Faithful Citizenship
Faithful Citizenship
To help Catholics prepare for the elections, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC), the public policy voice of Wisconsin’s bishops, is distributing two series of resources. Catholics are encouraged to utilize these resources as they navigate the election process and fulfill their responsibilities as voters. Review the resources on the Archdiocesan website. (You will need to scroll down a bit and they are also listed below).
While the series and resources are designed for parish bulletins, they can also be reproduced on a parish website or on posters.
In addition, information about voting and obtaining a free identification card, if you don’t have a valid driver license, is available at the following websites:
Voter Information Center http://gab.wi.gov/voters
My Vote Wisconsin https://myvote.wi.gov/
Obtaining an identification (ID) card http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/drivers/apply/idcard.htm
As both our bishops and Pope Francis have reminded us, “responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation”.
Voter Registration Opportunities
Supermarket Legends, a group that works to register voters, has a host of opportunities available for registering voters or passing out information about voting in Wisconsin. Some are single day activities; others are recurring (same day & time every week at the same place). If the voter registration bug bites, don’t just scratch! Contact linea@legendsvote.org for information on getting involved. Most shifts are 2 hours. Learn more about June special events that include voter registration here.
League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County High School Voter Registration Project
The High School Voter Education and Registration Project is a partnership between the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County (LWVMC)*, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), and the Milwaukee Election Commission. The goal of the project is to support Milwaukee Public High Schools in providing all eligible 18-year-olds with the opportunity to register to vote and to equip students with the information needed to become informed and engaged citizens.
This January 9, 2017, a new online voter registration website became available. This provides a wonderful opportunity for the high schools. LWVMC volunteers can train students how to navigate the website so that they can assist their peers, family, and people in their community to register to vote.
Read more about the LWVMC and their High School Voter Registration Project here.
Supermarket Legends Empowers Milwaukee Voters
Their motto: “Every Voter. Every Election. Every Time.” In response to a slew of recent laws that make voting more difficult in Wisconsin, the group Supermarket Legends strives to make voting easier for Milwaukee citizens. The independent all-volunteer political action group brings voter registration and information about voting and elections to high-traffic areas near supermarkets, farmers markets, health fairs, and community events. Supermarket Legends visits street fairs, music in the parks, and other events to make sure everyone is ready to vote in every election. Anyone who has changed their name or address or who hasn’t voted before needs to register before they can vote. Felons who have completed their sentences (“off paper”) can register to start voting again. New Americans can register to vote as soon as they are sworn in as citizens. Read the full article here.
Study: US Conference of Catholic Bishops Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship
The following is excerpted from Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship
"The Catholic bishops of the United States are pleased to offer once again to the Catholic faithful Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, our teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics." "The statement lifts up our dual heritage as both faithful Catholics and American citizens with rights and duties as participants in the civil order."
"It is as citizens faithful to the Lord Jesus that we contribute most effectively to the civil order. This document consists mainly of the statement adopted overwhelmingly by the bishops in 2007, plus certain limited revisions by way of update. In particular, this version draws on the wealth of papal teaching since the 2007 version of Faithful Citizenship, such as the later magisterium of Pope Benedict XVI and that of Pope Francis to date. From these great teachings we discern, for example, messages to the universal Church to attend in a special way: to the inextricable link between our witness to the truth and our service to those in need (Caritas in Veritate); to our role as missionary disciples, called forth from the sanctuary to bring Christ to the margins with joy (Evangelii Gaudium); and to the care for our common home and all who dwell in it, especially the poorest (Laudato Si’). The document is also updated to take account of recent developments in the United States in both domestic and foreign policy."
Read the Full Document Here. Visit the USCCB Website page on Faithful Citizenship.
Joe Biden and John Boehner: Our Faith Inspires Political Compromise
Christopher Hale – Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
“Last week, I had the honor of interviewing the first Catholic Vice President Joseph Biden and the former Speaker of the House John Boehner at Notre Dame on how the Catholic faith inspires them to go beyond partisanship, build friendship among political opponents, and seek the common good.”
"I don't like John Boehner," Biden told me. "I love him." Read the article printed in TIME
Also from Christopher Hale “Should Women Be Deacons in the Catholic Church”
USCCB Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship - A Call to Political Responsibility
Milwaukee Archdiocese Faithful Citizenship Web Page