Policy & Advocacy
Catholic Social Ministry Gathering 2014 Message to Congress
Catholic Social Ministry Gathering 2014 message urges Congress to prioritize the poor and peace, inspired by Pope Francis’s call for solidarity with “the least of these.”
Becoming “a Church that is Poor and for the Poor”
International Priorities
- Promote peace through persistent, patient dialogue, especially in the Middle East (Syria; Israel–Palestine; Iran)
- Oppose military action with Iran; commend P5+1 interim nuclear agreement and urge Congress not to undermine negotiations
- Support a two-state solution: secure Israel alongside an independent Palestinian state, as essential to regional stability
- Increase poverty-focused development and humanitarian assistance ($20 billion in FY2014, ~0.6% of federal budget) to uphold human dignity and prevent conflict
Domestic Priorities
- Address persistent poverty: 46 million Americans; 20 percent of children (25 percent under age 6)
- Eliminate structural causes by promoting family stability, decent jobs with just wages, safe affordable housing, and ending hunger
- Advance criminal justice reform via the Second Chance Act (S 1690/H R 3465) to reintegrate formerly incarcerated individuals through education, job placement, substance-abuse treatment, and nonprofit partnerships
- Support comprehensive immigration reform:
- Path to citizenship with fines, taxes, English proficiency, and timeline requirements
- Maintain family-based visas; establish a temporary worker program with rights and citizenship pathways
- Address root causes of migration and allow modular legislative progress so long as all pieces are retained
- Protect life and conscience by passing the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H R 7/S 946), preserving longstanding federal prohibitions on abortion funding
Calls to Action
Congress is urged to:
- Center U.S. diplomacy and aid on dialogue, development, and humanitarian assistance to foster lasting peace.
- Allocate and protect funding for poverty-focused aid at home and abroad.
- Enact legislation on second-chance reentry, comprehensive immigration reform, and life-affirming policies.
Parishes
- Organize parish letter-writing campaigns to legislators on these bills.
- Host education sessions on Catholic social teaching tied to each policy area.
- Coordinate with diocesan advocacy networks for Hill visits during the next Congressional recess.
- Use social media to amplify personal stories of those affected by poverty, incarceration, and immigration policy.