
Subsidiarity: Putting Decisions Where They Belong
The Church states the principle of subsidiarity in a single sentence: “a community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order, depriving the latter of its functions, but rather should support it in case of need and help to co-ordinate its activity with the activities of the rest of society, always with a view to the common good” (CCC 1883). Pope Pius XI gave the classic version of it in 1931, in Quadragesimo Anno, with the state and civil society in mind. That sentence has two halves, and most of us remember only the first. The first restrains the people at the top from taking over what others can do, and the second obliges them to help when help is needed. A company of twenty people is much smaller than a nation, but both halves apply to anyone who holds authority in it. What Is Subsidiarity in Catholic Social Teaching? Subsidiarity sits alongside solidarity and the common good among the principles of Catholic social teaching. His Way At Work’s Foundations in Faith study puts it simply: “At its core, subsidiarity simply means respecting and empowering human freedom.” It also names the business version of the problem: “In a business environment, the opposite of subsidiarity is micro-managing.” The same study warns about a second way to get it wrong, which is giving so much support that people come to depend on you. The word comes from the Latin subsidium, help. Catholic subsidiarity offers the kind of help that strengthens people and then steps back so they can carry the work themselves. For a wider look at these principles, see Why Catholic Social Teaching Matters. What Does It Look Like Inside a Company? His Way At Work’s clearest working example is the













