This dual calling of faith and citizenship is at the heart of what it means to be a Catholic in the United States. All rights reserved. These key themes are the heart of our Catholic social tradition 1. Life and dignity of the human person. Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God.
Human life is sacred and each person has inherent dignity.
Calls to advance human rights are illusions if the right to life itself is subject to attack. Call to family, community and participation. The human person is not only sacred but inherently social. The God-given institutions of marriage and the family are central and serve as the foundations for social life. They must be supported, not undermined.