Catholic Answers Profile picture
Jul 22, 2020 6 tweets 2 min read Read on X
Q: Are all elements of Catholic social teaching equally important?

A: Because Catholic social teaching concerns human dignity, human life, and the proper arrangement of human society, all the issues it touches on are important but not necessarily equally important. (1/5)
Their importance can vary depending on the principles involved, the goods and evils at stake, the resources available to promote good and overcome evil, and the obligations and commitments different people may have. (2/5)
Not all good actions, good practices, or just institutions necessarily equally promote the principles of Catholic social teaching, and not all bad actions, bad practices, or evil institutions necessarily equally violate them. (3/5)
For example, the right to private property is an aspect of the dignity of the human person. If a street gang “tags” with graffiti the homes in a neighborhood, the gang violates people’s property rights. That’s wrong. But it isn’t as wrong as the gang murdering people. (4/5)
The right to private property is not, as such, as important as the right to life, even though both rights are foundational for human thriving. (5/5)

Read the rest of the excerpt from @mabrumley's "20 Answers: Catholic Social Teaching" here: catholic.com/magazine/onlin…
And pick up the whole thing here: shop.catholic.com/20-answers-cat…

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More from @catholiccom

Oct 31, 2025
The Catholic Church did not "baptize" a pagan festival into Halloween/All Saints Day.

All Saints Day originates from Pope Gregory III (731-741) dedicating a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome to all the saints and fixing its anniversary as November 1. 🧵 Image
In fact, the history goes back even farther than that.

In the early days of the Church, Christians celebrated each martyr’s feast on the anniversary of his death.

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Oct 1, 2025
Why don’t Jews recognize Jesus as the Messiah?

Some believe he failed to meet crucial Old Testament prophecies.

Here are four classic objections and our answers: 🧵 Image
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As Rabbi Tovia Singer puts it: “If Jesus were the Messiah, you would know it from reading the newspaper.”

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The early Church Fathers saw the tribes spiritually reunited when Jews across the Diaspora came to Christ.

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Aug 22, 2025
“Co-redemptrix”? “Mediatrix of All Graces”?

Even many Catholics wince at these Marian titles. Some avoid them altogether, worried they sound like blasphemy or competition with Christ.

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First, “Co-redemptrix.”

At first glance, it seems shocking: isn’t Jesus the only Redeemer?

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Aug 14, 2025
The next big ethical crisis is here:

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Sounds harmless? Let’s look closer.
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Dropping the atomic bomb was wrong. Period.

A thread 🧵 Image
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed an estimated 180,000 Japanese civilians.

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Usually because it brought about good outcomes: it "saved more lives" or "ended the war."

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