New Jersey Catholic Conference Issues Voter Guide for Catholics

As people of both faith and reason, Catholics are called upon to bring truth to political life in a manner consistent with the mission of our Lord, a mission that He has called us to share. Too often, politics becomes a contest of powerful interests, partisan attacks, sound bites, and media hype. The Catholic Church calls for a different kind of political engagement, one shaped by the moral convictions of well-formed consciences and focused on the dignity of every human being, the pursuit of the common good, and the protection of the weak, marginalized, and vulnerable.

To help Catholics in New Jersey prepare for this year’s general election, the New Jersey Catholic Conference (NJCC), which serves as the government relations and public policy arm of the Catholic Church, offers Faithful Citizenship resources on its website, njcatholic.org/overview. The resources are intended to help guide Catholics to a better understanding of their civic responsibilities with respect to Catholic moral teaching.

“We encourage all Catholics and people of good will to be better-informed voters, to learn as much as they can about their candidates and their stance on issues that are most important to Catholics,” said James J. King, NJCC executive director. “For our part, the NJCC hopes our resources will aid Catholics in accomplishing these goals.”

“Through our Faithful Citizenship website,” Mr. King explained, “Catholics can learn more about the Church’s legislative priorities, voting essentials, including important dates, political activities dos and don’ts for Catholics and Catholic agencies, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Civilize It! initiative, and a resource page that links to candidates’ websites where you can learn more about them and their agenda through their posted media and press releases. Importantly, voters can also learn tips for rising above partisan politics by focusing on helping to advance the common good.”

The resources include:

Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship – Catholics have a long tradition of engagement in the public square. Sometimes that engagement requires making difficult moral decisions that impact our own lives and those of others. Forming Your Conscience is a resource from the USCCB that provides tips for making well-reasoned judgments about real-life situations.

Civilize It – As Catholics, we take to heart Jesus’ invitation to follow the example of the Good Samaritan, who challenges us to “become neighbors to all.” Civilize It is a USCCB program created to help Catholics commit to seeking the truth, building bridges, and finding solutions together that promote the common good. Individuals, families, and communities can all participate by taking a pledge to Civilize It.

Voting Essentials – Here you can learn more about registering to vote, the 2022 redistricting of Congressional constituencies, and other important information to better prepare you for the upcoming election.

Political Activity Dos and Don’ts – This document provides parishes and other Catholic organizations with guidelines on appropriate political activities during elections season.

Candidate Resource page – The New Jersey Catholic Conference does not conduct a candidate questionnaire for elections. Although at one time such a resource was necessary to help voters prepare to cast their ballot; given how easily candidate information can be found through websites and social media, such questionnaires have become obsolete.

“Because this is an off-cycle election, meaning there’s no statewide office on the ballot such as governor and U.S. senate, lower voter turnout is expected and every vote is going to matter,” said King. “Those who do vote will especially benefit from being more engaged and educated in the legislative process because all 120 seats in the Legislature are up for reelection,” adding that, “the responsibility of Catholics to actively participate in our democracy does not end on election day, in fact, election day is only the beginning. It is after the election when we need to hold our elected officials accountable to making smart, common-sense laws that advance all members of society.”