The Global Catholic Social Tradition Network

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The institute extends conversations on Catholic social tradition internationally through the Global Catholic Social Tradition Network. The Global CST Network systematically explores ways to apply CST to concrete social problems that communities face around the world and seeks to share that teaching with practitioners who can implement it. This initiative focuses on particular issues in different global regions that host the conferences—from Mexico to the United Kingdom to India. 

The institute cultivates this network through curated gatherings on specific topics designed to bring scholars and practitioners together to apply Catholic social teaching to concrete social problems in specific locations. The gatherings are intended to be a place of encounter. The meetings connect those who are thinking deeply about justice with practitioners and institutions that are working for justice around the world, including both secular and faith-based institutional partners. The hope is to yield specific deliverables that work toward justice as well as informing and developing scholarship.

Recent Convenings

The Value of Democracy in Catholic Social Teaching

Salzburg, Austria, 2025

This conference underscored the value of democracy in CST, exploring important statements about democracy in Church documents and—with the idea of synodality—a new move toward participation.

Catholic Social Teaching and Technology: Reimagining the Internet

St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, India, 2024

This conference addressed technology and the internet, including social media and AI, from the framework of CST.

Promoting a Just Wage Economy: Bridging Secular and Faith Approaches

Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2022

This conference reflected on the challenges and prospects of a just wage economy in the context of Bangladesh and in the light of the global crises in health, ecology, and peace.

Dignity and Justice Workshop

Kylemore Abbey, Ireland, 2021

Legal scholars, practicing lawyers, community activists, and CST researchers gathered at this conference to address questions of human dignity and the law from the perspective of CST.

“Listening to the Earth”: Thinking About Ecology in the Holy Land

Tantur, Jerusalem, 2018

This conference was an opportunity to discuss ecology in a global context to learn from local experiences and responses.

Beyond Mere Generalities: Applying Catholic Social Teaching in the Present Context

London, United Kingdom, 2018

This conference discussed gaps within CST documents such as homelessness or the situation of young men and worked on mapping these.

Operationalizing the Common Good: A Workshop

Puebla, Mexico, 2017

This workshop developed indicators to measure progress toward the common good on the level of municipalities.

Applied Catholic Social Tradition

Rome, Italy, 2017

This conference focused on a foundational discussion of what it means to apply or enact Catholic social tradition.