In advance of the upcoming Nov. 8 General Election, the New Jersey Catholic Conference offers a newly updated Faithful Citizenship webpage, which includes guidance for forming consciences and advice on how to engage in civil and respectful public policy dialogue.
The NJCC, the public policy arm of New Jersey’s Catholic bishops, states, “When the Church encourages Catholics to participate in the public policy debate, she always reminds the faithful of their obligation to properly form their conscience in light of Sacred Scripture and prayerful reflection on Church teaching. Catholics cannot form their conscience in isolation from the teaching of the Church.”
On the webpage – found at njcatholic.org/overview – the faithful can find: political activity dos and don’ts; links to candidates’ campaign websites to learn more about their positions on various issues, and voting essentials such as the 2022 redistricting of Congressional constituencies.
There are also links to two resources from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, a teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics, and Civilize It, a campaign inviting Catholics to model civility and love for neighbor throughout the year.
Check out the Oct. 28 issue of the Catholic Star Herald, which will include an article reporting on the recent NJCC webinar, “Faithful Citizenship 101: A Guide to understanding Catholics’ responsibility in the Public Square,” featuring speakers Anthony J. Granado, vice president of government relations for Catholic Charities USA, and James King, NJCC executive director.
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