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Catholics and Political Responsibility

Statements by Bishops -
on Catholics and Political Responsibility
Updated June 27, 2013

"To claim the right to abortion, infanticide and euthanasia, and to recognize that right in law, means to attribute to human freedom a perverse and evil significance: that of an absolute power over others and against others. This is the death of true freedom..." [Pope John Paul II - Evangelium Vitae 20]

Bishops in the United States have individually expressed concern about Catholics who publicly oppose fundamental Catholic doctrine -- especially politicians. This section includes excerpts from published statements or columns by the bishops, or interviews, with links. (Unless otherwise indicated, click title to go to the complete version on this site, or to access on the site where it originally appeared.)

The items on this page are arranged chronologically, beginning with the latest. This section is updated regularly.

This page are statements between 2009 and the Present

Statements between 1990-2004 | Statements between 2005-2007 | Statements between January 2008- September 2008 | Statements between October 2008-December 2008 | Statements between 2009 - Present

Bishop Statements on President Barack Obama and Notre Dame, May, 2009

January 2012

"A Thread for Weaving Joy" -- by Archbishop Charles Chaput, January 22, 2012, published in Voices, Lent-Eastertide 2012

March 2011

Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila:
Good Shepherd: Living Christ's Own Pastoral Authority, March 18, 2011

Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo, in his March 18, 2011, keynote address at the 10th Annual Symposium on the Spirituality and Identity of the Diocesan Priest co-sponsored by The Institute for Priestly Formation and Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary Philadelphia, Good Shepherd: Living Christ’s Own Pastoral Authority, the bishop spoke of the responsibility of priests to govern. He said, in part:

"One must honestly ask, how many times and years may a Catholic politician vote for the so called —right to abortion,? —murder? in the words of John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae (58), and still be able to receive Holy Communion? The continual reception of Holy Communion by those who so visibly contradict and promote a grave evil, even more than simply dissent, only creates grave scandal, undermines the teaching and governing authority of the Church and can be interpreted by the faithful as indifference to the teaching of Christ and the Church on the part of those who have the responsibility to govern.

"If we honestly pray with the Gospel we can see that hesitancy and non-accountability is not the way of Jesus Christ, but rather it is a failure in the exercise of governance. Bishops and priests, as an act of loving obedience to Christ, must return to a full exercise of the governing authority of Christ witnessed in the Gospel. If we do not exercise that authority, are hesitant to exercise it, or doubt it, then it only leads to the —father of lies? taking hold of the minds and hearts of the faithful, and their continuing to act in the ways of man and not the ways of God."

Click here for the complete address.

December 2010

Statement of Bishop Thomas Paprocki - Diocese of Springfield, Illinois
December 1, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 2010

Bishops' Statement on 2010 Elections Drafted, Distributed to Parishes Statewide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Information: Kathie Sass: (217) 698-8500

After the Illinois House of Representatives approved legislation that would require the state to recognize same-sex unions, Governor Pat Quinn was quoted as saying, “My religious faith animates me to support this bill.” He did not say what religious faith that would be, but it certainly is not the Catholic faith. If the Governor wishes to pursue a secular agenda for political purposes, that is his prerogative for which he is accountable to the voters. But if he wishes to speak as a Catholic, then he is accountable to Catholic authority, and the Catholic Church does not support civil unions or other measures that are contrary to the natural moral law.

Also see earlier statement of all Illinois bishops and the Illinois Catholic Conference on the “civil union” issue on this same link:

http://www.dio.org/interact/blog/itemlist/tag/Bishop%20Thomas%20John%20Paprocki.html - Broken link

(LANSING)—The arch/bishops of the seven Roman Catholic arch/dioceses of Michigan have composed a statement on the 2010 elections that is being distributed to Catholic parishes statewide this week. The statement, A Call to Conscience: Faithful Citizenship and the Common Good, reminds Catholics of their moral obligation to participate in the democratic process, to form their consciences based on Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching, and to evaluate candidates through the lens of faith.

According to the bishops' statement: "Catholics are called to evaluate all matters, including politics, through the lens of faith, to participate in the public square, to engage the political process, and to allow Gospel values to transform our society into a more just and better world for all. In other words, Catholics are called to be 'Faithful Citizens.'"

