Reverence for Life
Human Dignity
Restorative Justice
Education
Family Life & Marriage
Religious Liberty

Reverence for Life

We hold life sacred from conception to natural death. We support policies and services that assist pregnant women to make life-affirming choices.
Human Dignity

We believe that each person has a right to access the basic necessities of life. We advocate for food and income security for all and pay special attention to the needs of women and children.
Restorative Justice

We believe that the dignity of the human person applies to both victim and offender. We advocate for restorative justice policies for all impacted by the criminal justice system.
Education

We support—as a matter of justice—access to a high quality education for all children. We affirm that all parents have both the right and the responsibility to be involved in their childrens' education.
Family Life & Marriage

We support and defend the institution of marriage as the basic foundation of society. We advocate for tax, workplace, welfare and divorce policies that enhance family unity
Religious Liberty

We affirm our religious liberty, which is guaranteed in both the U.S. Constitution and the California state constitution.

USCCB President Speaks Out Against New Contraception Mandates

. Conscience Rights

dolan Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), sharply criticized the decision by the Obama administration in which it “ordered almost every employer and insurer in the country to provide sterilization and contraceptives, including some abortion-inducing drugs, in their health plans.” He made the statement in a web video posted here.

“Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience. This shouldn’t happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights,” Cardinal-designate Dolan said.

On January 20, Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the Health and Human Services, announced that non-profit employers will have one year to comply with the new rule.

Cardinal-designate Dolan urged Catholics and the public at large to speak out in protest.

“Let your elected leaders know that you want religious liberty and rights of conscience restored and that you want the administration’s contraceptive mandate rescinded,” he said.

Background:

About

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The California Catholic Conference (CCC) is the official voice of the Catholic community in California's public policy arena. Its mission is to advocate with the legislative, administrative and judicial branches of state government for the Catholic Church's public policy agenda and to facilitate common pastoral efforts in the Catholic community. The CCC also enables ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and action.

Catholic Social Teaching

The newest statement from the California Catholic Conference is In Search of the Common Good: A Moral Framework for Addressing the California Budget Crisis. In the statement, the Bishops examine the moral and ethical questions raised by California's ongoing fiscal crisis and our shared responsibility for each other.

Find statements from the California Bishops here.
Catholic social teaching brings the Gospel message to the issues of our modern world. It is summarized here with introductions to each of the social encyclicals since Rerum Novarum in 1891; seven seven themes used to group the various teaching - starting with the right to life as the most important; and an in-depth look at Charity in Truth, written by Pope Benedict XVI.
Every four years the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) encourages us to examine our call to be engaged in public policy decisions. Catholics generally take their participation in their communities seriously, but have become just as susceptible to the 30-second sound bite and fear-inducing pundits as the next person.

Read more here.