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Political

Responsibility:

Choices for

the 1980s

A Statement of the

Administrative Board

United States Catholic Conference

Revised Edition

March 22, 1984



Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2016

https://archive.org/details/politicalrespons00unit_0



Political

Responsibility:

Choices for

the 1980s

A Statement of the

Administrative Board

United States Catholic Conference

Revised Edition

March 22, 1984



In its planning document, as approved by the

general membership of the United States

Catholic Conference in November 1983, the

Department of Social Development and World

Peace was authorized to update the USCC State-
ment on Political Responsibility. This statement

was approved by the USCC Administrative
Board in March 1984 and is authorized for

publication by the undersigned.

Monsignor Daniel F. Hoye

General Secretary

April 30, 1984 NCCB/USCC

Copyright © 1984
United States Catholic Conference

1312 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20005

All rights reserved.

DesddSfied



CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION 1

II. THE CHURCH AND THE
POLITICAL ORDER 3
The Responsibility of All

Members of the Church 4

The Distinct Role of the Church 5

III. ISSUES 8

A. Abortion 8

B. Arms Control and

Disarmament 9

C. Capital Punishment 10

D. Civil Rights 10

E. The Economy 11

F. Education 11

G. Energy 12

H. Family Life 12

I. Food and Agricultural Policy 13

J. Health 14

K. Housing 14

L. Human Rights 15

M. Mass Media 15

N. Regional Conflict

in the World 16

IV. CONCLUSION 18





I. INTRODUCTION

The hallmark of a democratic nation is its

ability to engage the voice of its people in a broad

range of public decisions. It is important on the

occasion of this election year to emphasize the

importance of responsible political participation.

In 1976 and in 1979 we issued statements calling

for “a committed, informed citizenry to

revitalize our political life.”
1 We now reiterate

that call and ask all citizens to ensure that our

elections become the vital and popular forum

they can and must be if our nation is to address

democratically the crucial issues that face us in

the years ahead.

We are encouraged by the improvement in
voter participation rates that was demonstrated

in the 1982 Congressional elections. Yet the level

of participation in the political process by Amer-

ican voters is still a matter of serious concern.

Voter participation rates in the United States

continue to be among the lowest in industri-

alized democracies in the world. Almost half of

all eligible voters did not participate in the most

recent presidential election.
2

Clearly there is need

for ongoing improvement in this most essential

element of our democratic life.

Of special concern is the fact that some seg-

ments of the population, such as racial minori-

ties, low-income people, youth, and women,

have traditionally had inadequate access to the

political process. Among the poor only about

one of every four eligible voters went to the polls

in the last national election. Likewise the voting

participation rates for minorities and youth are

far below the national average. While the par-

' Political Responsibility: Reflections on an Election

Year, February 12, 1976; Political Responsibility:

Choices for the 1980s, October 26, 1979.

2

In the 1982 Congressional elections 41 percent of

those eligible to vote actually did so. In the 1980 Pres-

idential elections 54 percent of eligible voters turned out.



ticipation rates for women are near the national

average, women still lag far behind in terms of

holding elective office.

In each of these cases some progress has been

made in recent years. Civil rights organizations,

human service and religious groups, and other

voluntary organizations have initiated aggressive

voter registration campaigns in order to promote

full participation in the electoral and political

processes. We commend these efforts and hope
that they will be extended in the future.

It is important for all Americans to realize the

extent to which we are all interdependent mem-

bers of a national community. Increasingly, our

problems are social in nature, demanding solu-

tions that are likewise social. To fashion these

solutions in a just and humane way requires the

active and creative participation of all. It requires

a renewed faith in the ability of the human com-

munity to cooperate in governmental structures

that work for the common good. It requires,

above all, a willingness to attack the root causes

of the powerlessness and alienation that threaten

our democracy.

If as a nation we are to address effectively the

complex social and economic issues that con-

front us, then we must have broad democratic

participation in the political process from all

segments of society. We cannot afford to aban-
don citizenship ourselves, nor can we permit ma-

jor segments of society to be shut out from the

mainstream of American political life. Rather,

we must breathe new life into the practice of

citizenship and we must dedicate ourselves to

strengthening the great democratic experiment

that we proudly call the United States of

America.

