The Field Hospital Church: Catholic Social Teaching and Ministry

“I see clearly,” Pope Francis said at the outset of his papacy, “that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after battle.”

This inspiring vision by Pope Francis speaks volumes on the importance of the Catholic social tradition and the role of pastoral ministry in addressing the social issues of our time. The premise for this book is the recognition that soc...