1. U.S. Bishops’ Reflection on Catholic
Teaching and Political Life

2.  In loyalty to their country and
in faithful fulfillment of their
civic obligations, Catholics
should feel themselves obliged
to promote the true common
good. Thus they should make
the weight of their opinion felt
in order that the civil authority
may act with justice and that
legislation may conform to
moral precepts and the
common good.

3. THE APOLOGIST: A TRADITION
OF ADVOCACY
“[Christians] teaching is not
based upon reveries inspired by
the curiosity of men. Unlike
some other people, they
champion no purely human
doctrine… They pass their days
upon earth, but they are citizens
of heaven. Obedient to the laws,
they yet live on a level that
transcends the law.” Epistle to Diognetus

4. • “In this statement, we bishops do
not intend to tell Catholics for
whom or against whom to vote.
Our purpose is to help Catholics
form their consciences in
accordance with God’s truth. We
recognize that the responsibility
to make choices in political life
rests with each individual in light
of a properly formed conscience,
and that participation goes well
beyond casting a vote in a
particular election.” (2011)
Introduction

5. The Church and Political Life
 “The Church cannot and must not take
upon herself the political battle to bring
about the most just society possible.
She cannot and must not replace the
State. Yet at the same time she cannot
and must not remain on the sidelines in
the fight for justice. She has to play her
part through rational argument and she
has to reawaken the spiritual energy
without which justice, which always
demands sacrifice, cannot prevail and
prosper….”
Benedict XVI, Deus
Caritas Est: #28 (2006)

6. The Church and Political Life
 The direct duty to work for a just
ordering of society, on the other
hand, is proper to the lay faithful.
As citizens of the State, they are
called to take part in public life in
a personal capacity. …The
mission of the lay faithful is
therefore to configure social life
correctly, respecting its
legitimate autonomy and
cooperating with other citizens
according to their respective
competences and fulfilling their
own responsibility.
Benedict XVI, Deus
Caritas Est: #29 (2006)

7. FORMATION OF CONSCIENCE
 Conscience must be informed and
moral judgment enlightened. A
well-formed conscience is upright
and truthful. It formulates its
judgments according to reason, in
conformity with the true good
willed by the wisdom of the
Creator. #1783
- C a te c h i s m o f t h e C a t h o l i c C h u r c h ( 1 9 9 5 )
 In forming one’s conscience please
consider the following three principles
 Intrinsically Evil Acts
 Consistent Ethic of Life
 Catholic Social Teachings

8.  The Second Vatican Council itself, in
discussing the respect due to the
human person, gives a number of
examples of such acts: "Whatever is
hostile to life itself, such as any kind
of homicide, genocide, abortion,
John Paul II: Veritatis euthanasia and voluntary suicide;
Splendor #80 (1995) whatever violates the integrity of
the human person, such as
mutilation, physical and mental
 Reason attests that there are torture and attempts to coerce the
objects of the human act spirit; whatever is offensive to
which are by their nature human dignity, such as subhuman
"incapable of being ordered" living conditions, arbitrary
to God, because they imprisonment, deportation, slavery,
radically contradict the good prostitution and trafficking in women
and children; degrading conditions of
of the person made in his work which treat labourers as mere
image. These are the acts instruments of profit, and not as free
which, in the Church's moral responsible persons: all these and the
tradition, have been termed like are a disgrace, and so long as
"intrinsically evil" (intrinsece they infect human civilization they
contaminate those who inflict them
malum): they are such always more than those who suffer injustice,
and per se… and they are a negation of the honor
due to the Creator".

9. CONSISTENT ETHIC OF LIFE
Adopting a consistent ethic of life, the Catholic
Church promotes a broad spectrum of issues
"seeking to protect human life and promote
human dignity from the inception of life to its
final moment." Opposition to abortion and
euthanasia does not excuse indifference to
those who suffer from poverty, violence and
injustice. Any politics of human life must work
to resist the violence of war and the scandal of
capital punishment. Any politics of human dignity
must seriously address issues of racism, poverty,
hunger, employment, education, housing, and
health care. Therefore, Catholics should
eagerly involve themselves as advocates for
the weak and marginalized in all these areas.
- USCCB: “Living the Gospel of Life” (1998)

10.  Life and Dignity of the Human
Person
 Call to Family, Community, and
Participation
 Rights and Responsibilities
 Option for the Poor and
Vulnerable
 The Dignity of Work and the
Rights of Workers
 Solidarity
 Care for God’s Creation

