On September 1, I officially began my new role as executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference. Until next summer, I’m also maintaining my role as the pro-life director for the bishops of Nebraska.
As pro-life director for the last 23-plus years, I represented the Nebraska bishops on issues pertaining to the Bishops’ Pastoral Plan for Pro Life Activities (e.g. abortion, euthanasia/assisted suicide, embryonic stem cell and cloning research). As executive director, I represent the bishops on public policy matters ranging from pro-life issues to Catholic education, healthcare, death penalty, housing, public assistance and even state budget and tax policy.
One of my first objectives as executive director is to re-introduce and promote the Nebraska Catholic Conference (NCC) to Catholics across this state. Even though the Conference has existed since 1969, I’m fairly certain that most Catholics in Nebraska have no idea what we do and why we do it.
Simply put, NCC is the collective voice of Nebraska’s three Catholic Bishops on public policy matters. The NCC staff communicates and interacts with all three branches of state government as follows:
Legislative Branch: NCC monitors the activities of the Nebraska Legislature and advocates for or against legislation in accord with the Church’s social doctrine and other interests of the Church as a large, multi-dimensional institution.
Executive Branch: NCC monitors the administrative activities of the Governor’s office and state agencies, giving special attention to rules and regulations that may impact areas of interest to the Conference.
Judicial Branch: NCC monitors court rulings and other legal advisories such as Attorney General opinions. The Conference occasionally facilitates intervention in court cases or files legal briefs on behalf of positions or constituencies it represents.
In addition to its advocacy in Nebraska’s public policy arena, another critical role of NCC is to educate Catholics about the legislative process, about Church teaching on a range of moral issues, and about every Catholic’s moral obligation to participate in the political life of our society.
Many Catholics question why the Church would get involved in the political or public policy arena. Sadly, too many Catholics have accepted the patently false assertion that our Constitution requires “separation of Church and State.” Although the Church cannot and should not get involved in partisan politics (supporting or opposing candidates for office), She has a right and an obligation to bring her voice to the public discussion about public policy.
In its document “Faithful Citizenship,” the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) point out that “the Church’s obligation to participate in shaping the moral character of society is a requirement of our faith, a part of the mission given to us by Jesus Christ… As people of both faith and reason, Catholics are called to bring truth to political life and to practice Christ’s commandment to ‘love one another’.”
In its document “Living the Gospel of Life,” the USCCB says: “Every Catholic, without exception, should remember that he or she is called by our Lord to proclaim His message. Some proclaim it by word, some by action and all by example. But every believer shares responsibility for the Gospel.
“Every Catholic is a missionary of the Good News of human dignity redeemed through the cross. While our personal vocation may determine the form and style of our witness, Jesus calls each of us to be a leaven in society, and we will be judged by our actions. No one, least of all someone who exercises leadership in society, can rightfully claim to share fully and practically the Catholic faith and yet act publicly in a way contrary to that faith.”
You may have noticed a new title for this column. It came from our Catholic responsibility to be “faithful citizens” and from the admonition chiseled above the front entrance to our State Capitol: “The Salvation of the State is watchfulness in the citizen.”
