Salt of the Earth (SOTE)

A Group Study Guide on the Basic Principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST).

The Church’s social teaching connects our faith with the realities of today. They help us understand the importance of family and community, the meaning of our work, our role as citizens, respecting the environment, bridging the gap between the rich and the poor, and many other social responsibilities we have as Christians.

However, the social teachings have been called the Church’s “best-kept secret” because few people are familiar with them. As such, Caritas Singapore brings to you an easy-to-follow group study guide where you can learn basic principles of the Church’s social teaching (CST), such as the dignity of the human person, the common good, solidarity, care for creation and much more within 12 sessions.

Salt of the Earth (SOTE) Study Guide FAQs

Who is it for?

The SOTE study guide is for everyone. It is to be used by groups such as Small Christian Communities, Catechists, Parish Pastoral Councils (PPC), RCIA sponsors, social ministries, youth and young adult communities, and any other ministry or prayer group. If you currently do not belong to a group, you can get together with a few people who are interested to learn more about CST and form a group to use this study guide.

How does it work?

There are 12 chapters in the SOTE study guide. You can follow the readings, reflections, activities, and prayers in each chapter of the study guide. Each session is designed to last about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Your group can cover the sessions on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis.

How much does it cost?

Salt of the Earth (SOTE) is distributed free of charge to any group interested to learn about Catholic social teaching (CST).

References

Click on a chapter to read the original texts from the Church’s social teaching documents.

Chapter 1:

Introduction to Catholic Social Teachings (PDF file size 12kb)

Chapter 2:

Principle of the Dignity of the Human Person (PDF file size 76kb)

Chapter 3:

Principle of Association (PDF file size 48kb)

Chapter 4:

Principle of Subsidiarity (PDF file size 66kb)

Chapter 5:

Principle of Participation (PDF file size 58kb)

Chapter 6:

Principle of the Common Good (PDF file size 74kb)

Chapter 7:

Principle of the Universal Destination of Goods (PDF file size 107kb)

Chapter 8:

Principle of Solidarity (PDF file size 48kb)

Chapter 9:

Principle of the Dignity of Human Work (PDF file size 189kb)

Chapter 10:

Principle of the Dignity of Creation (PDF file size 23kb)

Chapter 11:

Principle of the Promotion of Peace (PDF file size 140kb)

Chapter 12:

Summary (PDF file size 12kb)

Caritas Singapore is the official social and community arm of the Catholic Church in Singapore and a member of Caritas Internationalis. We are the umbrella body for over 20 Catholic charities and organisations whose work has touched the lives of many, regardless of race or religion. Join us in our social mission journey.