All Christians have a call to citizenship and

political life. In the words of Pope John Paul II,

“An important challenge for the Christian is that

of political life. In the state citizens have a right

and duty to share in the political life. For a na-

tion can ensure the common good of all and the

dreams and aspirations of its different members

only to the extent that all citizens in full liberty

and with complete responsibility make their con-

tributions willingly and selflessly for the good of

2



all.”
3
Accordingly, we urge all citizens to use

their franchise by registering to vote and going

to the polls. Demand information from the cam-

paigns themselves and from the media coverage

of those campaigns. Make candidates declare

their values, so you can compare those values

with your own. Take stands on the candidates

and the issues. If the campaign year is to engage

the values of the American people, the cam-

paigners and voters alike must share the respon-

sibility for making it happen. Become involved

in the campaign or party of your choice. Finally,

use the coming months to better understand the

issues and inform your conscience.

II. THE CHURCH AND
THE POLITICAL ORDER

It is appropriate in this context to offer our

own reflections on the role of the Church in the

political order. Christians believe that Jesus’

commandment to love one’s neighbor should ex-

tend beyond individual relationships to infuse

and transform all human relations from the

family to the entire human community. Jesus

came to ‘‘bring good news to the poor, to pro-

claim liberty to captives, new sight to the blind

and to set the downtrodden free ’’(Luke 4:18).

He called us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked,

care for the sick and afflicted and to comfort the

victims of injustice (Matt. 25). His example and

words require individual acts of charity and con-

cern from each of us. Yet they also require

understanding and action on a broader scale in

pursuit of peace and in opposition to poverty,

hunger and injustice. Such action necessarily in-

volves the institutions and structures of society,

the economy and politics.

The Church, the People of God, is itself an

expression of this love, and is required by the

Gospel and its long tradition to promote and de-

3

Papal Address in Nairobi, Kenya, May 7, 1980.

Origins, Vol. 10, No. 2.

3



fend human rights and human dignity . 4 In his

encyclical, Redemptor Hominis
,
Pope John

Paul II declares that the Church “must be aware

of the threats to [humanity] and of all that seems

to oppose the endeavor ‘to make human life ever

more human’ and make every element of life cor-

respond to humanity’s true dignity — in a word,
[the Church] must be aware of all that is opposed

to that process .”
5

This view of the Church’s

ministry and mission requires it to relate posi-

tively to the political order, since social injustice

and the denial of human rights can often be rem-

edied only through governmental action. In to-

day’s world concern for social justice and human

development necessarily requires persons and

organizations to participate in the political pro-

cess in accordance with their own responsibilities

and roles.

Christian responsibility in the area of human

rights includes two complementary pastoral

actions: the affirmation and promotion of

human rights and the denunciation and condem-

nation of violations of these rights. In addition,

it is the Church’s role as a community of faith

to call attention to the moral and religious

dimension of secular issues, to keep alive the

values of the Gospel as a norm for social and

political life, and to point out the demands of

the Christian faith for a just transformation of

society. Such a ministry on the part of every

individual as well as the organizational Church

inevitably involves political consequences and

touches upon public affairs.

The Responsibility of All

Members of the Church

The Church’s responsibility in this area falls

on all its members. As citizens we are all called

to become informed, active and responsible par-

ticipants in the political process. It is the laity

who are primarily responsible for activity in

political affairs, for it is they who have the ma-

jor responsibility for renewal of the temporal

4Human Rights and Reconciliation

,

Synod of

Bishops, 1974.

5Redemptor Hominis, Pope John Paul II, 14, 1979.

4



order. In the words of the Second Vatican

Council:

The laity, by their special vocation, seek the

kingdom of God by engaging in temporal

affairs and by ordering them according to

the plan of God. They live in the ordinary

circumstances of family and social life, from

which the very web of their existence is

woven. Today they are called by God, that

by exercising their proper function, and led

by the spirit of the Gospel, they may work

for the sanctification of the world from

within as a leaven .
6

The hierarchy also has a distinct and weighty

responsibility in this area. As teachers and

pastors, they must provide norms for the forma-

tion of conscience of the faithful, support efforts

to gain greater peace and justice and provide

guidance and even leadership on occasions when

human rights are in jeopardy. Drawing on their

own experience and exercising their distinctive

roles within the Christian community, bishops,

clergy, religious and laity should join together

in common witness and effective action to bring

about Pope John Paul II’s vision of a well-

ordered society based on truth, justice, charity

and freedom .
7

The Distinct Role of the Church

The Church’s role in the political order

includes the following:

—education regarding the teachings of the
Church and the responsibilities of the

faithful;

—analysis of issues for their social and moral
dimensions;

—measuring public policy against Gospel

values;

—participating with other concerned parties
in debate over public policy; and

6Lumen Gentium, 31.
7

Pope John Paul, Papal Address. Origins, Vol. 1 1

,

No. 29, 1982.

