching daily:
