Put Your Faith Into Practice

As reported by The Catholic Sun on October 5, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of the Phoenix Diocese will publish his new booklet, Catholics in the Public Square this Saturday. The booklet provides answers and guidance to questions regarding the role faith should play in public policy. The Catholic Sun quotes Bishop Olmsted as writing, “Catholics should not be afraid to embrace their identity or to put their faith into practice in public life.” Amen! We applaud Bishop Olmsted for his leadership in answering the questions posed regarding whether people of faith should speak out on the issues of the day. Many influential leaders, both inside and outside the church, simply do not believe that people of faith should put their faith into practice in the political realm. Many churches have even been reluctant to engage in the public policy debate over the sacred union of marriage being between one man and one woman. This booklet could not be more timely to counter the viewpoint that people of faith should not engage politically by voting their values.

Bishop Olmsted put his words into practice in the same issue of The Catholic Sun. Last week, the Arizona bishops issued a pastoral statement urging a YES vote on Proposition 107, the Protect Marriage Arizona Amendment. To quote that statement: “Protect Marriage Arizona... seeks to preserve the unique and irreplaceable status that marriage always has held in our society. In supporting Proposition 107, we urge citizens to vote yes to assure that we preserve the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.”

Join me in praying for Bishop Olmsted and the successful launch of this booklet. Also join me in praying that other faiths would follow Bishop Olmsted’s lead and encourage their congregations to be faithful citizens. I look forward to reading Catholics in the Public Square. If you’d like a copy, they are available at many Catholic parishes throughout the Diocese of Phoenix, or call Basilica Press at (888) 570-5182 to order a copy.

email: cathi_herrod@azpolicy.org

phone: 602-424-2525/800-FAMILY-1

web: http://www.azpolicy.org