5



—speaking out with courage, skill and concern
on public issues involving human rights, social

justice and the life of the Church in society.

Unfortunately, our efforts in this area are some-

times misunderstood. The Church’s participation in

public affairs is not a threat to the political process

or to genuine pluralism, but an affirmation of their

importance. The Church recognizes the legitimate

autonomy of government and the right of all, in-

cluding the Church itself, to be heard in the for-

mulation of public policy. As Vatican II declared:

By preaching the truth of the Gospel and

shedding light on all areas of human activity

through her teaching and the example of the

faithful, she [the Church] shows respect for

the political freedom and responsibility of

citizens and fosters these values. She also has

the right to pass moral judgments, even on

matters touching the political order, whenever

basic personal rights or the salvation of souls

makes such judgments necessary.
8

A proper understanding of the role of the
Church will not confuse its mission with that

of government, but rather see its ministry

as advocating the critical values of human

rights and social justice.

It is the role of Christian communities to

analyze the situation in their own country,

to reflect upon the meaning of the Gospel,

and to draw norms of judgment and plans

of action from the teaching of the Church

and their own experience. 9 In carrying out

this pastoral activity in the social arena we

are confronted with complexity. As the 1971

Synod of Bishops pointed out: “It does not

belong to the Church, insofar as she is a reli-

gious and hierarchical community, to offer

concrete solutions in the social, economic

and political spheres for justice in the

world”
10 At the same time it is essential to

recall the words of Pope John XXIII:

*The Church in the Modern World, 76 .
9A Call to Action, 4.
10
Justice in the World, 37 .

6



It must not be forgotten that the Church has

the right and duty not only to safeguard the

principles of ethics and religion, but also to

intervene authoritatively with her children

in the temporal sphere when there is a ques-

tion of judging the application of these prin-

ciples to concrete cases .
11

The application of Gospel values to real situa-

tions is an essential work of the Christian com-

munity. Christians believe the Gospel is the

measure of human realities. However, specific

political proposals do not in themselves con-

stitute the Gospel. Christians and Christian

organizations must certainly participate in public

debate over alternative policies and legislative

proposals, yet it is critical that the nature of their

participation not be misunderstood.

We specifically do not seek the formation of
a religious voting bloc; nor do we wish to instruct

persons on how they should vote by endorsing

candidates. We urge citizens to avoid choosing

candidates simply on the basis of personal self-

interest. Rather, we hope that voters will examine

the positions of candidates on the full range of

issues as well as their integrity, philosophy and

performance. We seek to promote a greater
understanding of the important link between

faith and politics and to express our belief that

our nation is enriched when its citizens and social

groups approach public affairs from positions

grounded in moral conviction and religious

belief. Our view is expressed very well by Pope

John Paul II when he said:

Christians know from the Church’s

luminous teachings that without any need

to follow a one-sided or partisan political

formula, they ought to contribute to form-

ing a more worthy society, one more

respectful of the rights of man, based on the

principles of justice and peace .
12

"Pacem in Terris, Pope John XXIII, 160, 1963
12
Pope John XXIII, Papal Address in Spain.

Cf. Origins, Vol. 11, No. 29, p. 389ff.

