Subsidiarity (Catholicism)

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Catholic social teaching
Emblem of the Holy See
Overview
Social teachings of the papacy Distributism Solidarity Subsidiarity Tranquillitas ordinis
Pope Leo XIII Rerum novarum
Pope Pius XI Divini redemptoris Mit brennender Sorge Non abbiamo bisogno Quadragesimo anno
Pope Pius XII Social teachings
Pope John XXIII Mater et magistra Pacem in terris
Second Vatican Council Dignitatis humanae Gaudium et spes
Pope Paul VI Octogesima adveniens Populorum progressio
Pope John Paul II Laborem exercens Sollicitudo rei socialis Centesimus annus Evangelium vitae
Pope Benedict XVI Caritas in veritate
Pope Francis Evangelii gaudium Laudato si' Fratelli tutti
Other figures Gaspard Mermillod René de La Tour du Pin Heinrich Pesch Dorothy Day Óscar Romero Joseph Bernardin Hilaire Belloc G. K. Chesterton
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Subsidiarity is an organizing principle that matters ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest or least centralized competent authority. Political decisions should be taken at a local level if possible, rather than by a central authority.^[1] The Oxford English Dictionary defines subsidiarity as the idea that a central authority should have a subsidiary function, performing only those tasks which cannot be performed effectively at a more immediate or local level.

The word subsidiarity is derived from the Latin word subsidiarius and has its origins in Catholic social teaching.