Global citizenship
The Catholic Church teaches that as stewards of God’s creation, humanity’s responsibility is not limited to the physical Earth but to the rest of humanity too.
Global citizenship refers to working as a community to look after the world. Many Christians believe that all humans should consider themselves as global citizens and work as a team to care for the planet. Everyone can take steps in their lives to ensure they are acting as global citizens, eg
- picking up litter
- turning off the light when not required
- walking when possible, instead of taking the car
You have made them (humans) a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet.
OXFAM defines a global citizen as someone who:
- is aware of the wider world and has a sense of their own role as a world citizen
- respects and values diversity
- has an understanding of how the world works
- is outraged by social injustice
- participates in the community at a range of levels, from the local to the global
- is willing to act to make the world a more equitable and sustainable place
- takes responsibility for their actions
Question
What do Catholics mean by global citizens?
The term global citizen refers to the idea that humans should all work as part of a community to look after the world. The Catholic Church teaches that God made humans stewards of the Earth, and so everyone should act as global citizens.