The Catholic Church calls for Catholics to promote the common good and to engage in the public realm, including through voting. The U.S. bishops do not instruct Catholics for whom to vote but encourage all to develop a well-formed conscience and to consider candidates carefully before casting their ballot. In preparation for the November 2018 election, this edition of FOCUS offers issues and questions to consider before voting.
Religious freedom is a cornerstone value for all Americans. Promoting Religious Freedom Through Interfaith Dialogue, June’s FOCUS, illustrates how collaborative efforts with individuals of other faiths can help to defend this important value. The FOCUS also highlights the comments given by Most Reverend Allen Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit, at the November 7, 2017 Interfaith Religious Freedom Conference.
Medical advances such as vaccinations have reduced the rates of many serious diseases in the United States. March’s FOCUS, Vaccinations and the Common Good, highlights Church teaching about vaccinations; examines the impact of vaccines on individuals, schools, and communities across the state; and promotes educated decisions about their use.
Creating a society that recognizes the dignity of every person is a task for all people of faith. The Catholic Church and Catholics across Michigan live this teaching in a number of ways, including by providing alternatives to abortion for expectant mothers, post-abortive counseling, and compassionate and life-affirming care at the end of one’s life. Michigan Catholic Conference’s latest FOCUS publication examines these services, highlights legislative successes that protect human life, and offers ways that Michiganders can recognize the dignity of all persons in their own communities.
This FOCUS publication examines why protecting the Freedom to Serve in the public realm is important for the common good, and how the people of Michigan—especially the vulnerable and marginalized—rely on the education, health care, and charitable services provided by the Catholic faithful and entities across the state. Parishes, schools, and other Catholic institutions are invited to request copies of this edition from MCC at no cost.
The statistics surrounding opioid abuse are distressing, but even more distressing is the human face of addiction, which includes relatives, neighbors, friends, parishioners, and community members. This issue of FOCUS explores the growing opioid crisis — abuse of prescription drugs and use of heroin — and efforts to address addiction by the Catholic Church and the State of Michigan. Contact MCC to order additional copies of this publication at no cost to the parish, school, or other Catholic entity.
At the beginning of each biennial session of the Michigan Legislature MCC publishes through FOCUS its advocacy priorities for the next two years. These priorities, entitled A Blueprint for the Common Good, have been approved by the MCC Board of Directors. The document is shared with members of the Legislature, Democrats and Republicans, and provide MCC staff with guidance on important public policy issues as the legislative session advances.
On Tuesday, November 8, Michiganders will vote on candidates and issues at the local, state, and federal level. It is important for Catholics especially to consider the impact of their choices at the ballot box, especially as it pertains to protecting the dignity of human life, providing for the poor and vulnerable, and promoting the common good. In The Issues, the Candidates and Your Vote: Calling for Dignity in the Public Square, MCC provides information about the upcoming election, discusses conscience formation, and lists questions to consider before voting.
Individuals across the state rely on transportation daily to find opportunities and services, as well as to stay connected with others. Unfortunately, a lack of transit access can have a detrimental impact on one’s ability to access these goods, including employment, health care services, healthy food, and education, which are essential to the dignity of the human person. Low-income residents, the elderly, and the disabled can especially struggle without a variety of quality transportation options available to them. As a result, community discussions about the needs of residents benefit from input about public transportation infrastructure and route decisions, including input from those on the margins of society. Michigan Catholic Conference’s latest informational publication, FOCUS, explores the importance of vibrant transit systems, with emphasis on its impact for marginalized populations, the environment, and community growth.
Throughout the nation’s history, refugees have escaped persecution or violence in their home countries and have sought safe haven in America. The number of refugees and displaced persons worldwide has reached 59.5 million in recent years, which is the highest level ever recorded. According to the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees, well over 4 million of those displaced are fleeing civil war and rising threats of terrorism in Syria. Michigan Catholic Conference’s March FOCUS provides an overview of the U.S. refugee resettlement process and the approval waiting period that typically lasts 18 to 24 months. In addition, this FOCUS examines Catholic Social Teaching regarding refugees and migrants, speaking about the need to improve living conditions in home countries, to see the human face of the refugees and the displaced, and to welcome and assist individuals chosen for resettlement. Several Catholic agencies and organizations are working in each of these areas, including two local Catholic Charities agencies in Michigan.
