Faithful Citizenship: Voting is a Catholic Duty

“Every person has a fundamental right to life,” say the U.S. Bishops, “the right that makes all other rights possible. Each person also has a right to the conditions for living a decent life—faith and family life, food and shelter, education and employment, health care and housing. We also have a duty to secure and respect these rights not only for ourselves, but for others, and to fulfill our responsibilities to our families, to each other, and to the larger society.” --excerpt from Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility, 2003 (http://www.nccbuscc.org/faithfulcitizenship/faithfulcitizenship03.pdf)

I found the above quote from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website that is dedicated to our role as United States citizens of faith called Faithful Citizenship: http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/

When filling out my absentee ballot today, I used the California Catholic Conference website to learn what the California bishops had to say about the nine propositions coming up on Nov 2nd. You may find this helpful, too: http://www.cacatholic.org/index.php/take-action/election.html

California Bishops Name November as Restorative Justice Month

Starting with their 2000 pastoral letter “Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice,” U.S. bishops have advocated for a more humane approach called “Restorative Justice” to repair the harm caused by criminal behavior to the extent possible. The growing social justice movement encourages victims, offenders and their impacted communities to fully participate in the healing process through victim/offender dialogue, restitution, victim and ex-offender assistance, sentencing circles and community service.

Learn more at the website of the California Bishops:
http://www.cacatholic.org/index.php/topics/restorativejustice/896-rj-month.html

RestoreJustice.com is an outreach of the California Catholic Conference offering healing and support to everyone affected by the criminal justice system throughout the U.S. The purpose of RestoreJustice.com is to offer a place of compassion and assistance, resources and services and educational information for anyone who is affected by crime - victims of crime, offenders and their families, corrections staff, chaplains, criminal justice system employees and management, and advocates for restorative justice.

Learn more at: http://restorejustice.com

PG&E has many ways to save energy starting at home

Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), my local utility, has a great website with all kinds of ways you can save energy at home, reducing your own carbon footprint. Ideas include buying Energy Star appliances, using CFC light bulbs, keeping your house a little warmer in summer and cooler in winter, set your water heater a bit cooler and so on. All of these are realistic, feasible and add up to measurable savings.

Learn more at: http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/savingstips/

What has PG&E to do with faith? "Care for God’s Creation" is a theme of Catholic Social Teaching.

Even the Vatican is going green. With the installation of solar panels on the roof of the Paul VI Audience Hall, the Vatican began selling power back to the Roman electric grid in November 2008.

Concern for the environment is one of the newer dimensions of Catholic social teaching, paralleling the growing awareness in society as a whole. Prior to the industrial revolution, human impact on the environment was limited and localized. With the growth of economies, the use of fossil fuels, and the demand for consumer goods, the amount of natural resources people pulled from the planet rose substantially.

So . . . it's a Catholic thing to care for God's Creation.

Register to Vote before October 18th for the November 2nd General Election

Have you recently moved? Turned 18? Recently become a US Citizen? If so, you need to register to vote before October 18th for the next General Election.

Voter Registration forms are generally available at public libraries and city halls. Register online at the League of Women Voters website (http://www.vote411.org).

At my parish, my Social Concerns Ministry has put a reminder in the bulletin, and will put voter registration forms in the vestibule.

The California Catholic Bishops provide information on current legislation on their website (http://www.cacatholic.org).

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ask Catholics to become informed and vote using their conscience and judgment. The Catholic Church never tells people how to vote; the Catholic Church does point out moral issues with respect to legislation. See their Faithful Citizenship website for more information: http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/

"In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation." – United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship”, No. 13