A Catholic Charities worker is pictured in a file photo shaking hands with a young migrant alongside his mother as they prepare to take a bus to Atlanta after being released from a detention center in McAllen, Texas. Among its seven themes, Catholic social teaching emphasizes respect for “the life and dignity of the human person.” OSV NEWS PHOTO/CARLOS BARRIA, REUTERS

BY DR. JEFF ANDRINI, OFFICE OF EVANGELIZATION AND DISCIPLESHIP

My uncle, who loves birding, gets so excited when migration happens, and he will travel across the country to add one species to his list of over 700 birds. I get so excited when our faith calls us to understand that we are not simply observers of God’s plan, but we are integral to its unfolding in our time!

Have you ever considered that our Catholic theology is a treasure of God’s revelation to the world from the beginning of time 13.7 billion years ago, most fully realized in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus? As human beings, we continue to learn about the height, depth, breadth and width of God’s love and our call to live as disciples of Jesus, making present the reign of God.

I am reading a book by one of my favorite professors, Fr. Stephen Bevans, SVD. It is titled “Community of Missionary Disciples: The Continuing Creation of the Church.” He states that “the church is constantly being created by the summons of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit to embody, demonstrate, and proclaim the revolutionary intimacy that is the reign of God” (page 5).

The line, “the revolutionary intimacy that is the reign of God…” sends chills down my spine. As disciples of Jesus, we are invited into the communion of the Trinity and participate in intimacy with God and therefore embody God’s reign in our midst! How are we called to embody this reign? In our actions and words, through a life of prayer and the Sacraments, we are called to live a joyful life of service and love, which is the fruit of union with God.

In the early Industrial Revolution, there were incredible abuses against humanity. Countries created child labor laws to protect young people and in 1891 Pope Leo XIII wrote “Rerum Novarum” (The Condition of Labor). The document speaks of the dignity of the human person and work, the right to property and the right to form labor unions. This document is the foundation for Catholic Social Teaching today.

In the past 130+ years, the Catholic Church has further developed this teaching, which has roots in the Early Church but has been more fully articulated late in our history. These seven themes were first articulated in 1998 by our U.S. bishops, and include 1) Dignity of the human person, 2) Call to family, community and participation, 3) Rights and responsibilities, 4) Option for the poor and vulnerable, 5) Rights of workers, 6) Care for Creation, 7) Solidarity. For more information on this check out https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/seven-themes-of-catholic-social-teaching.

Being a Catholic is a lifelong journey of growing in our relationship/union with God and reflecting God’s heart to the world. Sometimes Catholic Social Teaching may challenge Catholics to think bigger than their own context and to see through different eyes. Far from being a new theology, it is God’s ongoing revelation and call to be disciples of Jesus.

Peace,

Jeff

Dr. Jeff Andrini is the director of the Office of Evangelization and Discipleship and can be reached at [email protected].

Originally printed in the March 2025 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.