PHOENIX (CNS)—Ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections, Arizona’s Catholic bishops alerted voters to “unapproved political efforts” they said are being carried out by quite a lot of organizations and publications claiming to represent the Catholic Church on a wide range of issues on the ballot.
In a joint statement released Oct. 31 by the Arizona Catholic Conference in Phoenix, the prelates said these entities are “calling themselves ‘catholic’” but they “don’t represent the Catholic Church.”
In a joint statement released by the Arizona Catholic Conference in Phoenix, the prelates said these entities are “calling themselves ‘catholic’” “don’t represent the Catholic Church.”
They “cover various ends of the political spectrum and infrequently engage in partisan political endeavors,” the statement added.
Canon 216 of the Code of Canon Law “stresses that no initiative can lay claim to the title ‘catholic’ without the consent of the competent ecclesiastical authority,” the bishops said. “The usage of the name ‘catholic’ implies that the initiative in a roundabout way represents the Catholic Church.”
“Hence the competent authority—in most instances the local bishop—must give permission for any entity, endeavor or movement to call itself ‘catholic,’” they added. “Those that accomplish that without permission are in violation of church teaching and law.”
“We must stress that the Catholic Church is at all times politically nonpartisan,” the bishops continued. “Furthermore, it’s value recalling that the Catholic Church has an extended tradition of our beliefs influencing our personal politics—not our personal politics attempting to influence our faith. Once we reverse those two, we place ourselves outside the tradition and teachings of the Catholic Church.”
“We must stress that the Catholic Church is at all times politically nonpartisan,” the bishops continued.
The bishops pointed Catholics to a YouTube video with further reflections from them on the matter.
The statement was signed by Bishop John P. Dolan of Phoenix; Bishop James S. Wall of Gallup, Latest Mexico, whose diocese features a portion of Arizona; Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger of Tucson; and retired Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix, who’s apostolic administrator of Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy.
To assist U.S. Catholics sort through ballot issues and their decisions for public offices, the U.S. bishops offer guidance of their quadrennial election document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility.”
It doesn’t tell Catholics tips on how to vote but tips on how to “form their consciences, apply a consistent moral framework to issues facing the nation and world, and shape their decisions in elections in the sunshine of Catholic social teaching.”
The document has been offered as a guide to Catholic voters every presidential election yr since 1976. It has been updated and revised at four-year intervals to reflect changes in the problems confronting the country because it first appeared. A PDF of the document in English and Spanish is posted on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website at faithfulcitizenship.org, together with additional resources.
On the USCCB’s YouTube channel are five videos in 4 languages—English, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese—that explore various elements of Catholic social teaching while reflecting the teaching of Pope Francis.
