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3. For many years, we bishops of the United States have sought to share
Catholic teaching on social and political life. We have done so in a series
of statements issued every four years focused on “political responsibility” or
“faithful citizenship.” In this document we continue that practice, maintain-
ing continuity with what we have said in the past in light of new challenges
facing our nation and world. This is not new teaching but affirms what is
taught by our bishops’ conference and the whole Church.
4. As Catholics, we are part of a community with a rich heritage that helps
us consider the challenges in public life and contribute to greater justice and
peace for all people. Part of that rich heritage on faithful citizenship is the
teaching of Vatican Council II’s
Declaration on Religious Liberty
(
Dignitatis
Humanae
). It says that “society itself may profit by the moral qualities of justice
and peace which have their origin in [people’s] faithfulness to God and to His
holy will” (no. 6). The work for justice requires that the mind and the heart of
Catholics be educated and formed to know and practice the whole faith.
5. This statement highlights the role of the Church in the formation of con-
science and the corresponding moral responsibility of each Catholic to hear,
receive, and act upon the Church’s teaching in the lifelong task of forming his
or her own conscience. Foremost amongst those teachings are the four basic
principles of Catholic social doctrine: the dignity of the human person, the
common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity (
Compendium of the Social Doc-
trine of the Church
, no. 160). With this foundation, Catholics are better able
to evaluate policy positions, party platforms, and candidates’ promises and
actions in light of the Gospel and the moral and social teaching of the Church
in order to help build a better world.
6. We seek to do this by addressing four questions: (1) Why does the Church
teach about issues affecting public policy? (2) Who in the Church should par-
ticipate in political life? (3) How does the Church help the Catholic faithful
to speak about political and social questions? (4) What does the Church say
about Catholic social teaching in the public square?
7. 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 par-
ticular election.
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