11. Human Life
• Opposing Abortion,
Euthanasia, and the Death
Penalty
• Genocide, torture, targeting of
noncombatants in war or
terrorism
• Concern with Biotechnology:
specifically the cloning and
destruction of human
embryos
• Promoting Peace and the
avoidance of war, concern
about the preventive use of
military force, Disarmament

12.  Definition of Marriage
 Policies to strengthen the
Family: services, taxes,
work/wages, immigration
(family reunification)
 Protection of children:
human trafficking,
contraceptive mandates,
 Education: Right to choose a
school
 Media impact: offensive
material and violence
Family Life

13. Social Justice
 Dignity of Work: Employment growth,
just wages, unjust discrimination, right
to organize, economic freedom.
 Human Services: Poverty reduction
programs, Tax Credits, Social Security,
Affordable Housing, Affordable and
Accessible Healthcare, Food security
(eg. food stamps), Circle of Protection
Campaign
 Comprehensive Immigration Reform,
Dream Act
 Criminal Justice system reform
 Ecological concerns: sustainable
agriculture, global climate change
 Discrimination

14. Global Solidarity
Alleviate Global Poverty
Increased development aid, equitable trade
policies, debt relief
Defend Human Rights
Religious Liberty
End the use of torture
Support UN programs and reforms to
strengthen international bodies and law.
Provide Refugee Asylum
International leadership
In addressing regional conflicts
Peaceful solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Respond to the Human Consequences of War in
Iraq and Afghanistan

15. Do’s and Don’ts
For Parishes
 PLEASE DO NOT…!!!
  PLEASE DO…!!!
 Endorse/oppose Political  Endorse/oppose Legislation and
Candidates Referendum
 Homilies/Bulletin inserts regarding  Homilies/Bulletin inserts on moral
specific candidates issues
 Distribute partisan or candidate  Provide educational material on
rating material on Church property public policy issues
 Arrange Groups to work for a  Organize Prayer services/vigils or
candidate Novenas encouraging Faithful
 Fund or support Candidates, PACs Citizenship.
or Party  Encourage local legislative district
 Invite Candidates to address your meetings with their elected official to
Church sponsored group or host advocate on issues and legislation
political meetings on Church  Encourage letter-writing/emails or
Property phone calls with elected officials
 Conduct partisan voter registration regarding issues and legislation
 Share parish mailing lists to political  Conduct a nonpartisan voter
parties or campaigns registration drive on Church
property

16. Civil Discourse
O Catholics should try to O Ground Rules:
cooperate with all men O Make sure everyone has an
and women of good will opportunity to speak
to promote whatever is O Share your personal experience not
true, whatever just, someone else’s.
whatever holy, whatever O Listen carefully and respectfully. Do
lovable (cf. Phil. 4:8). not play the role of know it all,
They should hold convincer or corrector. Dialogue is not
discussions with them, a Debate.
excel them in prudence O Don’t interrupt unless for clarification
and courtesy, and initiate or timekeeping
research on social and O Accept that no group or viewpoint has
public practices which a monopoly on the truth.
should be improved in O “Be more ready to give a favorable
line with the spirit of the interpretation to another’s statement
Gospel. (Apostolicam than to condemn it.”
Actuasitatem #14) O Be cautious about assigning motives
to another person.

17. Being a Faithful Citizen
 VOTE… (Make a Moral Decision)
but don’t stop there!
 Develop an ongoing relationship with
your local, state and federal elected
official:
 Visit, Write/email, Call (take copies of
our “Contacting Your Elected Official”
handout.
 Vote with your money.
 Be a conscientious consumer
 Be a socially responsible Investor

18.  Organize Prayer or Faith Sharing Groups related to Catholic
social teaching
 Develop or join a Parish advocacy/social justice Committee
o Organize a Parish Voter’s registration where you offer resources from
the USCCB or NY State Catholic Conference (NYSCC)
o Promote upcoming advocacy events like the:
• Catholic Social Ministry Gathering (sponsored by the USCCB in Wash.
DC)
• Catholics at the State Capitol (sponsored by the NYSCC in Albany)
o Take part in advocacy campaigns that are promoted by the USCCB
• Respect Life Program
• CCHD: Poverty USA
• Justice for Immigrants Campaign
• Catholic Mobilizing Network to end the use of the Death Penalty
• Catholic Coalition on Climate Change
• CRS: Catholics Confront Global Poverty