A Call to Conscience begins by quoting Founding Father and second President of the United States John Adams, who provided in his 1776 treatise Thoughts on Government an explanation of how government is instituted for the common good. The statement moves to convey an understanding of how "faithful citizenship" flows from a well-formed conscience which, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "judges particular choices, approving those that are good and denouncing those that are evil."

The bishops' statement further reads: "Our pluralistic nation has a rich history of welcoming various ideas and proposals from all sectors of society, including and especially religious groups. In this tradition, the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ, brought to the public square by faith-filled Catholics, help to embolden our communities and to advance the common good."

The Catholic bishops of Michigan in their statement reinforce the Church's teaching that not all issues carry equal moral weight. While Catholics in good conscience may disagree on practical policies that call for prudential judgment, the bishops explain, there are other policies that are intrinsically evil and can never be supported. How best to care for the poor or how to welcome the immigrant are prudential matters, the bishops state, while candidates with a permissive stance on intrinsically evil policies – abortion, human embryo experimentation and assisted suicide—can never be supported by those with a well-formed conscience if it is the voter's intent to support those policies.

A Call to Conscience: Faithful Citizenship and the Common Good is being distributed to all 765 parishes throughout Michigan, along with the Conference’s publication Election and Political Activities Guide: A Handbook for the 2010 Elections. The handbook includes sections on do's and don'ts for parishes in an election year (for example, do speak about issues and encourage parishioners to vote; do not conduct candidate forums with only one candidate present); a discussion of faithful citizenship and conscience formation; and public policy issues of concern to the Church. Those policy issues include human life, religious freedom, education, children and families, economic justice, health care and restorative justice.

Both materials are accompanied by a cover letter from MCC President and Chief Executive Officer Sister Monica Kostielney, R.S.M., who writes “2010 is a critical year for Michigan government… 81 of the 148 sitting legislators are term-limited, the sitting lieutenant governor is not running for the governor's office, and all three constitutional offices—the governor's office, the attorney general's office, and the secretary of state's office—will not have an incumbent running for re-election. The decisions made by the 2.1 million Catholics across Michigan will have a profound impact on the common good and the moral fiber of this state for years to come."

The seven arch/bishops of Michigan are Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit; Most Reverend Bernard A. Hebda, Bishop of Gaylord; Most Reverend Walter A. Hurley, Bishop of Grand Rapids; Most Reverend Paul J. Bradley, Bishop of Kalamazoo; Most Reverend Earl A. Boyea, Bishop of Lansing; Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample, Bishop of Marquette; and Most Reverend Joseph R. Cistone, Bishop of Saginaw.

Michigan Catholic Conference is the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in this state.

http://www.micatholic.org/advocacy/news-room/news-releases/bishops-statement-on-2010-elections-headed-to-parishes/

 

An Election Year Statement from the Roman Catholic Bishops of Michigan

"Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men” wrote John Adams in Thoughts on Government in 1776. Later that year, the Declaration of Independence announced to the world “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” The nation’s Founding Fathers created a government where all who reside in these United States are free to pursue the common good—they are free to speak, free to assemble peacefully, and free to worship God and practice their faith.

With these freedoms comes responsibility. Catholics are called to evaluate all matters, including politics, through the lens of faith, to participate in the public square, to engage the political process, and to allow Gospel values to transform our society into a more just and better world for all. In other words, Catholics are called to be “Faithful Citizens.”

Practicing Faithful Citizenship flows from a well-formed conscience. What do we mean when we refer to “conscience?” According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph, “Moral conscience, present at the heart of the person, enjoins him at the appropriate moment to do good and to avoid evil. It also judges particular choices, approving those that are good and denouncing those that are evil. It bears witness to the authority of truth in reference to the supreme Good to which the human person is drawn, and it welcomes the commandments. When he listens to his conscience, the prudent man can hear God speaking.”

When we act in harmony with our conscience, shunning evil for that which is good, we are bringing Gospel values to the public square. Our pluralistic nation has a rich history of welcoming various ideas and proposals from all sectors of society, including, and especially, religious groups. In this tradition, the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, brought to the public square by faith-filled Catholics, help to embolden our communities and to advance the common good.

