T�� C����� �� ��� P����� S����� A Background The brings to the public square a voice that speaks especially for those who may not have someone to speak for them — the unborn, the poor and those in need, newcomers to our country, prisoners, those with physical and mental disabilities, the elderly, and families struggling to provide their children with a safe home, a good education, and adequate healthcare. Unlike many advocacy groups, the Catholic Church’s voice does not it neatly into typical political distinctions, nor does it follow the dictates of popular opinions. We do not speak as Republicans or Democrats; we are too liberal for conservatives,� and too conservative for liberals. We are not a “single issue” advocacy group, but rather speak out on a broad variety of topics considered by our lawmakers in St. Paul. We do, however, speak from a uniform point of view, one that is accessible not only to Catholics, but to all who recognize that a proper understanding of human nature must determine how we fashion our society and the laws that govern it.

We stand on the shoulders of those who fought for the freedom of Catholics and all people of faith to practice their religion openly, and to share their views as active citizens and participants in the public square. In exercising this right and duty today, we answer a call expressed by Benedict XVI in his , “To desire the common good and strive towards it is a requirement of justice and charity.” The Minnesota Catholic Conference, the of icial public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Minnesota, will continue to answer this call during the 2014 regular session of the Minnesota Legislature. � O�� 2014 L���������� P�������� R�������� F������ P������ ��������� ������� ��� ������ �� ����������. Freedoms of conscience and of religion are primary and inalienable rights of the human person. Public policy must guard religious freedom by limiting government intrusion into religious matters, allowing for reasonable collaboration between public and religious entities, and protecting the rights of private institutions and employees to serve the community. (CCC: 1738; , 2; Christi�ideles Laici, 39) L��� �B��-E����� P������ ���� ��� ����� ����� ����. Minnesota must effectively af irm, protect, and defend each and every human life, including the unborn. We must end taxpayer funding of abortion and also oppose attempts to legalize all forms of euthanasia� and assisted suicide. (CCC: 2270-79; , 2; Living the Gospel of Life, USCCB)

L��� � B��-E�����, ����.

A����� ��� ������� �� ����� ���� �� ������� ��� ���� ������� ��������. Each human life, regardless of the stage of development, must be protected and respected in scienti ic research. Research that requires the destruction of a human embryo or that clones a human embryo must be opposed and barred from re- ceiving public money. (CCC: 2292-96; Declaration on the Production and� the Scienti�ic and Therapeutic Use of Human Embryonic Stem Cells)

R����� ��� ����� �������. Pope John Paul II stated that the death penalty has no place where alternatives are available to protect society. Minnesota made a similar judgment when it abolished the death penalty in 1911. This policy has served us well and we must retain it. (Evangelium Vitae, 56; CCC: 2267)

T����� ��� ��������. Guns are far too accessible in Minnesota. Minnesota’s gun laws should be re-ex- amined, and common-sense laws should be enacted that regulate the sale and use of guns; that make guns safer; and that ban military-style assault weapons and ammunition. Further, Minnesota must make a serious commitment to provide health services and support to those who have mental illnesses and to their families and caregivers. (CCC: 2316; CSDC: 511)

S������ ����� ������ ��������� ����������� ���� ���� ������������. In addition to adequate inancial and medical support, women facing a crisis pregnancy need access to emotional and wrap-around services that can enable them to parent or to place their child for adoption. The state must also ensure ac- cess� to high quality childcare and decent housing to women in need, and make it possible for them to contin- ue their education. (, 26; Living the Gospel of Life: 23, USCCB)

S��� �������� �����. Every attack on human life and dignity must be opposed. All persons experiencing domestic abuse should have ready access to services that can assist them in resolving or escaping their situ- ation. (CCC: 2389, 2297)

S������ ��� �����, ����� ���� ������������, ��� ����������� ���, ��� ��� ���������� ���. Respect for all human life means assisting those with limitations. Society must ensure these individuals receive the necessary support and services, including transportation and quality care. (Gaudium et Spes: 27; , 22; CSDC: 131)

Marriage & Family

E�������� ��� ���������� ��������. Lifelong marriage between one man and one woman is essential to the continuation of the human race, to the total development of the human person, and to the dignity, stability, peace, and prosperity of the family and society. Minnesota must promote natural marriage and eval- uate all public policies in light of their impact on marriage and families. (CCC: 2210; Gaudium et Spes, 52)

K��� �������� ����. Public policies must promote the safety and well-being of our children, protecting them from all forms of abuse and neglect. We should continue to advance programs that protect children, such as the Catholic Church’s Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. (, 26)

2 / Minnesota Catholic Conference M������� � F�����, ����. R������ ��� ������� ������ �������������. Minnesota must design and implement policies in the areas of taxation, employment, and welfare that foster family unity and reward personal responsibility. When- ever possible, parents should be given the option to care for their young children at home, or place them in quality day care programs should both parents need to work. Parents should also be allowed limited unpaid leave to attend their children’s day care or school functions. (CCC: 2202, 2209; , 47)

