Article by Dr Ann Marie Mealey, Director of Catholic Mission, Leeds Trinity University.
As the world searches for meaning, truth, greater transparency and accountability from everyone – including world leaders and their own employers – it is clearly a time when we are all hearing much more about values. Many corporate businesses, think tanks, charities, universities, HR companies nationally and globally are engaging in work that is designed to improve our lives and to respect the fact that we are, above all else, human beings. This means that we are worthy of respect from the outset in whatever context in which we find ourselves.
When we look at the Catholic moral tradition and the centuries of thinking that it offers concerning human dignity and the common good, we cannot help but think now is a time to open the treasure chest more fully. We know the world needs better leadership. We know more compassion is needed. We know our younger generation are wanting change and to be more ethical. So, for me, we have an opportunity to re-engage with the wider Catholic moral teachings in a way that is befitting for a society searching for meaning and in a way that we haven’t done before.
It is clear that the Catholic Social Teachings are being used more frequently now, especially in schools and by theologians, but there is a further opportunity that is open to us right now. We have a chance to speak into the wider world about the values that have always been part and parcel of what comprised the study of moral theology and contribute humbly to the most pressing questions of our times – acknowledging where we have failed to understand them ourselves but hopeful that we have learned from past mistakes.
The encyclicals that make up the body of Catholic Social Teaching can speak positively into the world right now and across multiple sectors – beyond the Church even. We just need to become more competent in the ‘how?’ of doing this, seek connection with others who do not use the language of CST but want to understand the ethical life, and move forward together with a spirit of collaboration, connection, healing, peace and hope. This will require patience and authentically listening to people making mistakes, asking the same questions over and over, and/or expressing disappointment and hurt at what they see in the world right now. But if we remind ourselves that the whole point of having encyclicals in the first place is to ‘teach’, then we are brought back to the fact that we are called to be ‘teachers’ (not enforcers) – even if we are not at the academy.
Becoming a teacher of human values is perhaps one of the most humanising tasks we could take up right now. And as with every attempt to teach, we should be open to learning too. This two- way dialogue can help the Church and everyone who leads within its remit – including those who lead our Catholic universities – to mature in their own thinking about what is genuinely happening in people’s lives today and work from there.
Many people say that they often don’t remember ‘what’ leaders have said to them but they remember ‘how’ they were treated. Therefore, the invitation is to teach and to become the embodiment of what we are teaching. This, for me, is a chance for renewal for everyone to unlock the hidden treasures and present them anew: in short, we have a chance to put new wine in new wineskins. If you would like to support us in doing this at Leeds Trinity, please get in touch and/or tune into our ‘Beyond the Dark Podcast’ and help us to promote ‘education for hope’ for everyone. Click here to listen: Beyond The Dark Clouds Podcast | Podcast on Spotify