The obligation to teach the moral truths that should shape our lives, including our public lives, is central to the mission given to the Church by Jesus Christ. (no. 11)

U.S. Catholic bishops, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, 2015

Jesus Christ’s command for us to love one another mandates that the Church provide moral guidance to both our personal and our social lives. The Church is called to read the “signs of the times” and to apply our universal teachings on human life, dignity and care for creation to the concrete situations impacting individuals, our families, our communities, our world. The Catholic bishops often make public statements responding to specific social concerns in order to form the consciences of decision-makers, the Catholic faithful and the general public, so that our actions contribute to the civilization of love that God wants for all of us. Generally speaking, our nation’s bishops, through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, shine the light of our faith upon those issues with a national scope. State-level concerns are addressed by the Ohio bishops through the Catholic Conference of Ohio. The Archbishop of Cincinnati, aided by his chancery staff, applies our moral framework and experience to issues that particularly impact our local communities.  

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