Catholic Social Teaching and Europe

• Published in: New Blackfriars Vol. 93; no. 1044; pp. 230 - 245
• Main Author: Turner SJ, Frank
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-03-2012
• Subjects: Catholic Theological Association 2011 Conference Papers; Catholicism; Charity; Christianity; Communities; dialogue; European Union; Magisterium; methodology of Catholic Social Teaching; Political debate; Popes; Roman Catholic ethics; Secularism; secularity; Situational ethics
• ISSN: 0028-4289; 1741-2005
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-2005.2011.01478.x

The paper describes the settings for an official dialogue between religious communities, including the Catholic Church, and the institutions of the European Union. It goes on to describe some important and necessary contributions that a Christian vision can make to the European project. Finally it considers how far certain styles (rather than content) of Catholic discourse can impede the reception of this vision, and so render effective dialogue more difficult.