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Pope Leo XIV Reminds Us of the Importance
of Catholic Social Teaching
In the early evening of May 8, 2025, the world watched as white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, declaring that a new pope had been elected.
We soon learned that Robert Francis Prevost, the first American pope, had chosen the papal name Pope Leo XIV. His papal name was inspired by Pope Leo XIII, who is widely regarded as the father of modern Catholic Social Teaching, primarily through his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed the rights of workers, the responsibilities of employers, and the role of the state in promoting social justice. Pope Leo XIII's teachings laid the foundation for the Church’s ongoing commitment to human dignity, the common good, and the moral dimensions of economic life.
Catholic Social Teaching is deeply rooted in the belief that every person possesses inherent dignity, being made in the image of God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms this in stating, “The equality of men rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it” (CCC 1935).
In Pope Leo XIV’s address on May 17 to members of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation (CAPP), he encouraged them to continue sharing Catholic social doctrine. “In our day, there is a widespread thirst for justice, a desire for authentic fatherhood and motherhood, a profound longing for spirituality, especially among young people and the marginalized, who do not always find effective means of making their needs known. There is a growing demand for the Church’s social doctrine, to which we need to respond.” Here is Pope Leo XIV's full address to the CAPP Foundation: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2025/05/17/250517a.html
Let us follow our new pope's lead and strive to better understand how Catholic Social Teaching can guide us as we navigate our world today. Here are a couple of resources to help us learn more about Catholic Social Teaching:
· The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is hosting a one-day course, Catholic Social Teaching: Sharing the Best Kept Secret of the Catholic Church on Saturday, June 7, from 9:00 am-4:00 pm via Zoom. This one-day course will explore the history and development of the Church’s Catholic Social Teaching, its methodology, and its implications for a life of missionary discipleship lived out through spirituality and compassionate action.
For more information, or to register: https://lacatholics.org/event/catholic-social-teaching-sharing-the-best-kept-secret-of-the-catholic-church/.
· United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching, https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/seven-themes-of-catholic-social-teaching. In these brief reflections, the USCCB highlights several of the key themes that are at the heart of our Catholic social tradition.
Loving and Just God,
You created every person in Your image
and called us to love one another as You have loved us.
We ask You to guide Your Church in the path
of justice, compassion, and peace.
Grant us wisdom to discern how best to live out
the principles of Catholic Social Teaching:
to uphold human dignity, pursue the common good,
and stand in solidarity with the poor and vulnerable.
Fill our hearts with courage to challenge injustice,
humility to listen to the cries of the suffering,
and faith to act with mercy and truth.
May Your Spirit lead our leaders and communities
to be signs of hope in a broken world.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
~St. Luke Life, Justice and Peace Ministry
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