We respect human dignity in our school – because all life is sacred. We believe every human person is made in the image of God. Consequently, every person is worthy of respect simply by virtue of being a human being. The Christian belief that all of us are created in the image and likeness of God teaches us that every person has value. Every person must be treated with respect. Every person has an inherent dignity, not because of what they achieve, not because of their status in life, but simply because they are.

The principle of Human Dignity means that Catholic Social Teaching takes a strong position not only on issues around the start and end of life (like the death penalty and abortion) but also on everything in-between. For example, it can affect how we think about how our society supports those with disabilities, how we address global inequality, how we think about trade and the approach we take to civil rights issues.

Pope Francis asked: “How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?”

Our concern for the dignity of others should shape our economic policies and find expression through the way we live our lives. It is not enough to be against an issue like euthanasia, we must be involved in: “working to eliminate the structural causes of poverty and to promote the integral development of the poor, as well as small daily acts of solidarity in meeting the real needs which we encounter.”