Dr. Robert J. O’Hara, Jr., Executive Director
Mr. Sean P. McAleer, Department on Elementary and Secondary Education Director
Mr. Francis J. Viglietta, Department on Social Concerns
Sr. Clare Christi Schiefer, OSF, President, Pennsylvania Catholic Health Association
Mrs. Amy B. Hill, APR, Communications Director
Mrs. Joelle E. Shea, Director of Outreach and Assistant Director of Communications
Mrs. Karen McFadden, Office Manager
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference
223 North Street
PO Box 2835
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105
Dear Dr. O'Hara & staff,
As you are certainly aware, "Do's and Don'ts Guidelines During Election Season" which appears on the USCC web site is extremely restrictive:
- "certain political activities that are entirely appropriate for individuals may not be undertaken by church organizations or their representatives. The USCCB Office of General Counsel (202-541-3300) provides detailed guidance on what is allowed and not allowed under the law. This detailed guidance is available at http://www.usccb.org/about/general-counsel/political-activity-guidelines.cfm....
"you should seek the advice of your diocesan attorney or state Catholic conference before giving permission for the distribution of literature or providing the opportunity for candidates to speak...
"According to the USCCB Office of General Counsel, certain activities generally are appropriate for parishes and other Catholic organizations.
Sharing the Principles of Catholic Social Teaching....Cards summarizing seven key themes of Catholic social teaching that can serve as guidelines for involvement in public life are available from the USCCB....
Voter Participation....
Ballot Measures....Parishes and other church organizations can take positions on such measures and work to support or oppose them within the limits of permitted lobbying activity for section 501(c)(3) organizations....
Voter Education....This may include distributing the results of candidate polls or surveys, so long as these materials have been approved by your diocesan attorney or state Catholic conference. Voter education materials should (1) be consistent with church teaching on political responsibility; (2) cover a wide range of issues important to voters [As this would seem to have the impact of "diluting" the primacy of certain concerns, I would personally be especially interested in seeing a justification from the Catechism - Please advise.]; and (3) exhibit no bias for or against any candidate or party.
Non-Partisanship: The Church does not and will not engage in partisan politics....
- "parishes, other church organizations, and their representatives should remember these guidelines:
■Do not endorse or oppose candidates, political parties, or groups of candidates, or take any action that reasonably could be construed as endorsement or opposition.
■Do not make available the use of church facilities, assets, or members for partisan political purposes.
■Do not authorize distribution of partisan political materials or biased voter education materials (those that support or oppose—or exhibit bias for or against—any candidate or party) on church property, in church publications, or at church activities [This statement seems to have been poorly written, as it could be misconstrued to mean that educational materials concerning positions on life and marriage/family are off limits.]. Authorization should be given only after materials have been approved by your diocesan attorney.
■Do not invite or permit only selected candidates to address your members. Before inviting candidates, make sure such events are consistent with diocesan policy. If so, it is important that all candidates be invited [Question: Would this include candidates who unapologetically oppose the moral teaching of the Church?]....
DO:
■Address the moral and human dimensions of public issues.
■Share church teaching on human life, human rights, and justice and peace.
■Apply Catholic values to legislation and public issues.
■Conduct a non-partisan voter registration drive on church property.
■Distribute unbiased candidate questionnaires covering issues of human life, justice, and peace that have been reviewed and approved by your diocesan attorney.
■Check with your diocesan attorney if you have any questions about what is appropriate.
DON'T:
■Endorse or oppose candidates for political office.
■Distribute partisan campaign literature under church auspices.
■Arrange for groups to work for a candidate for public office.
■Invite only selected candidates to address your church-sponsored group.
■Conduct voter registration slanted toward one party.
■Distribute a biased candidate survey.
The bottom lines, as it seems to me, are two:
- Even if "certain political activities...may not be undertaken by church organizations or their representatives," they may be "entirely appropriate for individuals." Hence, instead of promoting local Respect Life "ministries," Catholics would greatly benefit from an understanding of "apostolate."
- There is tremendous responsibility on the part of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference to provide comprehensive candidate information to parishes throughout the Commonwealth. This is simply not happening. Candidate questionnaires could easily be developed, which address the Seven Key Themes of Faithful Citizenship:
■1.The Right to Life and the Dignity of the Human Person:
"Human life is sacred. The dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. Direct attacks on innocent persons are never morally acceptable, at any stage or in any condition. In our society, human life is especially under direct attack from abortion. Other direct threats to the sanctity of human life include euthanasia, human cloning, and the destruction of human embryos for research." Agree or Disagree?
■2.Call to Family, Community, and Participation:
"The human person is not only sacred but also social. Full human development takes place in relationship with others. The family—based on marriage between a man and a woman—is the first and fundamental unit of society and is a sanctuary for the creation and nurturing of children. It should be defended and strengthened, not redefined or undermined by permitting same-sex unions or other distortions of marriage. Respect for the family should be reflected in every policy and program. It is important to uphold parents’ rights and responsibilities to care for their children, including the right to choose their children’s education." Agree or Disagree?
■3.Rights and Responsibilities:
"Human dignity is respected and the common good is fostered only if human rights are protected and basic responsibilities are met. Every human being has a right to life, the fundamental right that makes all other rights possible, and a right to access to those things required for human decency—food and shelter, education and employment, health care and housing, freedom of religion and family life. The right to exercise religious freedom publicly and privately by individuals and institutions along with freedom of conscience need to be constantly defended." Agree or Disagree?
■4.Option for the Poor and Vulnerable: "While the common good embraces all, those who are weak, vulnerable, and most in need deserve preferential concern. A basic moral test for our society is how we treat the most vulnerable in our midst....This preferential option for the poor and vulnerable includes all who are marginalized in our nation and beyond—unborn children, persons with disabilities, the elderly and terminally ill, and victims of injustice and oppression." Agree or Disagree?
■5.Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers: "The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. Employers contribute to the common good through the services or products they provide and by creating jobs that uphold the dignity and rights of workers—to productive work, to decent and just wages, to adequate benefits and security in their old age, to the choice of whether to organize and join unions, to the opportunity for legal status for immigrant workers, to private property, and to economic initiative. Workers also have responsibilities—to provide a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay, to treat employers and co-workers with respect, and to carry out their work in ways that contribute to the common good. Workers, employers, and unions should not only advance their own interests, but also work together to advance economic justice and the well-being of all." Agree or Disagree?
■6.Solidarity: As per Pope John Paul II, "The inviolability of the person which is a reflection of the absolute inviolability of God, finds its primary and fundamental expression in the inviolability of human life. Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights -- for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture -- is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination." Agree or Disagree?
■7.Caring for God’s Creation: As per Pope Benedict XVI, "a correct understanding of the relationship between man & the environment will not end by absolutizing nature or by considering it more important than the human person." Agree or Disagree?
Such questionnaires should already be getting sent to all candidates with results published, so that Catholics may prepare themselves to vote with the mind of the Church. It should not be difficult for the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference to annually coordinate candidate information for each of the counties in the Commonwealth - local Board of Election information would facilitate such (In my own Bucks County, for example, there is currently a 35 page list of candidates who appear on 307 different municipal ballots.).
I look forward to hearing from you.
No comments:
Post a Comment