Faithful Citizenship, part 1

Oct 5, 2016

As we approach approach election day many Catholic voters wonder how they can apply the teachings of the Church to the problems of today. The Bishops of the United States offer us the document Faithful Citizenship to help us in the formation of our consciences in there light of there Gospel of Jesus Christ. We offer some excerpts from the Bishops’ document:
Part I of II: Our Call as Catholic Citizens
This brief document is Part I of a summary of the US bishops’ reflection, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, which complements the teaching of bishops in dioceses and states.

“If indeed ‘the just ordering of society and of the state is a central responsibility of politics,’ the Church ‘cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice.’” (1) So writes Pope Francis, quoting Pope Benedict XVI.
Our nation faces many political challenges that demand well-informed moral choices:
  • The ongoing destruction of a million innocent human lives each year by abortion
  • Physician-assisted suicide
  • The redefinition of marriage
  • The excessive consumption of material goods and the destructionof natural resources, harming the environment as well as the poor
  • Deadly attacks on Christians and other religious minoritiesthroughout the world
  • Efforts to narrow the definition and exercise of religious freedom
  • Economic policies that fail to prioritize the needs of poor people, at home and abroad
  • A broken immigration system and a worldwide refugee crisis
  • Wars, terror, and violence that threaten every aspect of human
  • life and dignity.(2)
As Catholics, we are part of a community with profound teachings
that help us consider challenges in public life, contribute to greater
justice and peace for all people, and evaluate policy positions, party
platforms, and candidates’ promises and actions in light of the Gospel
in order to help build a better world.

Please read the document here.
Catholics Care. Catholics Vote. Participate in political life.|
In their statement on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. Catholic bishops remind Catholics about the call to participate in political life. “In the Catholic tradition,” they write, “responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation” (no. 13). Visit www.faithfulcitizenship.org today to read the statement, watch videos, and access other great resources.