Archbishop Niederauer issues document on role of church in politics

Published: 2007-12-18

SAN FRANCISCO (CNS) -- Using the "high level of political consciousness and energy" in the Archdiocese of San Francisco as a kind of backdrop, Archbishop George H. Niederauer issued a pastoral letter on the role of the church in the political arena. Titled "Religion and Politics 2008," the document addresses a series of issues including the role and meaning of conscience, the place of abortion and euthanasia in church political involvement and the process of discerning how to vote in situations where candidates clearly hold positions directly opposed to church teaching. The archbishop said he wanted to released the commentary now "before candidates have been nominated and party platforms completed so that we can look at these questions for their own value, and not misinterpret them as veiled endorsements or condemnations." The text quotes frequently from "Faithful Citizenship," a document revised and issued by the U.S. bishops' conference during U.S. presidential election cycles.

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