Friday, October 26, 2007

U.S. Bishops Prepare Document on Politics

ZE07102505 - 2007-10-25
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-20838?l=english

U.S. Bishops Prepare Document on Politics

Statement to Urge Catholics to Participate in Civil Life

WASHINGTON, D.C., OCT. 25, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The U.S. bishops will offer an updated statement on faith and politics after their general meeting next month, ahead of the 2008 election year.

The proposed statement focuses on the bishops' role in helping to form consciences in political life.

"In this statement, we bishops do not intend to tell Catholics for whom or against whom to vote," the draft states. "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 particular election."

Statements on political life have been released by the bishops every four years for about three decades.

The draft to be discussed in November explains the necessity of opposing actions that are intrinsically wrong, such as abortion and euthanasia, and affirms the obligation to promote the common good by combating such threats to human life and dignity as hunger, poverty, racism, unjust immigration policies and unjust war.

The proposed draft also urges Catholics "to become more involved: running for office, working within political parties and communicating concerns to elected officials." It suggests that Catholics should be "guided more by our moral convictions than by our attachment to a political party or interest group."

The document says "Catholic voters should use Catholic teaching to examine candidates' positions on issues and should consider candidates' integrity, philosophy, and performance."

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Catholic Charities USA Code of Ethics Principles and Values Section

II. Principles of Catholic Social Teaching

In light of this reflection on the Scriptures, Catholic Charities reaffirm their commitment to living out the great commandment of Love of God and Love of Neighbor, and as institutions, proudly proclaim their commitment to the Principles and Values of the Church.

“The permanent principles of the Church’s social doctrine [341] constitute the very heart of Catholic social teaching. These are the principles of: the dignity of the human person…which is the foundation of all the other principles and content of the Church’s social doctrine; the common good [342]; subsidiarity; and solidarity.” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 160)

“Besides the principles that must guide the building of a society… the Church’s social doctrine also indicates fundamental values.” The relationship between principles and values is undoubtedly one of reciprocity, in that social values are an expression of appreciation to be attributed to those specific aspects of moral good that these principles foster, serving as points of reference for the proper structuring and ordered leading of life in society. These values require, therefore, both the practice of the fundamental principles of social life and the personal exercise of virtue, hence of those moral attitudes that correspond to these very values [426]. All social values are inherent in the dignity of the human person, whose authentic development they foster. Essentially, these values are: truth, freedom, justice, love” [427]. (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 197)

A. Human Dignity

Catholic Charities affirm that each person is made in the image of God and has inherent dignity. Each person must be respected from conception to natural death. Each person is endowed with rights and duties.

Catholic Charities affirm that each person served and engaged with our work will be held in great esteem and with great respect.

B. Common Good

Catholic Charities affirm that there is a universal destination of all created things, that all persons have the right to access all that they need in order to reach their fulfillment and that all persons have the concurrent obligation to work for the rights of others as well.

C. Subsidiarity

Catholic Charities affirm that decisions should be made at the lowest possible level, should involve those who are capable of participation in decision-making and who will be impacted by those decisions, and should empower those who are most in need. Concurrently, we commit to creating and renewing structures and institutions that provide assistance and aid, as required, appropriate and necessary.

Catholic Charities, as members of the civic society, affirm that we should actively participate in the public discourse at both the national and local community level, seeking justice for all, but especially for those who have no voice of their own. We affirm that we should both advocate and serve, advocating both for individuals and for just social structures.

D. Solidarity with the Poor

Catholic Charities affirm that the most poor and vulnerable persons and families have a special claim to our services and programs.

Catholic Charities affirm that our staff and boards should engage those served to have representative voice in decisions impacting policies and programs. Accordingly, we affirm the need to create structures and processes for obtaining appropriate input from stakeholders.

Catholic Charities commit ourselves to continue to be a voice with poor and vulnerable individuals and families in the public discourse.

III. Fundamental Values

A. Truth

Catholic Charities affirm that transparency and accountability will always be pursued in our communication and work.

Catholic Charities affirm the truth of the intrinsic dignity and worth of the human person as a social being and will witness to our Catholic identity in fulfilling our roles in Church and in society.

B. Freedom

Catholic Charities affirm that we will always assist our clients, staff and volunteers to live in socially responsible freedom, to exercise their authentic autonomy in light of objective truth and to actualize their inherent potential as beings created in the image and likeness of God.

Catholic Charities will respect and affirm the autonomy of each organization/entity with whom we are in relationship.

C. Justice

Catholic Charities affirm that it is a matter of justice that all clients have the right to self-actualization and to reach their potential as beings created in the image and likeness of God.

Catholic Charities affirm that we will work to achieve greater justice in our communities through our social policy advocacy efforts – locally, nationally and internationally.

Catholic Charities affirm that all contracts and agreements and all relationships with stakeholders will be based on norms of justice.

Catholic Charities affirm that we will work to expand and maintain diversity and excellence in our membership, board, leadership positions and staff.

Catholic Charities affirm that we will continue to work to help eradicate racism and prejudice within our own organizations and in society at large.

D. Love

Catholic Charities affirm that love – caritas – will be the chief identifying characteristic and element of our work and life.

SOCIAL THOUGHT: Brian R. Corbin's Review of Church's Social Doctrine, Practice and Social Policy

Friday, October 26, 2007