Catholic social teaching

The Vatican's tradition of social teaching emphasises the significance of every human life and the importance of people-sized institutions - like the family and church - that best care for people.

Catholic Social Teaching (CST) can be uncomfortable reading for politicians of both right and left. The Catholic doctrine of subsidiarity challenges big state socialists to avoid trampling on 3D institutions like the family and the local church. The doctrine of solidarity reminds laissez-faire marketeers of their responsibilities to vulnerable people – at home and abroad.

Central to CST is the idea of the common good. Unlike utilitarianism – which stresses "the greatest possible good for the greatest possible number of individuals" – Catholic Social teaching insists that ’every person’ should be included in a society’s circle of care. The pro-life core of CST means that unborn children should be included in that understanding of ’every person’.

The Conservative Party and CST

Many serious Catholic voters are attracted to pro-life Tory candidates who support school choice and family values. They are often put off the Conservative Party, however, by economic policies that appear to favour ’intruder capitalists’ and big business. As conservatives seek to learn from the great treasury of CST – and woo Catholic values voters - they should adopt the ‘and theory of conservatism’ and its balance of tough and tender policies.

CST has been set out in a series of Papal Encyclicals that can be reviewed on this Catholic website.

Comments

[Sam Burke]

Super stuff. Conservatives should seriously look into the virtues of Catholic Social Teaching....and Catholics should look into the virtues of the Conservative Party.

[nicholas]

I think CST is a more Continental than an English thing. England has a tradition of Toryism whilst other Europeans have Christian Democratic parties. I think they're quite different and separate.

[SimonNewman]

I think the modern Conservative party is the product of the 1688 Glorious Revolution, the Bill of Rights and Act of Tolerance, a 'Protestant victory' that led to the ultimately successful integration of majority Protestant and minority Catholic groups and values. The Conservative party cannot and should not be a Catholic party on the European Christian Democrat model (which may be changing, judging by Angela Merkel), but like Britain itself the party is strengthened by the integration and acceptance of both streams of thought.