1.3.1

Solidarity is a moral virtue and foundation of Catholic Social Teaching that unites people of every nation, race, and belief in a universal bond. Stereotypes can lead to prejudice, which can then lead to discrimination, which denies of the dignity of the human person, and all forms of discrimination violate God’s command to love our neighbors as ourselves. Racism can be systemic (present in laws, practices, and situations that are shaped by past and present racial bias) and interior (present in our own hearts and attitudes). Students will be challenged to accept that the protection of human rights is a responsibility that is shared by the Church, the civil state, and each of us individually. Jesus instructed his Apostles to make disciples of all nations, and, in the Catholic Church, all cultures, languages, and ethnic groups are united into a single communion in Christ. As followers of Christ, we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves.