Bishops Issue Guidance For Catholic Voters For 2008

Catholic News Service reports that the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops yesterday, by a vote of 221-4, approved a document intended to give guidance to Catholic voters in 2008. In addition to approving the document titled Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility From the Catholic Bishops of the United States, the bishops also approved a shorter parish bulletin insert on the topic by a vote of 221-1. Reporting on the Bishops' actions, today's New York Times quotes Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio who describes the document as offering: "a basic moral framework on what it means to be a Catholic and American, a believer and a voter in this coming election year." The document calls abortion an intrinsic evil that must always be opposed and rejected, but goes on to say: "There may be times when a Catholic who rejects a candidate’s unacceptable position may decide to vote for that candidate for other morally grave reasons."