7



As religious leaders and pastors, our intention

is to reflect our concern that politics receive its

rightful importance and attention and that it

become an effective forum for the achievement

of the common good. For, in the words of John

Paul II, “[Humanity’s] situation in the modern

world seems indeed to be far removed from the

objective demands of the moral order, from the

requirements of justice, and even more of social

love. . . . We have before us here a great drama
that can leave nobody indifferent.” 13

III. ISSUES

Without reference to political candidates, par-

ties or platforms, we wish to offer a listing of

some issues which we believe are important in

the national debate during 1984. These brief

summaries are not intended to indicate in any

depth the details of our positions in these mat-

ters. We refer the reader to fuller discussions of
our point of view in the documents listed in the

summary which appears below. We wish to point
out that these issues are not the concerns of

Catholics alone; in every case we have joined

with others to advocate these positions. They

represent a broad range of topics on which the

bishops of the United States have already ex-

pressed themselves and are recalled here in

alphabetical order to emphasize their relevance

in a period of national debate and decision.

A. Abortion

The right to life is the most basic human right,

and it demands the protection of law.

Abortion is the deliberate destruction of an un-

born human being and therefore violates this

right. We do not accept the concept that anyone
has the right to choose an abortion. We reject
the 1973 Supreme Court decisions on abortion

which refuse appropriate legal protection to the

unborn child. We support the passage of a con-

stitutional amendment to restore the basic

constitutional protection of the right to life

li
Redemptor Hominis, 16.

8



for the unborn child. We reject the public fun-

ding of abortion.

(.Documentation on the Right to Life and

Abortion

,

1974, 1976, 1981; Pastoral Plan for

Pro-Life Activities, 1975.)

B. Arms Control and Disarmament

The National Conference of Catholic Bishops

(NCCB) has now addressed a broad range of na-

tional security policies that depend on the posses-

sion and planned use of nuclear weapons. The

process began with the NCCB/USCC general
meeting in November of 1980 and involved ex-

tensive consultations with military experts,

strategic planners, arms control negotiators,

moral theologians, political scientists and biblical

scholars. The result is a pastoral statement which

(1) condemns the counter-city or counter popula-

tion use of nuclear weapons, (2) rejects the no-

tion of waging limited nuclear wars (because of

the risk of escalation to all-out nuclear war) and

(3) questions the moral acceptability of policies

that contemplate the initiation of nuclear war to

repel a conventional attack, as is the case in

NATO strategy.
The NCCB statement did not, however, rule

out the reliance on possession and deployment

of strategic (long range) nuclear weapons for the

purpose of deterring an enemy nuclear first

strike. The bishops joined with Pope John Paul

II in affirming that such a policy was morally

acceptable under current conditions. The U.S.

bishops’ judgment of “strictly conditional moral

acceptance of nuclear deterrence’’ means that the

deployment of certain kinds of new weapon sys-

tems that are not clearly essential to deterrence

should be avoided; moreover they recommended

a bilateral, verifiable and negotiated halt to all

new nuclear weapons deployment, and called for

intensified negotiations to achieve real reductions

in the nuclear arsenals of the superpowers and

a comprehensive test ban treaty.

We urge those who wish their votes to reflect
their concerns about the dangers and the moral

evil of preparations for nuclear war to read and

reflect on the NCCB statement and to become

9



involved in study and action groups in their local

dioceses and parishes.

{The Challenge ofPeace: God's Promise and

Our Response

,

1983.)

C. Capital Punishment

In view of our commitment to the value and

dignity of human life, we oppose capital punish-
ment. We believe that a return to the use of the
death penalty is leading to, indeed can only lead

to, further erosion of respect for life in our socie-

ty. We do not question society’s right to punish
the offender, but we believe that there are bet-

ter approaches to protecting our people from

violent crimes than resorting to executions. In

its application, the death penalty has been

discriminatory toward the poor, the indigent and

racial minorities. Our society should reject the

death penalty and seek methods of dealing with

violent crime which are more consistent with the

Gospel vision of respect for life and Christ’s

message of healing love.

{Community and Crime, 1978; U.S. Bishops'

Statement on Capital Punishment, 1980.)

D. Civil Rights

Discrimination based on sex, race, ethnicity or

age continues to exist in our nation. Such

discrimination constitutes a grave injustice and

an affront to human dignity. It must be ag-

gressively resisted by every individual and rooted

out of every social institution and structure.

Racism is a particularly serious form of

discrimination. Despite significant strides in

eliminating racial prejudices in our country, there

remains an urgent need for continued reconcilia-

tion in this area. Racism is not merely one sin

among many. It is a radical evil dividing the

human family. The struggle against it demands

an equally radical transformation in our own

minds and hearts as well as in the structures of

our society.

