Catholic Social Teaching (CST): Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is grounded in the Bible and developed in the light of Church teaching and the experiences of people in many different cultures.   In analysing social, political and economic issues in the contemporary world, CST provides a set of key principles which can be used to evaluate situations, policies and approaches used in contemporary society from a Catholic perspective.  CST also provides guidelines for action. Catholic Social Teaching (CST), the formal teaching on social justice which exists within the Church, is developed through a series of documents beginning with Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum (1891) 'Of New Things' which examined working conditions in industrialised countries and insisted on workers' rights; to Laudato Si' (2015) 'On Care of Our Common Home' which Pope Francis addressed to “every person living on this planet”.  In Laudato Si', Pope Francis asks all people to pay particular attention to the environment asking “What kind of a world do we want to leave to those who come after us? ”Over the past 125 years since CST emerged, a number of key themes or principles have been identified in the documents of Catholic Social Teaching.  Some scholars list ten principles; others list six principles.  The two lists mean that some principles are grouped together. Each Catholic social teaching theme is connected to other Catholic Social Teaching themes and together they provide a set of signposts and questions to guide us in the choices we make and how we think and act towards addressing justice in our world.

Stewardship of Creation: Catholic tradition insists that we show respect for the Creator by being good stewards of creation. The Earth is sacred and creation has its own intrinsic value. We have a responsibility to protect and to cherish the earth's ecological diversity, beauty and life-sustaining properties. The goods of the earth are gifts from God and intended for the benefit of everyone. How we treat the environment is a measure of stewardship. As stewards of creation we are entrusted with caring for the gifts of creation and preserving them for future generations. Together, we must hold the earth in trust for future generations. Being a good steward means safeguarding material and human resources and using them responsibly. Being a good steward also means being generous with your time and talents. As Christian stewards, we receive God's gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others and return them with increase to God. Caring for and cultivating the world involves a joyful appreciation for the God-given beauty and wonder of nature; protection and preservation of the environment, which would be the stewardship of ecological concern; respect for human life but doing all that can be done to enhance this gift and make life flourish; and developing the world through human effort. As stewards of God's gifts, we are not passive beneficiaries. We cooperate with God by continuing the redemptive work of Jesus in the mission of the Church. In today's world, there are many obstacles confronting Christian stewards. Sometimes our secular culture contradicts religious convictions about the meaning of life and encourages us to focus on ourselves and our pleasures. As Christian stewards, we are encouraged to speak out against selfishness and greed and we try to make a special effort to understanding the true meaning of stewardship and live it accordingly. True stewardship requires changes in human actions—both in moral behaviour and technical advancement. Our religious tradition has always urged restraint and moderation in the use of material goods, so we must not allow our desire to possess more material things to overtake our concern for the basic needs of people and the environment. Pope John Paul II has linked protecting the environment to 'authentic human ecology,' which can overcome 'structures of sin' and which promotes both human dignity and respect for creation. Technological innovation and entrepreneurship can help make possible options that can lead us to a more environmentally benign energy path. Changes in lifestyle based on traditional moral virtues can ease the way to a sustainable and equitable world economy in which sacrifice will no longer be an unpopular concept. For many of us, a life less focused on material gain may remind us that we are more than what we have. Rejecting the false promises of excessive or conspicuous consumption can even allow more time for family, friends, and civic responsibilities. A renewed sense of sacrifice and restraint could make an essential contribution to addressing global climate change. (Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence, and the Common Good, USCCB, 2001 #18)Scripture Genesis 1:1 -31; Genesis 2:15; Leviticus 25:1-7; Deuteronomy 10:14; Matthew 6: 25- 34; Romans 1:20

Integral ecology: Ecology is the study of the relationships between living things and the environment in which they live and grow. Ecology considers the conditions required for life and acknowledges that everything is interconnected, one organism affecting the next. The environment refers to the relationship between nature and the community of creatures that lives in it. Humans are in nature and nature is in humans. An integral ecology, as Pope Francis describes, seeks comprehensive solutions from a humanism capable of bringing together different fields of knowledge, that considers the interactions with nature and social systems; an integral approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded and at the same time protecting nature. (139) Laudato Si