Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility
Each year over
the past 28 years, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued
a statement of the Church's, and the faithful laity's, role in a
presidential election year.
"As we approach
the elections of 2004, we renew our call for a new kind of politics
- focused on moral principles, not on the latest polls; on the needs
of the poor and vulnerable, not the contributions of the rich and
powerful; and on the pursuit of the common good, not the demands
of special interests ."
"We urge Catholics
to become more involved - by running for office, by working within
political parties, by contributing money or time to campaigns and
by joining diocesan legislative networks, community organizations
and other efforts to apply Catholic principles in the public square."
"The Catholic
community is a diverse community of faith, not an interest group.
Our church does not offer contributions or endorsements. Instead,
we raise (in this document) a series of questions, seeking to help
lift up the moral and human dimensions of the choices facing voters
and candidates (in the 2004 presidential election year)."
For a complete
text of the USCCB's document "Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic
Call to Political Responsibility" log on to the USCCB web site
at www.usccb.org.
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