Catholic Social Teaching:
The Right and Duty to Participate
in Social, Economic and Political Life
It is a fundamental demand of justice and a requirement for human dignity that all people have the opportunity to participate in the social, economic and political decisions that affect their lives. It is wrong for a person or group to be excluded unfairly or to be unable to participate in society.

Catholic Social Teaching Major Theme: The Role of Government

It has become quite stylish over the past few years to talk about "individual responsibility." This sounds like an idea beyond reproach. After all, we are each ultimately responsible for our own actions. If every person took responsibility for his or her own life, the world would be a better place, right?

In practice, there are some problems with this idea. Realistically, people who are born into poverty, mental illness, addiction, or abuse, require more than just the will to succeed in order to break out of the cycle. People in crisis also impact the lives of many innocents. Can we blame the toddler who is hungry because his father bought alcohol instead of food? Can we blame the student who fails in school because he is too busy finding food and staying warm to find time to study?

While a positive life principle for many, the mantra of "individual responsibility" has also been used to break down our sense of community, our sense of caring for each other, and to replace it with an "every man for himself" mentality. At the policy level, this mentality has been used to justify cuts in numerous social programs such as welfare, low-income housing, child-care assistance, and mental health programs. The result of all this is that many good Christians feel that they, like Pilate, can wash their hands of their duty to the poor because the poor must be acting irresponsibly.

Catholic Social Teaching once again turns society's standards upside down. When society tells us that the poor should work harder and take care of themselves; the Church tells us that the poor should have the first claim on our resources, that we all have a duty to care for the poor, and that government has a responsibility to design policies and programs that promote economic justice, and care for the poor and vulnerable. We are never told that we should base our actions on whether or not the poor are worthy.

In "Economic Justice for All: Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy", the 1986 letter by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the bishops state:

"The responsibility for alleviating the plight of the poor falls upon all members of society. As individuals, all citizens have a duty to assist the poor through acts of charity and personal commitment. But private charity and voluntary action are not sufficient. We also carry out our moral responsibility to assist and empower the poor by working collectively through government to establish just and effective public policies."

What does this all mean to us? Pope Paul VI, in his 1967 encyclical "On the Development of Peoples" challenges us all when he states:

"Let each one examine his conscience, a conscience that conveys a new message for our times. Is he prepared to support out of his own pocket works and undertaking organized in favor of the most destitute? Is he ready to pay higher taxes so that the public authorities can intensify their efforts in favor of development?"

If we accept the fact that government does have a vital role to play in alleviating the plight of the poor, are we willing to help pay for that role? Do we automatically vote against any politician who might raise our taxes? Do we evaluate every law in terms of its possible effect on the poor - or do we look at every law only in terms of personal gain or loss? Do we ever ask ourselves "How would Jesus vote?"

For more information on Catholic Social Teaching please go to www.osjspm.org/CST to learn more on the role of government view Catholic Social Teaching, Office of Social Justice, St. Paul Minnesota #5 Role of Government and Subsidiarity

The Challenge of Faithful Citizenship
A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility

A Summary of the the Statement by the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Elections are a time for debate and decisions. Our nations has been attacked and has gone to war. We have moved from sharing budget surpluses to allocating the burdens of deficits. Our world faces fundamental questions of life and death, war and peace, who moves ahead and who is left behind. Our community of faith is working to heal wounds and rebuild trust, but we cannot abandon the duty to act on our faith in political life.

Politics should be about an old idea with new power - the common good. The question should not be "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" It should be, "How can 'we' - all of us, especially the weak and vulnerable - be better off in the years ahead?"

In this election year, we ask who has a place at the table of life in our nation and around the world. Where is the place at the table for children destroyed before they are born; for the hungry and those who lack health care; for families who need decent work, wages, education, and hope for the future? How can the poor and vulnerable have a real place at the table where policies and priorities are set? For Catholics, a special table - an altar - is where we find the direction to use our voices and votes to defend life, advance justice, pursue peace, and find a place at the table for all God's children.

We need a new kind of politics - focused on moral principles, not on polls; on the needs of the vulnerable, not the contributions of the powerful; and on the pursuit of the common good, not the demands of special interests. Some Catholics may feel politically homeless, sensing that no political party and too few candidates share a consistent concern for human life an dignity. However, this is no time for retreat or discouragement. We need more, not less engagement in political life.

A Call to Faithful Citizenship
In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue; participation in the political process is a moral obligation. Believers are called to become informed, active, and responsible participants in the political process. Even those who are not citizens are called to participate. Catholics who seek political office have a particular responsibility to bring together their faith, moral convictions, and public responsibilities. This is about more than one election. It requires ongoing participation in the political process.

The Constitution protects our right to speak without governmental favoritism or discrimination. Our nation is enriched, not threatened, when religious groups join public debate. A Catholic moral framework is often "politically correct;" it does not fit the rigid ideologies of "right" or "left" or the platform of any party. Believers are called to be a community of conscience within the larger society, testing every candidate and party for how they affect human life and dignity, and how they pursue justice and peace.

To read the full statement or for more information visit this website: http://www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship/index.htm

Michigan Voter Information

In Michigan, visit the Michigan Voter Information Center to check on your eligibility, precinct location, type of voting (paper or machine), and to view your ballot).

See also: Publius.org a nonpartisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1996 to explore the impact of the Internet on democracy and develop web-based tools to enhance the exchange of ideas and information. In 1998, Publius developed an interactive web tool to allow residents to access their voter registration status and obtain candidate information. With the assistance of the Secretary of State's Bureau of Elections, Publius had created the world's first online ballot generator based on the voter registration information supplied by the state's Qualified Voter File.

Pray Before You Vote

"You my brothers were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature: rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command:"Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other." ~Galatians 5:13-15

Before we cast our vote in local, regional or national elections this month, let us consider how God would view our choices. Take a moment to pray about the candidates or legislation before you enter the voting booth. And continue to pray for our country's leaders after election results are announced, that their hearts and minds will be guided by God's divine justice and mercy.

©2005 CL Enterprises, used with permission.

NETWORK - A Catholic Social Justice Lobby

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NETWORK, a Catholic Social Justice Lobby, was founded on December 17, 1971 by 47 Catholic sisters from different orders all over the country, with the intent of forming a "network" of sisters who would lobby for legislation and policies promoting social and economic justice.

The NETWORK web site, www.networklobby.org, is a wealth of information on social justice issues and NETWORK's mission of "lobbying, organizing and educating for basic justice for people who are poor."