Those primarily responsible for implementing the common good are the public officials whom we elect at the ballot box every two and four years. Public officials hold tremendous influence over public policies that affect us not only as citizens of this great state, but more importantly, as Catholics and people of faith. Issues of religious freedom, the right to life, protection of marriage and the family, the education of children, and how the poor, the vulnerable and immigrants are served confront elected officials at the State Capitol each day. These are the issues that we, too, as Catholics, must seriously evaluate when deciding for whom to vote this November.

We recognize that Catholics seek guidance from their church on matters of conscience. As teachers of the faith, we do not endorse candidates or political parties. However, as bishops of the church, we have a duty to help the Catholic faithful form their consciences based on Gospel values and the teachings of Jesus Christ.  As Catholics, we must evaluate candidates’ positions based on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching in order to determine who best will guide our communities.

Yet not all issues carry equal moral weight. Catholics may disagree on practical policies that call for prudential judgment, such as how best to care for the poor, how to welcome the immigrant, or how to eradicate racism. There are other policies, however, that are intrinsically evil and can never be supported.

The right to life is a commandment of God, an inherent and a fundamental moral principle. It is indeed the first of the unalienable God-given rights recognized by our Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence. It is the primary right through which all other rights flow. The willful destruction of human life through abortion, human embryo experimentation, and assisted suicide represent intrinsically evil policies. A Catholic with a well-formed conscience would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil if they were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate’s permissive stance on these policies. On the difficult occasion where both candidates support an intrinsic evil, the conscientious voter may consider each candidates’ integrity and commitments, and determine which would be less likely to advance such a morally flawed position and more likely to promote other authentic human goods.

By forming our consciences based on Gospel values and the teachings of Jesus Christ, we can bring to the public square our commitment to the common good. Elected officials in Lansing expect nothing less from us. As Catholics, we are urged to vote, to take part in conversations about political matters, to join political parties, and to use the Internet to learn more about candidates and their positions. Most importantly, all of us, as faithful citizens, are called to cast our vote through the lens of faith. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance as we prepare to elect our political leaders this year.

Most Reverend Bernard A. Hebda
Bishop of Gaylord

Most Reverend Walter A. Hurley
Bishop of Grand Rapids

Most Reverend Paul J. Bradley
Bishop of Kalamazoo

Most Reverend Earl A. Boyea
Bishop of Lansing

Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample
Bishop of Marquette

Most Reverend Joseph R. Cistone
Bishop of Saginaw

Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron
Archbishop of Detroit

Copyright June 2010 Michigan Catholic Conference

http://www.micatholicconference.org/assets/files/statements/mbs_20100615-ACallToConscience.pdf

March 2009

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann
Archbishop of Kansas City, KS

Archbishop Naumann's Column for The Leaven (KCK archdiocese) on Sebelius Nomination - http://www.theleaven.com/columnist/archbishop_column.html

 (Link also on The Catholic Key, Diocese of KC-St Joseph -

http://catholickey.blogspot.com/2009/03/archbishop-naumanns-column-on-sebelius.html

Leaven Column
March 6, 2009

by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann

Normally, it would be a source of joy and pride to have a Catholic from Kansas named by the President to an important Cabinet Post. Unfortunately, I experience neither with President Obama’s selection of Governor Kathleen Sebelius as his choice to serve as the Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

In many ways, I can understand why President Obama selected Governor Sebelius. As I have acknowledged on several other occasions she is a very bright and gifted leader. In many important areas, she represents well Catholic social teaching. She has advocated for more affordable housing for the poor, she has worked to expand access to health care for economically disadvantaged children, and she has supported incentives encouraging adoption.

Yet, on the fundamental moral issue of protecting innocent human life, Governor Sebelius, throughout her career, has been an outspoken advocate for legalized abortion. For this reason her appointment to HHS is particularly troubling.

President Obama has made a top priority for his administration health care reform. The Church certainly supports the objectives of such reform: to make quality health care accessible and affordable for everyone. Of course, there is vigorous debate on how to best achieve this important goal. I claim no competence or expertise in this area.

The Secretary for HHS will be a key figure in developing and implementing the Health Care Reform for the nation. There are those, who have great influence within the Obama administration and with whom Governor Sebelius has been associated throughout her political career (e.g. Planned Parenthood, National Organization of Women, NARAL, etc.), who want abortion not only to be permitted in this country but considered a right.

