Five things Catholic priests can do during elections to keep their parish non-partisan

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(RNS) – Few parishioners want to see their parishes turned into partisan battlegrounds, but with the Catholic community almost equally divided between Republicans and Democrats, some parishes face this danger. Both campaigns appeal to Catholic voters, as moving a small percentage of Catholics to major battlefield states could determine the outcome of the presidential election.

One of the problems, especially since President Donald Trump’s appointment of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, appears to be anti-Catholicism. Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms are also teeming with toxic comments about who is a good or a bad Catholic and issues critical to Catholics in elections.

A few priests like to pontificate on politics from the pulpit, but they tend to be the exception. The natural response of a Catholic pastor is to hide in the presbytery basement and wait for the election to end.

Apart from hiding in the basement, what can parishioners ask their parishioners to prevent their parishes from turning into partisan war zones?

First of all, avoid politics in your sermons.

According to the Pew Research Center, 76% of Catholics do not want to hear partisan endorsements of the chair. Only 53% percent say they share the views of their clergy when politics is discussed, the lowest number for all faiths.

If you want to avoid trouble, never mention the names of candidates, never mention a political party. Encouraging people to vote and talk about issues is appropriate, but don’t let your parishioners know how you are going to vote.

And if you preach on issues, preach across the spectrum of Catholic social education, not just one issue. If all you preach is capital punishment, you are signaling your support for Democrats. If you only preach about abortion, you are signaling your support for Republicans.

Second, keep partisan politics out of the parish bulletin and parish website.

As the election approaches, it would be best to use only material from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops or your state Catholic conference. Provide quotes and links to “Faithful Citizenship”, “Laudato Si ‘”, “Fratelli Tutti” and other official documents, but no documents from other groups no matter how much they claim to be “Catholic” .

A useful one-page insert is available from the USCCB.

Don’t let any other organization, not even pro-life or social justice groups, have space in your newsletter or website before the election.

If it’s from the bishops, you’re probably safe, but if it’s from someone else, be careful.

Third, train ushers to protect the church from partisan materials.

Tell ushers to keep an eye out for leaflets and other political documents at the back of the church. It’s easy for someone to put a stack of flyers on a table at the back of the church, which your parishioners will think are you or your bishop. Tell the bailiffs to confiscate any material that you have not personally approved. The church building is private property, and you have the right to exclude anyone who invades your space with politics.

Fourth, appoint people to watch the parking lot.

Political campaigns target church parking lots by placing leaflets on windshields. Again, the parking lot is private property. Your delegates must tell them that they are entering without authorization and that they must leave. Brochures should be removed before people get into their cars at the end of Mass.

You can’t stop people from handing out materials on the public sidewalk, but church property can be an area without a policy.

Fifth, check out the USCCB’s “Do’s and Don’ts of Election Season” to see what is possible and what should be avoided.

For example, it indicates that parishes can

  • Address the moral and human dimensions of public issues.
  • Share the church’s teaching on human life, human rights, justice, and peace.
  • Apply Catholic values ​​to legislation and public matters.
  • Conduct a non-partisan voter registration campaign on church property.
  • Distribute unbiased questionnaires to applicants covering issues of human life, justice and peace that have been reviewed and approved by your diocesan attorney.
  • Check with your diocesan attorney if you have any questions about what is appropriate.

The guidelines warn parishes not to

  • Support or oppose candidates for political office.
  • Distribute partisan campaign literature under the auspices of the church.
  • Organize groups to work for a candidate for public office.
  • Invite only selected candidates to address your church sponsored group.
  • Proceed with voter registration in a party-slanted fashion.
  • Post a biased candidate survey.

He also recommends including the following announcement in church bulletins and websites:

We strongly urge all parishioners to register, learn about key issues, and vote. The Church does not support or oppose any candidate, but seeks to draw attention to the moral and human dimensions of the problems. We do not allow the distribution of partisan political material on parish property.

Most parishioners hope that politics does not invade their parishes, but the wise priest is preparing for the worst. Following this simple checklist will help parishes avoid problems at election time.

[Read this next: A prayer for the election]

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