Madrid, Spain, Sep 12, 2013 / 15:02 pm
The Church's social doctrine is central for the life of the faithful, said a Spanish priest, and widespread ignorance of that doctrine is affecting the performance of the laity in public life.
"The Social Doctrine of the Church is one of the great unknowns for Catholics," said Father Fernando Fuentes, who works for the Spanish bishops' Committee on Social Ministry.
In statements to the SIC news agency, Fr. Fuentes spoke about the master's degree in Catholic Social Doctrine offered by the Pontifical University of Salamanca in collaboration with the Bishop's Committee on Social Ministry and the Paul VI Foundation. The online degree program aims to deepen knowledge of an area of Church teaching that is unknown to many Catholics.
The master's program has been offered for 20 years in Latin American countries including Mexico, Argentina and Panama, but it is now being offered for the first time in Spain. Courses will be offered online by professors from the Pontifical University of Salamanca at its Madrid campus.