Catholics in Alliance Releases Statement on Faithful Citizenship

Washington, DC- Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good has issued a statement regarding the document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship produced by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The document is a call to political responsibility from U.S. Bishops.

The Catholics in Alliance statement also notes the statement by Bishop William Skylstad, outgoing president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which called for bipartisan cooperation and responsible transition in Iraq.

Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good released the following statement today after the U.S. Catholic bishops approved a political responsibility statement at their fall meeting in Baltimore, MD.

Washington, DC- Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good welcomes the U.S. bishops' statement on political responsibility as an essential call for a new kind of political engagement that challenges Catholics to be guided by moral convictions and a commitment to the common good rather than partisan loyalty.

"As the divisive battles of another election year approach, the bishops have offered a powerful message for people of faith to raise a clear moral voice for the dignity of the human life person and a particular concern for the poor and most vulnerable," said Alexia Kelley, executive director for Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. "We are called as Catholics not to simply follow partisan political agendas, but to draw wisdom and guidance from the fullness of Catholic social teaching with its focus on peace, justice and the common good."

Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, issued every four years before a presidential election, clearly articulates the broad range of fundamental human issues found at the heart of Catholic teaching. Abortion, human cloning, racism, torture, genocide and the targeting of non-combatants in acts of terror or war can never be justified, according to the bishops' document.

"Building a consistent culture of life requires supporting women and families, ending an unjust war, ensuring workers are paid a living wage and immigrants are treated with dignity," Kelley added. "Being pro-life is about making real in the world Jesus' command to love our neighbors as ourselves not about a single issue or a sound-bite used for political gain."

Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good also calls attention to an Iraq war statement released at the bishops' meeting from Bishop William Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"Our nation must focus more on the ethics of exit than on the ethics of intervention," Bishop Skylstad said. "The morally and politically demanding but carefully limited goal of responsible transition should aim to reduce further loss of life and address the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, the refugee crisis in the region, the need to help rebuild the country and human rights, especially religious freedom." The full statement can be read at http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2007/07-186.shtml