Catholic Social Thought and the Promotion of Justice

The universality of the Catholic Church poses challenges to the understanding and promotion of justice. Political economic and social realities vary by geographic region. The directives of the Church call for appropriate measures in the local context of the situation. It is necessary for the entire universal Church to understand the injustices taking place around the world in an effort to enact a lasting peace. Scholars have claimed that the social doctrine of the Church has never been realized by the majority of Catholics and thus remains the Church's best kept secret (Henriot DeBerri & Schultheis 2001). Catholic Educators are called to proclaim justice through their roles as teachers thereby revealing the treasure of the Church's social message. The findings of this study illuminate the call within the documents themselves for the social message of the Church to be proclaimed. The specific directives to the educational system show the essential role these institutions must play in the promotion of justice through the proclamation of the Church's social message.