Social Justice can be defined as the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. At St. Mary’s we aim to create equal opportunity for all our pupils and encourage them to do this within the wider community.
Fratelli Tutti – ‘All Brothers and Sisters’
Watch this video to find out what Pope Francis says how we can be a global neighbour.
God has a plan for creation
Catholic Social Teaching is based on the belief that God has a plan for creation, a plan to build his kingdom of peace, love and justice.
It holds that God has a special plan for every single one of us, whoever we are. Our part in this plan isn’t just limited to things ‘spiritual’, or times when we do “religious things.” It involves every aspect of our lives, from the things we pray about, to how we live as a responsible global citizen.
Our part in this story is a vocation for the common good, a call to treat everyone as our brothers and sisters. It is something that we all share.
The Catholic Church has seven principles of social teaching that we share with our children through all that we do, through the curriculum, special events and activity and through our ordinary actions in school.
There are 7 principles of Catholic Social Teaching, we are called to uphold them.
- Sharing God’s world, protecting the poor – How do pupils share at home and at school? What are the kinds of things that are shared? Should everyone get exactly the same? Should some people get more? Why? For example, families with more children might need more resources, or someone with a disability might need extra help.
- Human Dignity – ‘What makes me special?’ ‘What makes people special? ‘How should we treat each other?’
- Caring for God’s World – How do I show respect for Creation? The earth and all life on it are part of God’s creation. We are called to respect this gift. We are responsible for taking care of the world we live in and for sharing all the wonders and resources the earth gives us.
- The Common Good – What is ‘true community’? The common good is reached when we work together to improve the wellbeing of people in our society and the wider world.
- Solidarity – Who are our leaders? How do we stand with others? How did Jesus show service and justice?
- Family, community and participation.
- Dignity in work.
Catholic Social Teaching underpins the essence of our daily school life.
As members of the Catholic Church, we are all called upon to preserve the dignity of all human beings, to care for creation, and to reach out to our sisters and brothers in need.
These principles form part of Catholic Social Teaching, a body of work developed by Church leaders over the centuries. Pope Francis emphasises that it is our duty to work together to bring about a more just and peaceful world: to put love into action.
It is vital that our children can articulate the connection between Jesus' teaching and doing good deeds.
At St. Mary’s we introduce the principles of Catholic Social Teaching through our school assemblies, our curriculum, activities in the classroom and support from home.
We were so lucky to be invited to host the ‘Eyes of the World’ campaign for CAFOD. With hundreds of school children from Cornwall, Devon and Dorset we drew our eyes to create a massive 'Eyes of the World' art installation, to send a message to Boris Johnson and the G7 world leaders that we want to see action on the climate crisis.
Sophia said: "My message to G7 leaders is that the eyes of the world are watching them, so are all the young people, to make sure they make the right decisions."
Freddie added: "My message to the world leaders is that they shouldn't just talk about climate change, they actually need to do something about it!"
We will continue to support CAFOD in the run-up to COP26, the UN climate conference being hosted by the UK in Glasgow this November.