Our Mission
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good promotes public policies and effective programs that enhance the inherent dignity of all, especially the poor and most vulnerable. Our work is inspired by Gospel values and the rich history of Catholic social teaching as they inform pressing moral issues of our time. We accomplish our goals through public policy analysis and advocacy, strategic media outreach, and engaging citizens in the service of the common good.
Our Vision
We envision a society shaped by the values of justice, human dignity and the common good, where faithful American Catholics can embrace the fullness of the Church's social justice teachings when participating in democratic society.
As Catholics, we inherit a rich tradition whose inspiration reaches well beyond our own faith community. The papal encyclicals and letters that make up this tradition are based on Jesus' call to love one's neighbor and serve the least among us, and the Hebrew Scriptures' prophetic commitment to justice and righteousness.
Our Catholic tradition calls us to participate actively in public life in the service of human dignity, social justice and the common good. These teachings - to put community before self, principle before profit, and the public interest before political expediency - are central to our Catholic tradition. Catholics in Alliance is committed to creating the necessary conditions for a culture of life that reverences the life and dignity of the human person at all stages over greed, materialism and the politics of division.
When and why was Catholics in Alliance Founded?
Catholics in Alliance was founded in 2005 in response to a consensus among national Catholic social justice leaders that a strategic, coordinated approach to media and grassroots outreach was needed to strengthen the voice of the Catholic social tradition in the national values dialogue. Catholics in Alliance provides the only public networking space for the Catholic social justice community to come together for media and communications support, grassroots outreach and strategic coordination. We work with a network of more than 20 national Catholic and interfaith organizations that include laypeople, theologians, priests, and women religious committed to the Christian values of social justice, human dignity and the common good.
"Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." -Matthew 25:40
The common good is a classic theme of moral and political philosophy that has deep roots in Catholic Social Teaching. It is about building a society where concern for one another is reflected in the corporations, communities, entertainment and government we produce. Catholic social teaching calls for bold and generous action on behalf of the common good. A culture of the common good supports the health, welfare and advancement of all people, regardless of race, gender, religion or economic class. This core principle of Catholic Social Teaching affirms that society functions best when decisions are made for the benefit of everyone, and not just a few.
"Our human interdependence," Pope John Paul II wrote, "is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all."
Is Catholics in Alliance pro-life?
Catholics in Alliance believes in the sanctity of all human life -- from conception until natural death. Our Catholic faith and the Catholic social tradition affirm that all life is sacred, and that every person has essential worth and dignity. Therefore, we support a consistent culture of life that includes protections for unborn children; implementation of social, economic and material supports for pregnant women and vulnerable families; and protections for children from abuse, poverty, and neglect. We believe that as a society, we must care for all life -- whether unborn or born, guilty or innocent, young or old. We work to promote the essential conditions for a culture of life that upholds the sacred and inviolable dignity of the human person against affronts to human life at all stages.
Are you Affiliated with U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops?
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good is a lay Catholic organization that promotes increased awareness of Catholic Social Teaching through the media and provides opportunities for Catholics and citizens of good will to advance the common good in the public square. Catholics in Alliance is not affiliated with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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