Bishop Henning on Faithful Citizenship

"American politics have become quite rancorous in recent years and the 2024 election season is shaping up to be another time of deep divisions among parties and candidates. People on all sides will admit that the atmosphere has become toxic, but most of us feel helpless to improve it. There are significant challenges for Catholics in this setting and I would like to take some time this summer to comment on some of those challenges. In doing so, I will draw upon the insights of the document Faithful Citizenship of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. That document, and many other resources, are available at www.USCCB.org.

"The US legal code prohibits religious organizations and churches from endorsing and/or opposing candidates for office. The assertion of this authority is linked to the tax-exempt status granted to churches by the IRS. This law, and the American tradition of the separation between church and state lead some observers to claim that religious people should not be weighing in on political matters at all. There are others who deny the authority of the government to place any limit on the proclamation of the gospel and cite that same tradition of separation."

In a recent commentary, Bishop Richard G. Henning, the bishop of the Diocese of Providence (RI), reflected on the importance of voting and urged readers to "carry the wisdom and compassion of your Catholic faith with you into the voting booth."

To access Bishop Henning's complete essay, please visit:

The State of Hope: Faithful Citizenship (9 JUL 24)