{Brothers and Sisters to Us: A Pastoral Letter
on Racism in Our Day, 1979; The Hispanic

Presence: Challenge and Commitment, 1983.)

10



E. The Economy

Our national economic life must reflect broad

values of social justice and human rights. Above

all, the economy must serve the human needs of

our people. While the economy has improved for

many citizens, it is important to call attention to

the fact that millions of Americans are still poor,

jobless, hungry and inadequately housed and

that vast disparities of income and wealth remain

within our nation. These conditions are intol-

erable and must be persistently challenged so that

the economy will reflect a fundamental respect

for the human dignity and basic needs of all.

Current levels of unemployment and the tre-

mendous human costs which they represent are

unnecessary and should not be tolerated. We
support an effective national commitment to

genuine full employment as the foundation of

a just and responsible economic policy. We
believe that all Americans who are willing and

able to work have a right to useful and produc-

tive employment at fair wages. We also call for
a decent income policy for those who cannot

work and adequate assistance to those in need.

Efforts to achieve responsible fiscal policies

and to stimulate economic growth and security

are important and necessary tasks, but they

should be governed by a fundamental concern

for equity and fairness. Our nation’s economic

ills must not be solved at the expense of the poor

and most vulnerable members of society.

{The Economy: Human Dimensions, 1975.)

F. Education

All persons of whatever race, sex, condition

or age, by virtue of their dignity as human

beings, have an inalienable right to education.

We advocate:

1. Sufficient public and private funding to

make an adequate education available for

all citizens and residents of the United

States of America and to provide

assistance for education in our nation’s

program of foreign aid.

2. Governmental and voluntary action to

reduce inequalities of educational oppor-

11



tunity by improving the opportunities

available to economically disadvantaged

persons.

3. Orderly compliance with legal requirements

for racially integrated schools.

4. Voluntary efforts to increase racial ethnic

integration in public and nonpublic schools.

5. Equitable tax support for the education of

pupils in public and nonpublic schools to

implement parental freedom in the educa-

tion of their children.

{Sharing the Light of Faith, 1979; To Teach

as Jesus Did, 1972.)

G. Energy

Energy issues have a wide-ranging impact on

the economic and social well-being of our nation.

As society undergoes a major transition from

reliance on petroleum to alternative energy

resources, certain moral principles should guide

public decision-making in this field. We seek
policies which would:

—promote conservation and responsible
stewardship of our limited energy resources;

—commit energy development to improving
safety for the workforce and the

community;

—promote international cooperation in
developing and distributing energy, thus

reducing the tensions which may lead to in-

ternational conflict;

—provide for equitable access to energy
resources and benefits, particularly for low-

income people; and

—promote the development of renewable
energy sources.

{Reflections on the Energy Crisis, A Statement
by the Committee on Social Development and

World Peace, U.S. Catholic Conference, April 2,

1981.)

H. Family Life

The test of how we value the family is whether

we are willing to foster, in government and

12



business, in urban planning and farm policy, in

education, health care, in the arts and sciences,

in our total social and cultural environment,

moral values which nourish the primary relation-

ships of husbands, wives and children and make

authentic family life possible.

Implicit government policy and explicit gov-

ernment planning and programs can contribute

to an erosion of the health and vitality of the

family. Comprehensive decisions of a national

or regional scope must take into account their

impact on family life. Families, especially those

whose influence is lessened by poverty or social

status, must be allowed their rightful input in

those decisions which affect their daily lives.

( Vision and Strategy: The Plan ofPastoral Ac-

tion for Family Ministry

,

1978.)

I. Food and Agricultural Policy

The right to eat flows directly from the right to

life. We support a national policy aimed at se-
curing the right to eat for all the world’s people.

Internationally, U.S. food aid should effec-

tively combat global hunger and malnutrition and

be aimed primarily at the poorest countries and

neediest people without regard to political consid-

erations. In order to help establish adequate sup-

plies, the U.S. should help to develop a world grain

reserve fair to both producers and consumers.

Development assistance should emphasize equit-

able distribution of benefits and help other nations

move towards food self-reliance.

Domestically, nutrition programs should help

meet the needs of hungry and malnourished

Americans, especially children, the poor, the

unemployed and the elderly. It is essential that

the food stamp program and child nutrition pro-

grams be funded at adequate levels.

