Bishops' document to offer new guidance on Catholics' political role

CNS is reporting on this new document due out when the hats meet in Baltimore this November.

That engagement must be "shaped by the moral convictions of well-formed consciences and focused on the dignity of every human being, the pursuit of the common good and the protection of the weak and vulnerable," they said. - This may put some emphasis on such issues as the war, poverty, children's health care and climate change, while drawing the ire of our Neo Con friends over in the corner on the right.

The bishops also are to vote on a shortened version of the text, designed for use as a parish bulletin insert. - Our fear here is the the powerful conservative influences on the council might have them produce just another version of the 5 non-negotiable issues. Our experience though tells us that most of the time these guides from the conference rarely make it out to a large audience.

"As Catholics, we should be guided more by our moral convictions than by our attachment to a political party or interest group," the draft document says. "When necessary, our participation should help transform the party to which we belong; we should not let the party transform us in such a way that we neglect or deny fundamental moral truths."
- Indeed it is true that we Catholics are in a political limbo at times. Sometimes we can't tell the difference between the parties. At other times it is easy, as the recent example of the SCHIP vote gives us.

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