Why do we care?

That’s really the first question, isn’t it? Why does the Catholic Church in Minnesota care about what goes on down the hill from its beloved Cathedral?

(By “down the hill,” I mean the Capitol, which is technically a down-hill jaunt from the Cathedral and the Catholic Spirit offices. I know this, because it is definitely an uphill walk on the way back.)

Back to the question: Why does the Catholic Church have something to say about politics? Isn’t there a separation between church and state?

Well, yes, and no. The U.S. bishops address these questions in their 2007 document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility.” The bishops issue a document every four years on political responsibility and faithful citizenship. And in a keen anticipation of our query, the first question the document answers is “Why does the church teach about issues affecting public policy?”

Hmmmm . . . Why indeed?

“The church’s obligation to participate in shaping the moral character of society is a requirement of our faith. It is a basic part of the mission we have received from Jesus Christ . . . . Christ, the teacher, shows us what is true and good, that is, what is in accord with our human nature as free, intelligent beings created in God’s image and likeness and endowed by the Creator with dignity and rights.”

It goes on to say that respect for the dignity of the human person is the core of Catholic moral and social teaching, and that Catholics must promote the well-being of all people. It reminds us that Pope Benedict XVI wrote in "Deus Caritas Est" that “charity must animate the entire lives of the lay faithful and therefore also their political activity, lived as ‘social charity’.”

I like how “Faithful Citizenship” (let’s call it FC for short) lays out the big question: “Some question whether it is appropriate for the church to play a role in public life.” Not only is it appropriate, it’s NECESSARY for the church to get involved, it argues. One, Christ told us to. He obliged us to teach about the “moral values that shape our lives — including our public lives,” FC states. Second, the U.S. Constitution lets us. “[It] protects the rights of individual believers and religious bodies to participate and speak out without government interference, favoritism, or discrimination,” the document states.

Thus, “Our nation’s tradition of pluralism is enhanced, not threatened, when religious groups and people of faith bring their convictions and concerns into public life. Indeed, our church’s teaching is in accord with the foundational values that have shaped our nation’s history: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”