We know that the work of faithful Catholics in their respective parishes can help transform our nation from that of a culture of death to a culture of life.

A key element for change is at the parish level for each parish priest to know exactly what he can and can't say when asking Catholics to exercise their right to vote or otherwise be involved in matters of public policy [see Guidelines below]. Frequently, supporters of the culture of death have attempted to instill fear in Catholics and Catholic Pastors by claiming (falsely) that priests cannot get involved in politics without the Catholic Church putting its tax exempt status in jeopardy. Yes, there are things that a parish priest cannot say from the pulpit (i.e. 'You must vote for XYZ Candidate'). However, there are certainly many things that a parish priest can and should say from the pulpit. And, when not speaking from the pulpit, a priest has the same First Amendment Right that anyone else has to discuss political issues.

Silence by Catholic priests, the laity and our values-oriented elected officials on key public policies has allowed the culture of death to advance its agenda.  By educating priests and parishioners alike as to what can and should be done, we hope to see Catholic Citizenship help to defeat the policy and political agenda of those supporting the culture of death in our nation.

Guidelines For Political Action by Churches and Pastors