As Catholics, we are called to love our neighbor. Our response to those in need can take the form of direct assistance: food, clothing, housing, providing appropriate counseling and treatment services, etc. However, our responsibility does not end there. We are also called to address the larger questions: "Why are so many of God's children hungry, or homeless, or dressed in rags, or at war?" We have a responsibility, in other words, to use our eyes of faith to examine the larger root causes of social injustice.

Guided by the moral vision of the Scriptures and the Church's social teaching, Catholics have a responsibility to engage in the struggles for social and economic justice. We are called to bring our gospel values to bear on the public policies that shape our neighborhoods, communities, our nation and world. In 1971, the World Synod of Bishops called advocacy on behalf of social justice a "constitutive element" of the preaching of the Gospel. In 2003, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops reiterated this point in their pastoral statement Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility when they wrote:

"In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue; participation in the political process is a moral obligation. Believers are called to become informed, active, and responsible participants in the political process." (p. 8)

The dual calling of faith and citizenship is at the heart of what it means to be a Catholic in the United States at this time. Faithful to that calling, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis engage in legislative advocacy efforts. While we do not support one particular candidate or party, we use the voice of our faith tradition to speak for the weak and vulnerable and to defend human life and dignity. This is not our work alone. All Catholics are encouraged to exercise faithful citizenship by:

• Registering to vote AND voting
• Becoming informed on public policy issues
• Using our voices and votes to protect human life/dignity and promote justice and peace
• Contacting public officials and engaging in public discussion on issues which enhance/detract from the quality of human life
• Joining the Advocacy Network of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, an email "alert" system designed to educate Catholics on key legislative issues and Catholic Social Teaching (for more information contact Patrick Dougherty, 314 367 5500 x 148, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .)

Faithful citizenship challenges Catholics and all people of good will to actively seek just public policies which ensure a place at the table for all God's children. As our Bishops remind us in Faithful Citizenship:

"For Catholics, a special table - the altar of sacrifice, where we celebrate the Eucharist - is where we find the direction and strength to take what we believe into the public square, using our voices and votes to defend life, advance justice, pursue peace, and find a place at the table for all God's creation" (p. 2)