Social Justice

The Latest

A family sits in a tent at camp for refugees at Kenya's border town with Ethiopia, Moyale, about 484 miles north of capital Nairobi, on March 17, 2018 after fleeing Ethiopia.

U.S. bishops appeal to leaders to do more to ensure food security around the globe

Aug 7, 2023

By Zoe Romanowsky

Bishop David J. Malloy cited numbers that estimated about 258 million people in 58 countries experienced crisis-level acute hunger in... Read more

Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles speaks at the USCCB's fall meeting in Baltimore, Md., Nov. 11, 2019

Archbishop Gomez addresses rise of 'wokeness', social movements in US

Nov 4, 2021

By Autumn Jones

On Thursday, Archbishop Jose Gomez discussed the rise of new secular ideologies and movements for social change in the United... Read more

Pope Francis meets with the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation at the Vatican on Oct. 23, 2021.

Pope Francis: Our response to injustice must be more than condemnation

Oct 23, 2021

By Courtney Mares

Denunciation is not enough when it comes to issues of injustice, the pope said this weekend. Read more

Payday loan expansion means fast money and cycle of debt for Michigan's poor, bishops say

Dec 2, 2020

A Michigan proposal to quadruple the maximum lending amount allowed for payday lenders would exploit the poor and trap many... Read more

Pope Francis records a video message for judges released Nov. 30, 2020. Screenshot from Vatican News YouTube channel.

Pope Francis: Be God’s people, not God’s elite

Dec 1, 2020

Catholics are called to be God’s people, not God’s elite, Pope Francis said in a video message Monday.  Read more

Nebraskans vote to limit 'exploitative' payday loans

Nov 4, 2020

Voters in Nebraska sided with efforts to limit payday loans, passing an initiative Tuesday that the Nebraska Catholic Conference had... Read more

The March for Life in Washington, D.C., Jan. 27, 2017.

Push for racial justice could be an 'awakening' on abortion, prolife advocates say

Jul 27, 2020

Some pro-life advocates say that the recent push for racial equality in the US can be an awakening to the... Read more

US Catholic bishops lament end to federal limits on payday loans

Jul 13, 2020

The revocation of restrictions on payday lenders by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau exposes poor and vulnerable persons to 'predatory... Read more

Catholics leaders in US call for nationwide limit on payday loan interest

Feb 13, 2020

Catholics in the US are pushing for a national, bipartisan bill that would limit the interest rate on payday and... Read more

Why a famous social justice priest opposed birth control

Dec 21, 2018

By Kevin J. Jones

During the early cultural battles over birth control in 1920s America, social thinker Monsignor John A. Ryan brought a unique... Read more

New campaign highlights Catholic services in Michigan

Mar 23, 2017

A new television ad campaign launched by the Michigan Catholic Conference is featuring commercials that spotlight the hand of the... Read more

Pope Francis at the general audience in St. Peter Square, Feb. 22, 2017.

Pope Francis: It's a grave sin to lay people off carelessly

Mar 15, 2017

Business is obliged to protect peoples' dignity – and those who lay off employees solely for economic gain commit a... Read more

Cincinnati Catholics hope to give Church a megaphone on racial, social problems

Feb 25, 2017

By Matt Hadro

Catholics in Cincinnati are hoping that an upcoming meeting of bishops and leaders will give the local Church a much... Read more

Courtroom.

How being poor wrecks your chances of good legal representation

May 12, 2016

By Matt Hadro

It's not a social justice issue that tops most Catholic's priorities, but it needs to be, legal experts are saying.... Read more

Abp. Jose Gomez at the Pontifical North American College on May 2, 2015.

Archbishop Gomez: social justice needs a pro-life foundation

Feb 4, 2016

Efforts to combat social injustice cannot forget that the right to life is foundational, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los... Read more

How the Catholic Church is fighting loan sharks in Texas

Oct 8, 2015

By Mary Farrow

Lenders charging exorbitant rates on payday loans in Arlington, Texas have a new force to contend with in their fight... Read more

Pope Francis prays with journalists on the papal flight en route to South Korea on Aug. 14, 2014.

Corruption, threats, torture – we need justice in the mining industry, Pope says

Jul 18, 2015

By Elise Harris

Continuing his theme on protecting both the environment and human rights, Pope Francis pointed to various injustices in the mining... Read more

Scales of Justice.

Doctrine divides while justice unites? One author's new take on an old claim

Apr 9, 2015

By Ann Schneible

As the Church prepares to conclude its celebration of the 50th anniversary of Vatican II later this year, one book... Read more

Homeless.

Go forth! Ministry leaders instructed to encounter God in the poor

Feb 11, 2015

By Matt Hadro

The president of the U.S. bishops’ conference exhorted a group of Catholic leaders to go forth in ministry to serve... Read more

Michael Peña portrays Chavez in the new film

Bishops say Cesar Chavez film shows Catholic social justice

Mar 26, 2014

Several bishops have praised “Cesar Chavez,” a new movie about the labor rights leader and devout Catholic, for its portrayal... Read more