(Food Policy and the Church: Specific Pro-

posals, 1975.)

Through its income support programs, its credit

and research programs, its tax policies, its strategies

for rural development, and its foreign aid, the U.S.

should support the maintenance of an agricultural

system based on small and moderate-sized family

farms both at home and abroad.

( The Family Farm, 1979.)

13



We support legislation to protect the rights of
farm workers and we call for measures to

improve the working conditions and the general

welfare of farm worker families. We reaffirm the
Church’s traditional teaching in support of the

right of all workers to organize and bargain

collectively.

J. Health

Adequate health care is a basic human right.

Access to appropriate health care must be guar-

anteed for all people without regard to economic,

social or legal status. Special efforts should be

made to remove barriers to prompt, personalized

and comprehensive care for the poor.

Government also has a responsibility to

remove or alleviate environmental, social and

economic conditions that cause much ill health

and suffering for its citizens. Greater emphasis

is required on programs of health promotion and

disease prevention.

We support the adoption of a national health
insurance program as the best means of ensuring

access to high quality health care for all. Until

a comprehensive and universal program can be

enacted, we urge the following:

—strengthening existing programs for the
poor, the elderly, and disabled people;

—development and enhancement of alterna-
tive delivery systems;

—broad consumer participation in health
planning decisions at all levels; and

—a vigorous national cost containment
program.

{Health and Health Care: A Pastoral of the

American Catholic Bishops, 1981.)

K. Housing

Decent housing is a basic human right. A
greater commitment of will and resources is re-

quired to meet our national housing goal of a

decent home for every American family. To meet

this housing need, the government must continue

to adequately fund housing assistance programs

that will assist people to obtain affordable

14



housing. Continuation of housing production

and preservation programs is vital to main-

taining the stock of affordable housing. Housing

policy must better meet the needs of low and

middle income families, the elderly, rural

families and minorities. It should also promote

reinvestment in central cities and equal housing

opportunity. Preservation of existing housing

stock and a renewed concern for neighborhoods

are required.

{The Right to a Decent Home, 1975.)

L. Human Rights

Human dignity requires the defense and pro-

motion of human rights in global and domestic

affairs. With respect to international human

rights, there is a pressing need for the U.S. to

pursue a double task: (1) to strengthen and

expand international mechanisms by which

human rights can be protected and promoted;

and (2) to take seriously the human rights dimen-

sions of U.S. foreign policy. Therefore, we sup-

port U.S. ratification of the International

Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Further,

we support a policy which gives greater weight

to the protection of human rights in the conduct

of U.S. affairs. The pervasive presence of U.S.

power creates a responsibility to use that power

in the service of human rights.

{U.S. Foreign Policy: A Critique from
Catholic Traditions, 1976.)

M. Mass Media

We are concerned that the communications
media be truly responsive to the public interest

and that future laws governing the electronic

media make the benefits that the new com-

munication technologies have created available

to all our citizens. We reject any philosophy of
marketplace economics as applied to the telecom-

munication industries which have the effect of

widening the gap between the information rich

and the information poor in our society. Specif-

ically, we oppose those legislative initiatives in

the Congress which would remove the accounta-

bility of broadcasters and the owners of cable

15



systems to the communities they are licensed or

franchised to serve.

We support the concept of universal telephone
service at a cost affordable to all Americans.

While we oppose government control of the con-

tent of the mass media of communication, we

support reasonable and legitimate common car-

rier regulations to restrict the use of these vehicles

in making available to the young, in particular,

indecent or pornographic materials, many of

which violate every rational standard of de-

cency and are an affront to Christian values.

(Statements and Testimony by the USCC
Department of Communication before the Con-

gress and the FCC.)

N. Regional Conflict in the World

Three situations of regional conflict which are

of significance for the whole international sys-

tem, and where U.S. policy has a substantial, in-

deed a decisive influence, are: Central America,

the Middle East, and Southern Africa.

Central America has come to be the most vis-

ible focus of our attention to regional conflicts.

