Catholic advocacy training draws dozens
SALT LAKE CITY — The prospect of learning the “Catholic Way to ‘Meddle in Politics’” drew 50 people to the Diocese of Salt Lake City’s Pastoral Center for the morning of the first day of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.
“We don’t meddle in politics, we meddle in the moral issues of the moment that affect the lives of every citizen, whether Catholic or non-Catholic,” said Bishop Oscar A. Solis, who greeted the participants and gave both an opening and closing prayer.
The rationale for the Church to be involved in secular politics can be found as far back as St. Augustine’s works “City of God” and “City of Man,” “so there is nothing new to what we are doing, but we are trying to give flesh to the vision and the will of God for bringing love and salvation to all people through our responsibility as citizens of this country,” the bishop said.
He thanked the participants for their attention to the mission of the Church.
The diocese needs “your voices, arms and hearts in order to reach out to our brothers and sisters in order to improve their lives,” he said. “You come here to assume the responsibility to become the architects of God’s justice in order to make our Church involved in the lives of the people through the legislation and laws that are legislated to make an impact in the lives of our people and the life of our community.”
The workshop was presented by Jean Hill, government liaison for the Diocese of Salt Lake City; and Kathryn Windels, a theology master’s degree student from Notre Dame University who is interning with Hill and also works at the Cathedral of the Madeleine and St. Joseph Parish in Ogden.
Participating in politics by voting and advocacy is part of a Christian’s mission to build God’s kingdom on earth, Hill said. While legitimate disagreements can arise over the best policy or approach to an issue, the platform for Catholic advocacy arises from the themes of Catholic Social Teaching about human dignity and the dignity and sanctity of life, she said. Therefore, Catholic advocacy encompasses the entire social, political and economic system, because all of those areas affect people throughout their lives, from conception to natural death.
Charity is part of Catholic teaching, but advocacy involves more than just giving to the poor, it involves determining the causes of poverty and seeks to address them.
“We must do more than charity, we must work for justice,” Hill said.
In addition to basic information such as the definition of solidarity and tips on how to approach legislators, the session included encouragement. When one of the participants said that she didn’t think she had the skills to advocate, Hill responded, “You all have the skills you need to do this: If you all have a voice and you have a concern, that’s all you need to be a lobbyist.”
Among the participants were Rachel and Steven Ortner, who are new to St. Joseph Parish. They want to get more involved in the community, and the workshop offered several ideas, Rachel Ortner said.
Likewise, Jim and Marie Haggart of St. Marguerite Parish “want to get more involved with affecting the government, if we can,” Jim Haggart said.
After the workshop, Hill said she was encouraged that so many people attended and were engaged and motivated. “I think we will see an increase in Catholic advocacy in the State of Utah, which is desperately needed and could be incredibly helpful to our most vulnerable populations in the state,” she said.
A follow-up session on how to present a message to legislators will be offered later this year, Hill said.
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