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, _ J 1 5 1979 I
COLLEGE LIBRARY

VERTICAL FILE |

POLITICAL I

RESPONSIBILITY: I

Reflections on an I

) Election Year

s
s

February 12, 1976

A Statement of the

Administrative Board

of the

United States

Catholic Conference



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Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2016

https://archive.org/details/politicalrespons00unit_1



POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY:

REFLECTIONS ON AN ELECTION

YEAR

A statement of the

Administrative Board

of the

United States Catholic Conference.

This year marks the two hundredth anniversary

of the founding of our republic with its remark-

able system of representative democracy. It is

also a year that will test the workings of this

democracy. A national election is a time for deci-

sions regarding the future of our nation and the

selection of our representatives and political

leaders. As pastors and teachers, we address this

statement on political responsibility to all Amer-

icans in hopes that the upcoming elections will

provide an opportunity for thoughtful and lively

debate on the issues and challenges that face our

country as well as decisions on the candidates

who seek to lead us.

I. Public Responsibility And The Electoral

Process

We call this year a test of our democratic in-

stitutions because increasing numbers of our

fellow citizens regard our political institutions and

electoral processes with indifference and even

distrust. Two years ago only 36% of those eli-
gible voted in the national Congressional elec-

tions; in contrast, 46% voted in 1962. In 1972
only half of the eligible citizens exercised their

right to vote, down from a peak of 63% in 1960.
This trend—and the alienation, disenchantment
and indifference it represents—must be reversed
if our government is to truly reflect the “consent

of the governed."

Abuses of power and a lack of governmental

accountability have contributed to declining pub-

lic confidence, despite significant efforts to un-

cover and redress these problems. Equally im-

portant, government has sometimes failed to

deal effectively with critical issues which affect

the daily lives of its citizens. As a result, many

persons caught in the web of poverty and in-

justice have little confidence in the responsive-

1

DeackJifled



ness of our political institutions. This discour-

agement and feelings of powerlessness are not

limited to the poor who feel these most intense-

ly, but affect many social groups, most alarm-

ingly the young and the elderly. This leads to a

loss of human resources, talent and idealism

which could be harnessed in the work of social

and national progress.
1

However, we believe that the abandonment of

political participation is neither an effective nor

a responsible approach to the solution of these

problems. We need a committed, informed, and

involved citizenry to revitalize our political life,

to require accountability from our political lead-

ers and governmental institutions and to achieve

the common good. We echo the words of Pope

Paul VI who declared: “The Christian has the

duty to take part in the organization and life of

political society.”
2

Accordingly, we would urge

all citizens to register to vote, to become in-

formed on the relevant issues, to become in-

volved in the party or campaign of their choice,

to vote freely according to their conscience, in

a word, to participate fully in this critical arena

of politics where national decisions are made.

Certain methods used in political campaigns

sometimes have intensified this disaffection. We

call on those seeking public office to concen-

trate on demonstrating their personal integrity,

their specific views on issues and their experi-

ence in public service. We urge a positive presen-

tation of their programs and leadership abilities.

In this way they can contribute to a campaign

based on vital issues, personal competence and

real choices which will help to restore confi-

dence in our electoral process.

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’ com-

mandment to love one’s neighbor should extend

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 proclaim

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

2



and words require individual acts of charity and

concern from each of us. Yet they also require

understanding and action upon the broader di-

mensions of poverty, hunger and injustice which

necessarily involve the institutions and structures

of economy, society 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

defend human rights and human dignity.
3 The

1971 Synod of Bishops declared that action on

behalf of justice is a “constitutive dimension”

of the Church’s ministry and that, “the Church

has the right, indeed the duty, to proclaim jus-

tice on the social, national and international

level, and to denounce instances of injustice,

when the fundamental rights of man and his

very salvation demand it.” 4 This view of the

Church’s ministry and mission requires it to

relate positively to the political order, since

social injustice and the denial of human rights

can often be remedied only through government-

al action. In today's world concern for social

justice and human development necessarily re-

quire persons and organizations to participate

in the political process in accordance with their

own responsibilities and roles.

The Church’s responsibility in the area of

human rights includes two complementary

pastoral actions: the affirmation and promotion

of human rights and the denunciation and con-

demnation of violations of these rights. In addi-

tion, it is the Church’s role to call attention to

the moral and religious dimensions 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.
5
Such a ministry on

the part of every Christian and the Church in-

evitably involves political consequences and

touches upon public affairs.

Christian social teaching demands that citi-

zens and public officials alike give serious con-

sideration in all matters to the common good, to

the welfare of society as a whole, which must be

protected and promoted if individual rights are

to be encouraged and upheld.

