In November 2007, when the U.S. Catholic bishops approved a new voting guide for Catholics, Bishop William Skylestad of Spokane, then chairman of the bishops’ conference, called it an important “excellent educational document.” He said that. Given the complexity of the current political climate.
In 2024, the political situation continues to be complicated as none of the candidates from the major parties are fully aligned with the Church on core issues. Pope Francis even recently said that while American Catholics “must vote” in this election, they are choosing “the less evil.”
In 2024, all that will remain is essentially the voting guide approved by the U.S. bishops in 2007. The 64-page document, titled “Forming a Conscience for Faithful Citizenship,” provides guidance to Catholics on how to apply Catholic teachings to key political issues such as human life and religious freedom. provides guidelines. , preferential options for the poor, and care for economic justice, health care, immigration, Catholic education, and a common home among them.
The Bishops’ Call to Political Responsibility has undergone several revisions since its publication nearly 17 years ago. It was last updated in 2015. Last November, the bishops left the document unchanged except for an introductory sentence emphasizing that abortion was a top priority in polls.
“The threat of abortion remains our top priority because it directly attacks our most vulnerable and voiceless brothers and sisters, claiming more than a million lives a year in our country alone. “Because there are many, many abortions,” the preface says, adding that there are other serious threats to abortion. Human life and dignity includes euthanasia, gun violence, terrorism, the death penalty, and human trafficking.
The memo also addresses the redefinition of gender and marriage, threats to religious freedom at home and abroad, lack of justice for the poor, the suffering of immigrants and refugees, war and famine around the world, racism, and many more. The need for access to people is listed. Health care, education, and the care of our collective homes are listed as current priorities for voters.
“All threaten human dignity,” the document says of the issues.
Below we detail some of the issues in the Faithful Citizenship Voter Guide.