P������ �������� ��� ������ ����. Minnesota should maintain support for state-sponsored adoption awareness campaigns, adoption counseling, and tax credits for adoptive parents. Parents adopting or fostering children, especially those with special needs, must receive the necessary supports to help their families thrive. (CCC: 2209) P����������� O����� ��� ��� P��� � V��������� H���-�� ��� �� �������. Minnesota should provide a “hand-up” out of poverty by enacting the recommen- dations of the bi-partisan Minnesota Commission to End Poverty. (CSDC: 208)

E����� � ������ ������ ���. Minnesota should strengthen and reform, where appropriate, its social safety net to ensure the poor and vulnerable of our state have access to vital human services. Investments in human services are investments in people. (CCC: 2443-49)

F���� ������. Food is a basic human right, yet thousands of Minnesota residents go hungry every day. For children this is especially harmful, as malnutrition impairs cognitive and physical growth. Public policies must help ensure that all residents have access to healthy and affordable food. (Gaudium et Spes, 26)

F����� ���������� ������������� ��� ������ ���� ������������. All persons have the right to earn a living, to participate in the economy, and to contribute to the common good. Minnesota must make every effort to assist persons with physical and mental impairments to ind and retain employment. (CCC: 2433; CSDC: 289) � P������ �������� ������� ��� ���� ��� ���������� �������. Shelter is a basic human right. Minnesota must ensure that all its residents have access to decent and affordable housing. (Gaudium et Spes, 26)

P������� ��������� ������� ���������. Minnesota should close loopholes in its existing lending laws and continue to encourage more responsible lending alternatives. (CCC: 2269)

J������ ��� �����������. Minnesota’s criminal justice system should re lect the following principles: 1) victims of crime, including the community at large, must have opportunities to be healed and restored; 2) policies, even those that enforce strict punishment, must serve the end �of rehabilitation; 3) sentencing and inmate release policies must re lect restorative justice principles; and 4) corrections policies should make special efforts to reintegrate poor and marginalized offenders into society. (CCC: 2266; CSDC: 403; Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 40) �

A����� ��������, ����� ��������, ��� ����� �������� �� ����� ��������. Minnesota must ensure that veterans and their families receive proper support as they return to civilian life. Minnesota must also assist refugees and others whose lives have been harmed by military con lict. (CSDC: 505)

� Minnesota Catholic Conference / 3 Jobs/Economy S������ ��������� �������� ��� ����� ������ ��������. Our political institutions are responsible for securing the social conditions that enable each of us to share our gifts and reap the bene its of life in community. Taxes, though unpopular, are essential if government at all levels is to ful ill this responsibility. Citizens have a moral obligation to pay those taxes. Justice also requires that the tax burden be� distributed equitably and based on a person’s ability to pay. Fiscal policies must avoid excessive debt� that burdens future generations. (CSDC: 355)

S������ ������ �����. Family farms form the backbone of Minnesota’s rural economy. University research dollars, as well as state grants and loans, should help existing family farmers maintain their operations and encourage the creation of new family farms. (CSDC: 339)

P������ ������ �����. All employed persons supporting themselves and their families must be able to afford the basic essentials of food, clothing, shelter, and health care. Minimum wage laws should be indexed to re lect changes in the cost of living. (CCC: 2434; Gaudium et Spes, 67)

R������ �������� �� ����������. Many citizens are willing to work but unable to do so because of dis- crimination and lack of transportation, but also because of burdensome and unnecessary regulations and red tape that inhibit job creation and entrepreneurial activity. Legislators at all levels should frequently re- view laws to ensure that they contribute to the common good, as well as promote employment and the dignity of work. The public and private sectors should work together to remove these barriers. (CSDC: 291, 336-37)

P���������� ������ �� ��� ������ �������. Minnesota’s policies governing our participation in the global economy must respect the dignity of all people. Trade agreements with irms in other countries and investment policies must respect the human rights of workers and their families, and foster sound steward- ship of the earth’s natural resources. (CSDC: 364; Populorum Progresso, 61; Sollicitudo� Rei Socialis, 43)

Healthcare M��� ���������� ������ ���� ��������� �� ���. Health care is a basic human right. Small employers, farmers, and the working poor must be able to purchase affordable health bene its. Minnesota policy must extend additional quality health care access to the uninsured and underinsured. (CCC: 2288) � R������ �������� ������� ��� ������� ����������. Parents have primary responsibility for ensuring the health, well-being, and education of their children. Government funding must not undermine parents by supporting programs that provide medical treatment, abortion, and arti icial contraception to children without parental knowledge or consent. (CCC: 2209; Familiaris Consortio, 45) � Educati on S������ ������ �� ���������. Parents are the primary educators of their children and have the right to send their children to the school of their choice, whether public, religious, or independent. further demands that government resources be provided to poor families so that they may choose the edu- cational path best suited to their child’s success. (Familiaris Consortio, 36; Gravissimum Educatonis, 6)

4 / Minnesota Catholic Conference E��������, ����.