In order to be credible and faithful to the

Gospel and to our tradition, the Church’s concern

for human rights and social justice should be

3



comprehensive and consistent. It must be formu-

lated with competence and an awareness of the

complexity of issues. It should also be developed

in dialogue with other concerned persons and

respectful of the rights of all .
6

The Church’s role in the political order in-

cludes the following:

• education regarding the teachings of the

Church and the responsibilities of the faith-

ful;

• 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;

• speaking out with courage, skill and con-

cern on public issues involving human

rights, social justice and the life of the

Church in society.

Unfortunately, our efforts in this area are

sometimes misunderstood. The Church’s parti-

cipation in public affairs is not a threat to the

political process or to genuine pluralism, but an

affirmation of their importance. The Church rec-

ognizes the legitimate autonomy of government

and the right of all, including the Church itself,

to be heard in the formulation 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 judg-

ments, even on matters touching the

political order, whenever basic person-

al rights or the salvation of souls make

such judgments necessary .
7

A proper understanding of the role of the

Church will not confuse its mission with that of

government, but rather see its ministry as ad-

vocating the critical values of human rights and

social justice.

4



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.® In carrying out this pastoral activ-

ity 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 religious and hierarchical

community, to offer concrete solutions in the

social, economic and political spheres for justice

in the world.”
9
(Emphasis added.) At the same

time, it is essential to recall the words of Pope

John XXIII:

... 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

principles of concrete cases.
10

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 consti-

tute the Gospel. Christians and Christian organi-

zations must certainly participate in public de-

bate 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 in-

struct persons on how they should vote by

endorsing candidates. We urge citizens to avoid

choosing candidates simply on the personal

basis of self-interest. Rather, we hope that

voters will examine the positions of candidates

on the full range of issues as well as the per-

son’s 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 en-

riched when its citizens and social groups ap-

proach public affairs from positions grounded

in moral conviction and religious belief. Our

view is expressed very well by Pope Paul VI

when he said:

5



While recognizing the autonomy of the

reality of politics, Christians who are

invited to take up political activity

should try to make their choices con-

sistent with the Gospel and, in the

framework of a legitimate plurality, to

give both personal and collective wit-

ness to the seriousness of their faith

by effective and disinterested service

of men .
11

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. The hierarchy

has a responsibility as teachers and pastors to

educate the faithful, support efforts to gain

greater peace and justice and provide guidance

and even leadership on occasion where human

rights are in jeopardy. The laity has major re-

sponsibility for the renewal of the temporal

order. Drawing on their own experience and ex-

ercising their distinctive roles within the Chris-

tian community, bishops, clergy, religious and

laity should join together in common witness and

effective action to bring about Pope John’s

vision of a well ordered society based on truth,

justice, charity and freedom .
12

As religious leaders and pastors, our intention

is to reflect our concern that politics—the forum
for the achievement of the common good—re-
ceive its rightful importance and attention. For,

as Pope Paul VI said, “politics are a demand-

ing manner—but not the only one—of living
the Christian commitment to the service of

others .”
13

III. Issues

Without reference to political candidates,

parties or platforms, we wish to offer a listing

of some issues which we believe are central to

the national debate this year. These brief sum-

maries are not intended to indicate in any

depth the details of our positions in these mat-

ters. We wish to refer the reader to fuller dis-

cussions 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 con-

cerns. They represent a broad range of topics

on which the Bishops of the United States have

already expressed themselves and are recalled

6



here in alphabetical order to emphasize their

relevance in a period of national debate and de-

cision.

A. Abortion

The right to life is a basic human right which

should have the protection of law. Abortion is

the deliberate destruction of an unborn human

being and therefore violates this right. We

reject the 1973 Supreme Court decisions on

abortion which refuse appropriate legal protec-

tion to the unborn child. We support the pass-

age of a constitutional amendment to restore

the basic constitutional protection of the right

to life for the unborn child. (Documentation on

the Right to Life and Abortion, 1974; Pastoral

Plan on Pro-Life Activities, 1975).

B. The Economy

Our national economic life must reflect broad

values of social justice and human rights. Cur-

rent levels of unemployment are unacceptable

and their tremendous human costs are intoler-

able. We support an effective national commit-

ment to genuine full employment. Our strong

support of this human right to meaningful em-

ployment is based not only on the income it

provides, but also on the sense of worth and

creativity a useful job provides for the indi-

vidual. We also call for a decent income policy

for those who cannot work and adequate as-

sistance to those in need. Efforts to eliminate

or curtail needed services and help in these

difficult economic times must be strongly op-

posed. (The Economy: Human Dimensions,

1975).

C. Education

All persons of whatever race, 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 educa-

tion in our nation’s program of foreign aid.

2. Governmental and voluntary action to re-

duce inequalities of educational opportunity by

improving the opportunities available to econom-

ically disadvantaged persons.

7



3. Orderly compliance with legal requirements

for racially integrated schools.

4. Voluntary efforts to increase racial and

ethnic integration in public and nonpublic

schools.

5. Equitable tax support for the education of

pupils in public and nonpublic schools to im-

plement parental freedom in the education of

their children. (To Teach As Jesus Did, Nov.

1972).

