Amanda Shaw at First Things highlights key themes in a letter sent to Barack Obama from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In the letter, the U.S. bishops promise to “make this period of national change a time to advance the common good and defend the life and dignity of all.”
Shaw notes that this Catholic vision of the common good includes “advocacy for prudent economic recovery and international religious freedom, fighting poverty and disease, defense of the family and its primacy in society, furthering parental choice in education, and continuing support for faith-based initiatives.”
Some excerpts from the letter:
Our nation now faces economic challenges with potentially tragic human consequences and serious moral dimensions. We will work with the new Administration and Congress to support strong, prudent and effective measures to address the terrible impacts and injustices of the economic crisis. In particular, we will advocate a clear priority for poor families and vulnerable workers in the development and implementation of economic recovery measures, including new investments while strengthening the national safety net. We also support greater accountability and oversight to address irresponsible abuses of the system that contributed to the financial crisis.
[…] [W]e offer this outline as an agenda for dialogue and action. We hope to offer a constructive and principled contribution to national discussion over the values and policies that will shape our nation’s future. We seek to work together with our nation’s leaders to advance the common good of our society, while disagreeing respectfully and civilly where necessary for preserving that same common good.
Read Shaw’s full post at First Things here and read the full letter from the USCCB here.