Our position concerning the indigenous roots of

the conflicts, the imperative need for funda-

mental social change, and the futility, not to say

immorality, of proposed military solutions has

been stated often and is well known. As the

dominant external actor, our government must

play the creative diplomatic role that it uniquely

has in supporting the goals of dialogue leading

to cessation of hostilities, resulting in a nego-

tiated end to the conflicts and an international-

ly guaranteed process of political and social

reform and of economic reconstruction. Under

no reasonably foreseeable circumstances can

direct intervention of military personnel in the

region, on the part of the United States or any

other outside power, be justified. We have con-

stantly supported substantial economic assistance

for the countries of Central America; while

recognizing that military assistance will be a

dimension of the United States presence in Cen-

tral America, we continue to reaffirm that our

principal contribution to peace in the region

should be through our diplomatic role. With

16



bishops of the region we continue to express our

alarm over the growing militarization of the Cen-

tral American countries, the danger of a more

generalized war, violations of fundamental

human rights and lack of progress in judicial

redress, and the wrenching tragedy of so many

refugees and displaced persons. We have asked
the United States government to institute a policy

of Extended Voluntary Departure for nationals

of El Salvador in the United States and to make

a major commitment to meet the immediate

human needs of the refugees and displaced per-

sons in Central America.

(USCC Testimony on Central America, 1983,

1984.)

In the Middle East the quest for peace con-

tinues and the relevant parties bear distinct yet

interdependent responsibilities. First, the inter-

national community, especially its principal

diplomatic actors, inevitably influences the

future of the Middle East. Second, the United

Nations is a vital element in any Middle East

negotiations, and its diplomatic and peace-

keeping role will undoubtedly be crucial to a

long-term resolution of the conflict. Third, the

regional parties, whose conflicting claims of

justice are the essence of the political and moral

problem in the Middle East, are the key to peace.

Finally, the religious communities with roots in

the Middle East must reflect the best of our tradi-

tions in supporting the movement for peace with

justice for all the people of the region. We have
a continuing concern for the protection of the

basic rights, both civil and religious, of the Chris-

tian minorities in the Middle East, and we

encourage the local churches there to continue

their steadfast witness to the faith.

{The Middle East: The Pursuit of Peace with

Justice, 1978.)

The position of South Africa has long been of

grave moral concern to the world because of its

internal racial policies and its occupation of

Namibia/South West Africa. In recent years it has

become a threat to the entire area of Southern

Africa because of its military incursions into the

territories of several of its neighbors; indeed, it has

virtually occupied a large portion of Angola.

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The United States is South Africa’s largest

trading partner and second largest foreign

investor. U.S. foreign policy and its influence on

corporate activity in South Africa should be

directed in effective ways toward needed change

in South Africa and in its relations with

neighboring states.

(USCC Administrative Board Statement on
Namibia

, 1983.)

This is not an exclusive listing of the issues that

concern us. As Pope John Paul II has said, “The

Church cannot remain insensible to whatever

serves true human welfare any more than she can

remain indifferent to whatever threatens it. . . .”
14

Thus we are also advocates for the civil and

political rights of the elderly, the handicapped,

immigrants and aliens. We oppose excessive
government interference in religious affairs as

well as any unjust bias of government against

religious institutions. We support measures to
reform our criminal justice system. We are con-
cerned about protection of the land and the en-

vironment as well as the monumental question

of peace with justice in the world.

IV. CONCLUSION

In summary, we believe that the Church has

a proper role and responsibility in public affairs

flowing from its Gospel mandate and its respect

for the dignity of the human person. We hope

these reflections will contribute to a renewed

political vitality in our land, both in terms of

citizen participation in the electoral process and

the integrity and accountability of those who seek

and hold public office.

We pray that Christians will provide cour-

ageous leadership in promoting a spirit of

responsible political involvement. May they

follow the example of Jesus in giving special

' 4

Redemptor Hominis, 13.

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concern for the poor, and may all their actions

be guided by a deep love of God and neighbor.

For in the world of American politics, as in

all human communities, the words of Pope John

Paul II apply:

What is in question here is the human per-

son. We are not dealing with the abstract
human person but the real, concrete,

historical person. . . . Every person coming

into the world on account of the mystery of

the redemption is entrusted to the solicitude

of the Church. . . . The object of her care

is human persons in their unique, unre-

peatable human reality, which keeps intact the

image and likeness of God himself. . . .” 15

]i
Redemptor Hominis, 13.

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Publication No. 922

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