D. Food Policy

The “right to eat” is directly linked with the

right to life. This right to eat is denied to count-

less numbers of people in the world. We sup-
port a national policy in which:

• U. S. world food aid seriously combats

hunger and malnutrition on a global basis,

separates food aid from other considera-

tions, gives priority to the poorest nations,

and joins in a global grain reserve.

• U. S. domestic food programs meet the

needs of hungry and malnourished people

here in America, provide strong support for

food stamps to assist the needy, the un-

employed, the elderly and the working poor,

and strive to improve and to extend child

nutrition programs.

• U. S. agricultural policy promotes full pro-

duction and an adequate and just return

for farmers. (Food Policy and The Church:

Specific Proposals, 1975).

E. 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. Housing

policy must better meet the needs of low and

middle income families, the elderly, rural areas

and minorities. It should also promote reinvest-

ment in central cities and equal housing oppor-

tunity. Preservation of existing housing stock

and a renewed concern for neighborhoods are

required. (The Right To A Decent Home, 1975).

F. Human Rights And U. S. Foreign Policy

Human dignity requires the defense and

promotion of human rights. Many regimes, in-

cluding communist countries and some U. S.

allies, violate or deny their citizens human and

8



civil rights, as well as religious liberty. Interna-

tionally, the pervasive presence of American

power creates a responsibility to use that power

in the service of human rights. In the face of

regimes which use torture or detain political

prisoners without legal recourse, we support a

policy which gives greater weight to the protec-

tion of human rights in the conduct of U. S.

affairs. (Resolution On The 25th Anniversary of

the U. N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

1973).

G. Mass Media

We are concerned that the communications

media be truly responsive to the public interest.

We strongly oppose government control over

television programming policy, but we deplore

unilateral decision-making by networks. We

urge that broadcasters, government, private

business, and representatives of the viewing

public seek effective ways to ensure accounta-

bility in the formulation and implementation of

broadcast policy. We recommend exploring ways

to reduce the commercial orientation of the

I

broadcasting industry to better serve the pub-

lic. (Statement On The Family Viewing Policy,

1975).

H. Military Expenditures

The arms race continues to threaten human-

ity with universal destruction. It is especially

destructive because it violates the rights of the

I

world's poor who are thereby deprived of essen-

tial needs and it creates the illusion of protect-

ing human life and fostering peace. We support

a policy of arms limitation as a necessary step to

general disarmament which is a prerequisite to

international peace and justice. (U.S. Bishops on

the Arms Race, 1971 Synod).

This is not an exclusive listing of issues of

concern to us. We are also concerned about is-

sues involving the civil and political rights of

racial and ethnic groups, women, the elderly and

working families. We support measures to pro-

vide health care for all of our citizens and the

reform of our criminal justice system. We are

concerned about protection of the land and the

environment as well as the monumental question

of peace in the world.

IV. Conclusion

In summary, we believe the Church has a

proper role and responsibility in public affairs

9



flowing from its Gospel mandate and its concern

for the human person and his or her rights. We

hope these reflections will contribute to a re-

newed sense of political vitality in our land, both

in terms of citizen participation in the electoral

process and the integrity and accountability of

those who hold and seek public office.

We pray that Christians will follow the call of

Jesus to provide the “leaven” for society, (Matt.

13:34; Luke 13:20), and heed the appeal of the

Second Vatican Council:

To enlighten one another through

honest discussion, preserving mutual

charity and caring above ali for the

common good ... to be witnesses to

Christ in all things in the midst of

human society. 14

1

Joint Economic Committee Hearings, October

20, 1975; New York Times, February 1, 1976;

Wall Street Journal, February 2, 1976.

2 A Call To Action, Pope Paul VI, 24, 1971.
3 Human Rights and Reconciliation, Synod of

Bishops, 1974.
4 Justice in the World, Synod of Bishops, 1971.
5
Justice in The World, ibid.

6 A Call To Action, op, cit., 4, 50. The Church In

The Modern World, Second Vatican Council, 43,

1965.
7 The Church In The Modern World, op. cit., 76.
6 A Call To Action, op. cit.
9
Justice In The World, op. cit.

10 Pacem in Terris, Pope John XXIII, 160, 1963.
11 A Call To Action, op. cit., 46.
12 Pacem In Terris, Pope John XXIII, 35, 1963.
13 A Call To Action, op. cit.
14 The Church In The Modern World

,
op. cit., 43.

The U.S. Catholic Conference is the national-level

action agency of the Catholic Bishops in this coun-

try. The Administrative Board, composed of 48

Bishops from throughout the nation, speaks on

behalf of the Conference between general meetings

of the full body of bishops.

Copies of the statements referred to in Section III,

Issues are available from the Publications Office,

U.S.C.C., 1312 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Wash-

ington, D.C. 20005.

1976

Publications Office

UNITED STATES CATHOLIC CONFERENCE

1312 Massachusetts Avenue N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20005