Faithful Citizenship
In 2024, as in previous election years, the Archdiocese of Detroit takes its lead from the Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Guidelines published by these two organizations clarify the appropriate political and electoral activity for Catholic parishes and organizations in southeast Michigan.
Resources
- The USCCB's faithfulcitizenship.org and ciudadanosfieles.org include many resources for parishes, organizations and individuals to help inform and guide us during this election season.
- Of particular note is the bishops' teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics – Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States. It urges all the faithful to form their consciences as both faithful Catholics and American citizens with rights and duties as participants in the civil order.
- USCCB: Dos and Don'ts Guidelines During Election Season
- USCCB: Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Political Activities
- MCC's Political and Electoral Guidelines for Parishes and Organizations seeks to highlight common questions that may arise during an election year, such as parish participation in ballot proposal campaigns. The document also affirms MCC's long-standing guidance on the distribution of election year material in parishes: Parishes are encouraged to share election-year material only if it has been published or approved by the diocesan bishop, MCC, or the USCCB. The purpose for this is to ensure the breadth of Catholic social doctrine is presented to parishioners.
Contact
Individuals with questions or concerns are encouraged to contact us at proffice@aod.org.