Preferential Option for the Poor
Catholic social teaching's 'preferential option for the poor' asserts that Christian ethics prioritizes the poor and marginalized, grounded in Scripture, natural law, and theological anthropology. Rooted in Rerum Novarum and developed through papal documents, it affirms economic justice as core Christian commitment.
Real World
Pope Francis's 2015 encyclical Laudato Si' extended the preferential option to the environment, arguing that ecological destruction falls hardest on the world's poorest communities, linking social and environmental justice.
Exam Focus
Trace the principle chronologically — Rerum Novarum to liberation theology to Francis — to demonstrate development of doctrine and gain higher-band AO1 marks.
How well did you know this?