S��������� ������� ��� ���������. Education is a sure path to full participation in the social, economic, and political life of our nation. Therefore, Minnesota must sustain its public commitment to strong elementary and secondary schools. In particular, it must make greater efforts to ensure that all our children remain in school and achieve their highest academic potential. (Gaudium et Spes, 26; Populorum Progresso, 35)

C����� ��������. School bullying is detrimental to all children and harms the educational and social environment of public schools. Minnesota should enact policies to protect all children. Combating bullying should never be a pretext to impose an agenda of groups of people, or to undermine the rights of parents to bestow their religious or moral values on their children. (CCC: 1701-1703; Gaudium et Spes, 24; The Catholic School, 35, Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education of the )

P������’ B��� �� R�����. Parents are the primary educators of their children, and should be involved in, not replaced by, school sex education programs. When public schools choose to discuss topics related to human sexuality and gender, parents should be noti ied and have the right to remove their children from curricula that they ind objectionable. Parents’ rights to direct the moral education of their children should never depend on their ability to homeschool or pay� for private education. (Familiaris Consortio, 37; CSDC: 243) � M�������� U����� ����� ������ �� ���������� ��� ��������. Immigration reform must be comprehensive and include a temporary worker program, a viable path to legalization, due process, and family uni ication. Laws aimed at enforcement should distinguish between dangerous criminals and non-violent persons whose only offense is lack of proper status. Our laws must also protect immigrants and refugees from all exploitation.� (CCC: 2241, 2433; CSDC: 289; Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope, USCCB; Unlocking the Gate in Our Hearts, the Catholic Bishops of Minnesota)

F���� ����� �����������. Many vulnerable adults and children have been trapped in modern-day slavery. Anti-traf icking laws and programs should be strengthened to discourage the growth of this trade. Support networks for both labor- and sex-traf icking victims should be created and funded. (CCC: 2355, 2414; CSDC: 245;� Human Traf�icking in Minnesota, JRLC) � C��� ��� C������� P������ ����������� �������. Agriculture is not just another economic activity; it is vital to human existence. Minnesota should promote sustainable farming that provides fair prices so that farmers can make a decent living, raise animals ethically, and maintain sound management practices. For the sake of food security and healthy diets, the state should also promote the production and consumption of local foods. (CSDC: 486-87)

S������ ����� ����, ���, ��� �����. Environmental toxins, such as lead, PCBs, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals are especially a problem for children, born and unborn. Minnesota must make additional efforts to reduce toxins from our ground and water supply, as well as reduce carbon emissions. (CSDC: 484-85)

Minnesota Catholic Conference / 5 C��� ��� C�������, ����.

E�������� ������������ ��� ����������� ������. State policies must continue to promote the conser- vation of our natural resources and the development of alternative sources of energy, including wind and solar energy. (Centesimus Annus, 37; CSDC: 470)

C�������� Abbrevia� ons CCC = Catechism of the Catholic Church CSDC = Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church USCCB = United States Conference of Catholic Bishops MCC = Minnesota Catholic Conference JRLC = Joint Religious Legislati ve Coaliti on

Encyclicals Centesimus Annus (The Hundredth Year) – Pope John Paul II, 1991. Commemorates one hundred years of Catholic social doctrine put forth since the encyclical (1891), and emphasizes its signifi cance in the modern world aft er the fall of communism. Christi fi deles Laici (On the Laity) – Pope John Paul II, 1988. Describes the vocati on of the lay faithful in the Church and the modern world. Dignitati s Humanae (On Human Dignity) – Vati can Council II, 1965. A declarati on on religious freedom. Evangelium Vitae (On the Value and Inviolability of Human Life) – Pope John Paul II, 1995. Examines aborti on, violence, and euthanasia as it relates to the dignity of life. Familiaris Consorti o (On the Family) – Pope John Paul II, 1981. Discusses the family’s importance and signifi cance in society. Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Consti tuti on on the Church in the Modern World) – Vati can Council II, 1965. Applies Church teaching to the modern world; was promulgated by the Second Vati can Council and Pope Paul VI. Gravissimum Educati onis (Declarati on On Christi an Educati on) – Pope Paul VI, 1965. Advocates for the Church to be able to freely estab- lish schools for people of all ages. Laborem Exercens (On Human Work) – Pope John Paul II, 1981. Illuminates the theology and purpose of work. Populorum Progresso (On the Development of Peoples) – Pope Paul VI, 1967. Emphasizes the importance of social and economic development, and of aiding the poor. Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (On Social Concern) – Pope John Paul II, 1987. Examines the universality and consistency of the Church’s social teaching.

Source URLs Holy See (www.vati can.va) United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (www.usccb.org) Minnesota Catholic Conference (www.mncc.org) Joint Religious Legislati ve Coaliti on (www.jrlc.org)

Please contact the Conference staff at any time regarding these or other legislative issues, or to request assistance in preparing testimony or providing witnesses on legislation of mutual interest. Main phone line 651.227.8777 J���� A�����, E��., Executive Director [email protected] P��� N���, Ed. D., Educational Director [email protected] J������ Z������, Communications Director [email protected]

www.mncc.org / 475 University Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55103