CNA explains: How the Catholic view of human rights developed

TheCatholicChurch’senduringcommitmenttosupporthumanrights—anchoredinafundamentalunderstandingofwhatitmeanstobehuman—hastakenonrenewedurgencyamidrecentglobalconflictssuchastheRussia-Ukrainewar,thewarinGaza,andhumanitariancriseslikethepoliticalfightovermigrationintheUnitedStates. Inhisfirstweeksaspontiff,thenewlyelectedPopeLeoXIV,whochosehisnameinhonorofhispredecessorPopeLeoXIII,hasemphasizedChrist’scallforpeaceandtherespectforthedignityofallpeople.PapalbiographerGeorgeWeigelsaidLeoXIVhastheopportunitytocontinueLeoXIII’svisionoftheChurchasa“greatinstitutionalpromoteranddefenderofbasichumanrights”insociety. CNAspokewithV.BradleyLewis,deanoftheSchoolofPhilosophyatTheCatholicUniversityofAmericainWashington,D.C.,aboutwhattheChurchteachesonhumanrightsandhowthoseteachingshavedevelopedoverthepastfewcenturies. HistoricalrootsLewistoldCNAthatcontrarytoacommonmisconception,theconceptofhumanrightswithinCatholicteachingis