The family is the central social institution. Family life needs to be supported by other institutions and governments. Excessive individualism, competition, and greed mitigate against community and the common good. We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. Rights and Responsibilities People have a fundamental right to life and to those things necessary for human decency, such as food, shelter, health care, education and employment.
People have a right to participate in decisions that affect their lives.
Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities to respect the rights of others and to work for the common good. When people lack the basic necessities to live a life of dignity, their fundamental rights are being denied. In a world where some speak mostly of rights and others mostly of responsibilities, the Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable Catholic teaching proclaims that the moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. This calls us to look at public policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor.