"Now is the time to pass just and compassionate immigration reform," says the Justice for Immigrants campaign, which exists to educate the public, especially the Catholic community, including Catholic public officials, about Church teaching on migration and immigrants. The campaign is asking for electronic postcards to be sent to U.S. Senators and congresspersons urging immigration reform that upholds the dignity of all people during the 113th Congress. Read more…

WASHINGTON (CNS)—Forty years after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortions, the pro-life movement hasn't stepped back in its resolve to see the decision reversed. Each year near Jan. 22, the day of the Roe vs. Wade and Doe vs. Bolton decisions on abortion, tens of thousands of protesters march in Washington and San Francisco and also take part in local events across the country hoping to change abortion laws. This year will be no exception. Read more…

On Wednesday, January 9 newly elected members of the Michigan House of Representatives will be sworn in for the 2013–2014 legislative session. Republicans will control the chamber with a 59–51 majority while the State Senate, which was not up for re-election last year, also maintains a Republican majority with a 26–12 advantage. House committee assignments will be announced in the coming weeks while Governor Snyder's third State of the State address is scheduled for Wednesday, January 16 at 7pm. [Link no longer available —Ed.]

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is marking Poverty Awareness Month with a new Spanish-language website, updated online statistics, blog posts on poverty and a calendar to educate Catholics about poverty through the month of January and beyond. The Poverty USA website at www.PovertyUSA.org has been updated to reflect latest census statistics. These include that 9.5 million U.S. families, or 11.8 percent of families, live in poverty, 25 percent of children under the age of 6 live in poverty and 20.4 million people live in deep poverty or living at less than half the poverty line. Read more…

This audio message encourages Catholics to vote on Tuesday, November 6th, and to do so with a well-formed conscience based on Scripture and the principles of Catholic social teaching. The message also encourages Catholics to vote all the way through the ballot and calls attention to promoting and defending human life and religious liberty. [Link no longer available —Ed.]

On Wednesday, October 9, 2012, Michigan Catholic Conference President and C.E.O. Paul A. Long joined with Governor Rick Snyder at a news conference in Lansing to urge a no vote on Proposal 5. Joining Long and Governor Snyder were bipartisan legislators, non profit organizations, business advocacy groups and members of local governmental units—all urging citizens to vote against Proposal 5. Read more…

Michigan voters participating in the statewide general election this November will have the opportunity to vote on six policy questions. These six questions will be the highest number of ballot proposals Michigan voters will have witnessed in some 25 years. Five of the questions are proposed constitutional amendments while the sixth, Proposal 1, is a referendum on an existing state law. Michigan Catholic Conference is urging a “no” vote on Proposal 5. Read more…

Catholics should “renew their personal commitment to defend all human life, especially the most vulnerable members of the human family,” said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston in a statement marking Respect Life Month, October 2012. Cardinal DiNardo, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), addressed various threats to human life and the need to apply principles of faith and morals in the public square. Read more…

Pope Benedict XVI has said that each generation must “preserve, defend and advance” freedom and justice during its time. In light of the Holy Father’s statement, Catholics this election season are urged to evaluate candidates and policies that protect human life, promote dignity, and maintain the bedrock American constitutional right to religious freedom. Read more…

The site was launched August 15 and offers tools and resources to spread the word about poverty in America. Resources include an interactive poverty map with state and county level poverty statistics, a Poverty Tour video which gives viewers a sense of what it is like to live at the federal poverty line, videos and links to PovertyUSA’s social media sites. Read more…