US Catholic Bishops Issue American Voting Guide " Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility"
The document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States was developed by the chairmen, in consultation with the membership, of the Committees on Catholic Education, Communications, Cultural Diversity in the Church, Doctrine, Domestic Justice and Human Development, Evangelization and Catechesis, International Justice and Peace, Migration, Pro-Life Activities; the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage; and the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). It was approved by the full body of bishops at its November 2015 General Meeting:
As Catholics, we bring the richness of our faith to the public square. We draw from both faith and reason
as we seek to affirm the dignity of the human person and the common good of all. With renewed hope,
we, the Catholic Bishops of the United States, are re-issuing Forming Consciences for Faithful
Citizenship, our teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics, which provides guidance
for all who seek to exercise their rights and duties as citizens.
Everyone living in this country is called to participate in public life and contribute to the common
good.1 In Rejoice and Be Glad [Gaudete et Exsultate], Pope Francis writes:
Your identification with Christ and his will involves a commitment to build with him that
kingdom of love, justice and universal peace. . . .You cannot grow in holiness without
committing yourself, body and soul, to giving your best to this endeavor.2
The call to holiness, he writes, requires a “firm and passionate” defense of “the innocent unborn.”
“Equally sacred,” he further states, are “the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the
abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the
victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection.”3
Our approach to contemporary issues is first and foremost rooted in our identity as followers of
Christ and as brothers and sisters to all who are made in God’s image. For all Catholics, including those
seeking public office, our participation in political parties or other groups to which we may belong
should be influenced by our faith, not the other way around.
Our 2015 statement, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,sought to help Catholics form
their consciences, apply a consistent moral framework to issues facing the nation and world, and shape
their choices in elections in the light of Catholic Social Teaching. In choosing to re-issue this statement,
we recognize that the thrust of the document and the challenges it addresses remain relevant today.
At the same time, some challenges have become even more pronounced. Pope Francis has
continued to draw attention to important issues such as migration, xenophobia, racism, abortion, global
conflict, and care for creation. In the United States and around the world, many challenges demand
our attention.
The threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself,4
because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives
destroyed. At the same time, we cannot dismiss or ignore otherseriousthreatsto human life and
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dignity such asracism, the environmental crisis, poverty and the death penalty.5
Our efforts to protect the unborn remain as important as ever, for just as the Supreme Court may
allow greater latitude for state laws restricting abortion, state legislators have passed statutes not only
keeping abortion legal through all nine months of pregnancy but opening the door to infanticide.
Additionally, abortion contaminates many other important issues by being inserted into legislation
regarding immigration, care for the poor, and health care reform.
At our border, many arriving families endure separation, inhumane treatment, and lack of due
process, while those fleeing persecution and violence face heightened barriers to seeking refuge and
asylum. Within our borders, Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and mixed-status and
undocumented families face continued fear and anxiety as political solutions fail to materialize.
Lawmakers’ inability to pass comprehensive immigration reform which acknowledges the family as the
basic unit of society has contributed to the deterioration of conditions at the border. As we seek solutions,
we must ensure that we receive refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants in light of the teachings of
Christ and the Church while assuring the security of our citizens.
The wound of racism continuesto fester; the bishops of the United States drew attention to this
important topic in the recent pastoral letter, Open Wide Our Hearts.Religiousfreedomproblems
continue to intensify abroad and in the United States have moved beyond the federal to state and
local levels. Asinternational conflicts proliferate, addressing poverty and building global peace remain
pressing concerns, as does the need to assist persons and families in our own country who continue to
struggle to make ends meet. We must work to address gun violence, xenophobia, capital punishment, and
other issues that affect human life and dignity. It is also essential to affirm the nature of the human person
as male and female, to protect the family based on marriage between a man and a woman, and to uphold
the rights of children in that regard. Finally, we must urgently find ways to care better for God’s creation,
especially those most impacted by climate change—the poor—and protect our common home. We must
resist the throw-away culture and seek integral development for all.
With these and other serious challenges facing both the nation and the Church, we are called to
walk with those who suffer and to work toward justice and healing.
At all levels of society, we are aware of a great need for leadership that models love for
righteousness (Wisdom 1:1) as well as the virtues of justice, prudence, courage, and temperance. Our
commitment as people of faith to imitate Christ’s love and compassion should challenge us to serve as
modelsof civil dialogue, especially in a context where discourse is eroding at all levels of society.
Where we live, work, and worship, we strive to understand before seeking to be understood, to treat with
respect those with whom we disagree, to dismantle stereotypes, and to build productive conversation in
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place of vitriol.
Catholics from every walk of life can bring their faith and our consistent moral framework to
contribute to important work in our communities, nation, and world on an ongoing basis, not just during
election season. In this coming year and beyond, we urge leaders and all Catholics to respond in prayer
and action to the call to faithful citizenship. In doing so, we live out the call to holiness and work with
Christ as he builds his kingdom of love.
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