Bishops offer 'Faithful Citizenship' as guide for party platforms

Published: 2004-06-15

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The U.S. bishops offered guidance to the committees drafting election-year platforms for the Democratic and Republican parties in the form of their 2003 document, "Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility." The document, approved by the Administrative Committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, "summarizes the Catholic Church's teaching on public policy issues that have important moral and ethical dimensions," said Msgr. William P. Fay, USCCB general secretary, in nearly identical letters to party leaders. The letters were addressed to Bill Harris, convention chairman and CEO for the Republican National Committee, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who chairs the platform drafting committee for the Democratic National Committee. Msgr. Fay said the church teachings summarized in "Faithful Citizenship" are "rooted in a commitment to defend the life and dignity of every human being and to further the common good."

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .