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

Forming Consciences

Apostolicam Actuasitatem #141965 Vatican II Document on the Lay Apostolate

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.

“[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

THE APOLOGIST: A TRADITION OF ADVOCACY

Introduction

• “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)

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)

The Church and Political LifeThe 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)

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 -Catechism of the Cathol ic Church (1995)

In forming one’s conscience please consider the following three principles Intrinsically Evil Acts Consistent Ethic of Life Catholic Social Teachings

FORMATION OF CONSCIENCE

INTRINSICALLY EVIL ACTS

Reason attests that there are objects of the human act which are by their nature "incapable of being ordered" to God, because they radically contradict the good of the person made in his image. These are the acts which, in the Church's moral tradition, have been termed "intrinsically evil" (intrinsece malum): they are such always and per se…

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, euthanasia and voluntary suicide; whatever violates the integrity of the human person, such as mutilation, physical and mental torture and attempts to coerce the spirit; whatever is offensive to human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution and trafficking in women and children; degrading conditions of work which treat labourers as mere instruments of profit, and not as free responsible persons: all these and the like are a disgrace, and so long as they infect human civilization they contaminate those who inflict them more than those who suffer injustice, and they are a negation of the honor due to the Creator".

John Paul II: Veritatis Splendor

#80 (1995)

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)

CONSISTENT ETHIC OF LIFE

Catholic Social Teachings 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

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

Family Life

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

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

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

Do’s and Don’ts

For Parishes

PLEASE DO NOT…!!! Endorse/oppose Political

Candidates Homilies/Bulletin inserts regarding

specific candidates Distribute partisan or candidate

rating material on Church property Arrange Groups to work for a

candidate Fund or support Candidates, PACs

or Party Invite Candidates to address your

Church sponsored group or host political meetings on Church Property

Conduct partisan voter registration Share parish mailing lists to

political parties or campaigns

PLEASE DO…!!! Endorse/oppose Legislation and

Referendum Homilies/Bulletin inserts on moral

issues Provide educational material on

public policy issues Organize Prayer services/vigils or

Novenas encouraging Faithful Citizenship.

Encourage local legislative district meetings with their elected official to advocate on issues and legislation

Encourage letter-writing/emails or phone calls with elected officials regarding issues and legislation

Conduct a nonpartisan voter registration drive on Church property

Civil DiscourseO Catholics should try to

cooperate with all men and women of good will to promote whatever is true, whatever just, whatever holy, whatever lovable (cf. Phil. 4:8). They should hold discussions with them, excel them in prudence and courtesy, and initiate research on social and public practices which should be improved in line with the spirit of the Gospel. (Apostolicam Actuasitatem #14)

O Ground Rules:O Make sure everyone has an

opportunity to speakO Share your personal experience not

someone else’s.O Listen carefully and respectfully. Do not

play the role of know it all, convincer or corrector. Dialogue is not a Debate.

O Don’t interrupt unless for clarification or timekeeping

O Accept that no group or viewpoint has a monopoly on the truth.

O “Be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another’s statement than to condemn it.”

O Be cautious about assigning motives to another person.

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

What Can Catholics Do?

Organize Prayer or Faith Sharing Groups related to Catholic social teaching

Develop or join a Parish advocacy/social justice Committeeo 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