ormed in 1969 by the Roman Catholic Bishops of Illinois, Clearly Prohibited Activities Issue Advocacy Campaigns F the Catholic Conference of Illinois (CCI) is the agent through which the dioceses of Illinois (Belleville, Chicago, Among the activities that parishes and Church organizations are  Issue advocacy campaigns can be conducted, including Joliet, Peoria, Rockford, and Springfield) may act mutually and clearly prohibited from participating in include: educational efforts about issues and legislation and the cooperatively in matters of interdiocesan and state-wide encouragement of letter writing campaigns and other interest. CCI is a multi-issue public policy arm of the Church in  Endorsing a candidate or political party. contacts with government officials, as long as the campaign Illinois.  Donating money or other resources to a candidate or is conducted in a nonpartisan manner.

political party. Role of the Church in Politics  The position taken on an issue must be consistent with the  Exclusively offering the parish’s or Church organization’s Church’s position and Catholic Social Teaching. The Catholic Church, its parishes and Church organizations are facilities to a candidate or political party.  When issue advocacy campaigns coincide with election prohibited by federal law from participating in partisan political campaigns, an individual candidate’s position on the issue activities. The tax-exempt status of a parish or Church Voter Registration Drives should not be identified nor compared with the Church’s organization may be revoked if there is a violation of the law, position on that issue. and other penalties and taxes may also be imposed on any  Nonpartisan voter registration and “Get out the vote” drives funds spent on prohibited political activities. are permissible.

 The event should not demonstrate a preference or bias However, the Church does have a role in politics and public toward a particular candidate, political party, or voting CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING policy formation through activities such as: position. Catholic Social Teaching should be the  Educating Catholics and others on the teachings of the  No election campaign materials or other materials produced framework from which issues in the political Church as they relate to social policies. by candidates or political parties are to be distributed, and arena are addressed. Catholic Social Teaching the event should not be conducted in cooperation with any  Analyzing and measuring policies against the values of the includes the following major themes: political campaign or party. Gospel.  The event should be open to everyone and not targeted to  Speaking out on issues, such as those involving the life and  Life and Dignity of the Human Person dignity of the human person, social justice, the promotion individuals known to support a particular candidate. of the common good, and the life of the Church in society.  Protection of and Participation in the Family and the Community  Encouraging voters to participate fully in the political Voter Education Materials process.  Rights of the Human Person Protected and Each Person’s Responsibilities Met  Only those voter education materials that come from or are approved by the United States Conference of Catholic  Care for the Poor and Vulnerable The following is a guide to some of the political activities in Bishops, CCI or the local diocese may be published by or  Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers which parishes and Church organizations can and cannot be distributed in parishes, schools or other entities of the engaged, in compliance with applicable federal law. Please note province.  Solidarity as One Human Family that this is only a general guide to political activities and is not  For more detailed guidelines, go to  Care for God’s Creation to be construed as legal advice. Particular concerns or questions http://www.usccb.org/about/general-counsel/political- should be addressed with the Catholic Conference of Illinois. activity-guidelines.cfm.

Voter Education Forums Guidelines on  Unbiased voter education forums at which candidates may appear can be sponsored by a parish or Church Political Activities

organization. for Parishes and  All bona fide candidates for the particular office covered by the forum must be invited to participate. Catholic Church  Questions should be prepared and asked by an independent nonpartisan panel, and must be asked in an open-ended, Organizations unbiased manner.  A wide range of issues should be discussed. Follow the

 Each candidate must have an equal opportunity to express Catholic Conference of Illinois his or her view on each issue. on Facebook and Twitter.

 The moderator of the forum must not make any comment implying his or her approval or disapproval of a particular candidate. www.facebook.com/CatholicConferenceofIllinois

@CatholicConfIL

Distribution of Campaign Materials on the 65 E. Wacker Place Property of a Parish or Church Organization Suite 1620 Chicago, IL 60601

 Parishes and Church organizations should avoid any (312) 368-1066 (312) 368-1090 Fax participation in or authorization of the distribution of campaign literature or biased voter education materials on ______their property. However, a parish or Church organization is not obligated to actively monitor and prevent campaign 108 E. Cook Street leafleting of cars in its parking lot. Springfield, IL 62704 (217) 528-9200  Political signs should not be placed on property owned or (217) 528-7214 Fax rented for official business by a parish or Church

organization. [Fall 2011] www.catholicconferenceofillinois.org