If they are successful in their efforts to have abortion included amongst “basic health care services,” then it is entirely possible that doctors, nurses and health care institutions will be compelled to cooperate in the provision of abortion. Those advocating for abortion to be considered a “right” would love to see Catholic hospitals faced with the choice to either cooperate in providing abortions or close.

The protection of conscience rights for individuals and institutions is extremely important. The Obama administration has already expressed a desire to rescind the policies of the Bush administration to strengthen conscience protection for health care workers and providers. President Obama, when he was Senator Obama, co-sponsored the so-called Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) that was introduced in the previous congress. That version of FOCA would have, among other things, forced health care providers to cooperate in abortion. Regretfully, Governor Sebelius throughout her political career has

been associated with and supported by Planned Parenthood, NOW, NARAL and others advocating for abortion to be considered a “health care right.”

Even more troubling is that earlier in her political career Governor Sebelius accepted political contributions from Wichita’s notorious late-term abortionist, Dr. George Tiller. When this was no longer politically opportune, Dr. Tiller established a political action committee through which he donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the election and re-election of Governor Sebelius, as well as other equally staunch supporters of legalized abortion.

Kansas has one of the most restrictive laws regarding late-term abortions. Yet, it has become, in large part because of Dr. Tiller, the late-term abortion capital of the Midwest. How is this possible? It is possible because our current laws have not been enforced. Each time the Kansas Legislature has passed statutes in an effort to improve enforcement of late-term abortion restrictions, Governor Sebelius has vetoed these laws.

As you are aware, because of her long history both as a legislator and Governor of consistently supporting legalized abortion and after many months of dialogue, I requested Governor Sebelius not to present herself for communion. I did this in the hope that it would motivate Governor Sebelius to reconsider her support for what is an intrinsic evil – the destruction of innocent human life by abortion. I also took this pastoral action to protect others from being misled by the Governor’s public support and advocacy for legalized abortion.

The appointment of Governor Sebelius as the Secretary of HHS concerns me on many levels. With her history of support for legalized abortion and embryonic stem cell research, it is troubling the important influence that she will have on shaping health care policies for our nation. Having elected President Obama with his own record of support for legalized abortion, our nation should not be surprised by his appointment of a Secretary for HHS who shares his views. Though many people voted for President Obama, not because of his support for legalized abortion but despite it, voters in effect gave him the ability to appoint individuals who share his anti-life views to his Cabinet and even more troubling to the courts.

I am also concerned personally for Governor Sebelius. Her appointment as Secretary for HHS places her in a position where she will have to make many decisions that will in all probability continue her personal involvement in promoting legalized abortion and her cooperation in this intrinsic evil.

I am also concerned that the appointment of Governor Sebelius places another Catholic supporting legalized abortion in a prominent national position. She joins Vice-President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and unfortunately a host of Catholic Senators and members of the House of Representatives who support legalized abortion contrary to the clear and consistent teaching of their Church. It saddens me that so many Catholics, to gain political advancement, have chosen to compromise their Catholic faith by their failure to defend the most fundamental of all human rights – the right to life.

I am reminded of the powerful scene in A Man for All Seasons, the play about the heroic Catholic English Martyr, St. Thomas More. After Richard Rich has perjured himself in order to make it possible to convict Thomas More of treason, the Judge asks Thomas More if he has any questions for the witness. Thomas More notes that Richard Rich is wearing a chain of office and asks what it signifies. He is told that Richard Rich has been appointed Attorney General for Wales. Thomas More then paraphrases the Gospel saying to Richard Rich: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul, but for Wales?”

We need to pray for all Catholics who serve in public life that they will have the courage and integrity to be true to the teachings and principles of our Faith no matter the political consequences.

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Archbishop Charles Chaput
Archbishop of Denver

March 4, 2009:Senate Bill 225: troubling for Catholic medical care

February 2009

Archbishop Charles Chaput
Archbishop of Denver

February 23, 2009: Rendering unto Caesar: The Catholic political vocation

January 2009

Archbishop Charles Chaput
Archbishop of Denver

January 28, 2009: Thoughts on a ‘new beginning,’ and an old truth

Bishop Robert J. Hermann
Saint Louis, MO

January 23, 2009
Bishop Hermann: 'I thought you should know’
Pro-life Mass — Catholic identity

Archbishop Charles Chaput
Archbishop of Denver

January 21, 2009: Let your voice supporting life be heard

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