Jason Adkins, director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, writes in response to those attempting to silence the churches:

We hear it in various forms. Some complain that the church should not be speaking out on divisive issues, but instead should spend its time and resources feeding the poor and spreading God’s love.

Others say the church as a religious organization should have no role in the formation of civil laws.  Still others complain that the church should not be weighing in on so many issues where there seems to be legitimate room for disagreement.

So, what is the role of the church in public policy debates?

The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. put it well:  the church “is not the master, nor the servant, of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.”

Catholics, individually and as a community, have a religious obligation to speak out on behalf of human dignity and the common good. We are our brother’s keeper and must seek to promote laws that foster justice and human flourishing.